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Muni faces proposed 10% service reduction despite state relief; board votes 4–3 on budget with cuts included
Summary
MTA officials told supervisors the agency faces two‑year operating shortfalls (about $80M in FY2011) and that a state action restored roughly $36M for 2011. The MTA board approved a budget that includes a 10% service reduction; managers said wage/benefit costs (70% of budget) limit other options.
The Municipal Transportation Agency presented a two‑year budget showing multi‑year operating shortfalls driven by reductions in state and local revenue. General Manager Nat Ford told the committee the MTA started the process facing roughly an $80 million deficit in 2011 and $74 million in 2012, but recent state legislation restored a portion of transit funding ($36 million for 2011 and $31 million for 2012).
Why it matters: Even with the state relief, the MTA board last week approved a budget that includes a proposed 10 percent system‑wide service reduction as part of a mix of solutions. Board approval was narrow: 4–3. MTA staff said the largest single cost driver is salaries and benefits (about 70 percent of the budget), constraining the agency's options to close the gap without service impacts.
Service impacts and mitigations: The agency proposed targeted schedule changes rather than even across‑the‑board cuts; for example, the N Judah would retain peak and midday frequencies but see reduced late‑night frequencies (evening headways moving from 8 to 12 minutes, late night to 12–15, night owl from 30 to 45 minutes on some segments). MTA is negotiating with labor and exploring operating efficiencies, additional parking/fee revenues, and targeted restorations once state money arrives.
Capital work: The MTA also outlined near‑term capital projects, including a Saint Francis Circle rail reconstruction requiring daytime bus substitutions from about May 17 through Sept. 1 to replace track and overhead wire work.
Public response and next steps: Supervisors and riders pushed MTA to pursue alternatives and to provide more detail to the Budget & Finance Committee; the MTA said it will continue negotiations with labor and review options before the Board of Supervisors acts on the city budget.
