San Francisco Coalition for Transit Justice

The Coalition for Transit Justice joined a bunch of other transportation advocacy groups recently for a rally on the steps of City Hall to let the MTA know that their ’06 budget doesn’t include enough new sources of revenue. While they were able to stop fare hikes and service cuts this year, we think there’s more just around the corner, and the longer Muni waits to start bringing in more money, the worse it’s going to be.

Our efforts got new transit head Nat Ford to agree to reveal a long-term revenue plan for Muni at the next Budget and Finance Committee hearing. We’ll let you know when that is. 

In the meantime, check out our joint letter after the break.

San Franciscans for a Better Muni:  A Joint Statement on the 2006-07 MTA Budget 

We the undersigned are strong supporters of public transit and believe that a better Muni is critical for a better San Francisco.  Specifically, we believe that as a Transit First City, San Francisco needs: 

A better Muni for a livable, successful city.  Developing a world-class public transportation system is vital to continuing and improving the livability, environment, public health, and economic success of San Francisco. 

A better Muni for a just city:  Providing excellent and affordable transit service in San Francisco to existing riders, and particularly low-income riders, is a matter of social, economic, and environmental justice. 

In that spirit, we commend the MTA on its 2006-07 budget for not including any fare increases or service cuts, especially because such measures are fiscally short-sighted and damaging to those who rely on public transit the most. 

However, the MTA has an ongoing structural budget deficit, and unless major steps are taken immediately to provide Muni with additional revenue, more fare increases and service cuts are inevitable in the near future. 

For these reasons, we believe that the MTA should bring a structural deficit reduction plan, along with its budget for fiscal year 2006-07, to the Board of Supervisors. This plan should include both short-term and long-term funding sources, and should include funding ideas that might require changes to State law and/or regional action. Short-term revenue sources should be pursued immediately and the necessary steps to secure long-term sources of revenue should be taken as soon as possible. MTA staff should report back to the MTA Board and the Board of Supervisors at a regularly-scheduled and properly-noticed public hearing on the Agency’s progress in securing new revenue. 

We the undersigned are strong supporters of Muni and the essential service it provides to residents, employees, and visitors in our City.  We believe a better Muni is critical to making San Francisco a more livable, just, healthy, and economically successful city, and submit our proposal in the hopes of helping the Agency realize that goal.