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Residents press board for general‑fund transfer to avert Muni summer cuts as BART urges multiyear funding
Summary
Dozens of public speakers urged the Board of Supervisors to transfer general funds to the SFMTA to prevent proposed summer service cuts (a shortfall of about $7.2 million was cited); BART urged state multiyear operations funding in related testimony.
During a long public‑comment period on March 25, more than a dozen speakers urged supervisors to authorize a general‑fund transfer to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to prevent proposed summer service cuts the agency has said would reduce routes and frequency. Speakers cited an estimated $7.2 million gap to avoid the cuts.
"All SFMTA needs is $7,200,000 to stop the summer cuts," said Lisa Platt, describing the potential impact on riders and students and urging a transfer or a matching approach with the agency. "We can't count on the state or federal government to fix this for us. We need to figure out how to help ourselves."
Several other residents also urged a transfer, citing crowded buses and impacts on seniors and people with disabilities. "If the MTA cuts bus service this summer, such as in the manner discussed here at City Hall last week, the city's most elderly bus riders will be hit the hardest," said Sonia Herrera, a volunteer with Muni Now, Muni Forever.
Bradley Dunn, manager of local government and community relations for BART, told the board that BART supports item 31 urging the governor and Legislature to provide multiyear operations funding, and described the system's operating shortfalls: "About 115,000 BART trips start or end in San Francisco on an average weekday... We've recovered about 76% of our riders... revenue is about half of what it was before the pandemic," he said, urging stable funding to avoid service reductions.
Other public comments during the same period covered tenant rehab concerns, taxi drivers' medallion and airport fee grievances, recovery community meetings at City Hall and other neighborhood matters.
The meeting record shows multiple supervisors (including Chen, Fielder, Mahmood and Melgar) have supported prior resolution language urging state action on transit funding; the board adopted items 31–37 without objection later in the meeting. The transcript does not record an immediate general‑fund transfer motion or vote to SFMTA during this session.
