Free Riders Hurting S.F.'s Muni

San Francisco's public transit system raises only 22 percent of its operating expenses at the fare box -- a rate that falls short of the national average -- in part due to broken fare boxes and riders who cheat the system, city officials acknowledge."

"Officials don't know how much money is lost each year, but it could be in the tens of millions of dollars, according to the agency's own estimates."

"The revelation comes as the agency's governing board is asking Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors to raise tow fees and the cost to park at city-owned garages to help close a projected $11 million deficit in the agency's proposed $680 million budget."

"To illustrate the problem of fare cheats, Ford held up a fistful of confiscated counterfeit monthly FastPasses at a recent City Hall meeting, telling the agency's governing board, 'We do have an issue with fraud we need to deal with.'"

"One proposed solution: Increase the number of fare inspectors over the next year to 64, up from the current crew of 28."