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SFMTA director highlights new state laws, event-driven ridership gains and neighborhood outreach
Summary
At the SFMTA board meeting, Director Kirschbaum reviewed recent state laws supporting transit safety and access, reported a 50% weekend ridership bump around Golden Gate Park tied to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and described neighborhood outreach and safety work in West Portal, Chinatown and Bernal Heights.
Director Julie Kirschbaum told the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board that several state bills signed by the governor this year will help the agency on staff safety, access and project delivery.
Kirschbaum cited AB 394 as expanding consequences for battery against public-transit operators to all public transit employees and called AB 1532 a renewal of the Access for All program that funds wheelchair-accessible on-demand trips. She also praised SB 71 for streamlining approvals for certain transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects and lauded SB 63 for authorizing a Bay Area sales-tax measure the board hopes will appear on the November 2026 ballot.
"These laws will help make project delivery more cost-effective and nimble," Kirschbaum said, noting the agency is already working with regional partners to align accountability measures to the new funding authority.
In operational news, Kirschbaum said Muni delivered roughly 90,000 more passenger trips to and from the Golden Gate Park area during the recent Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival compared with the prior weekend, and that both Saturday and Sunday experienced about 50% increases in trips around the park. Staff told the board the agency uses event-specific templates to expand service when attendees arrive and depart across an extended schedule.
Kirschbaum also summarized community outreach: the agency partnered on Walk and Roll to School Week with 48 participating schools and 74 classroom teams in a Golden Sneaker contest; completed the West Portal Station safety and community space improvements including planters, bike share stations and street murals; and is holding quarterly curb-use and business-loading discussions in Chinatown to align parking and loading hours with neighborhood needs.
The director said staff will continue working with supervisors and neighborhood committees on near-term roadway safety measures in Bernal Heights after an Oct. 4 fatal hit-and-run, citing existing investments such as speed cushions and flashing beacons and promising both quick fixes and longer-term corridor work.
Board members thanked staff for the report and asked for follow-ups on event revenue treatment, service templates and how the new state measures will be operationalized locally. Kirschbaum and finance staff said more detailed briefings would be offered as policy choices are developed for upcoming budget cycles.
The board did not take action on the director's report; public comment included calls for more cameras and for prioritizing the Street Safety Act implementation.
