SF’s Muni Transit Slashes Budget as it Approaches Fiscal Cliff

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) joins the ranks of transit systems forced to make severe cuts, reports Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Bree Mawhorter, SFMTA’s CFO, “instructed all divisions to cut between 5% and 7% of their budgets, generating enough savings to shore up the transit system until voters decide whether to fund it long-term.”

While two measures — one regional and one local — could bring in more revenue if approved by voters, neither are guaranteed, Swan notes, adding that the money wouldn’t reach the agency until 2027.

The agency is scaling back budgets at all departments to avoid making service cuts, but Swan explains that the quality of service might degrade even if the agency is able to run the same number of buses and trains. “In the coming years, the agency might have limited ability to hire janitors, mechanics or maintenance workers. It may take longer to fix a broken sign or a dilapidated bus shelter, and crucial repairs could get kicked down the road.”