We did it, thank you!
Welcome, Zack
SFMTA Budget 2020-2022
A note on SB50
Transit News & Calendar

We did it - thanks to you!

We raised over $30,000 in year-end donations, and passed 600 members in 2019! It's hard to say how much this means to us.

It means we have a real springboard to grow our staff. It means we can build out our 2020 strategy - to push for 30x30, to push for a rapid 29 Sunset, a functional T Third, and a rapid 22 Fillmore to serve everyday riders as well as Chase Center ticketholders. We want to build our member and volunteer engagement, we want to get more people thinking about putting riders first, we want to engage more riders in making their ride better - for themselves and for everyone. And with all your support, we can dare to dream!

Thanks to everyone who donated, who helped out, and who celebrated with us at Remix - thank you all for showing up to make transit awesome!

Welcome Zack!

Zack joined us last spring and has proven to be worth his weight in gold in building our membership, bringing new ideas to the table, and jumping in wherever needed.

So one of our first acts of 2020 was to bring Zack on from part time to full time Membership Manager. He is key to our strategy to grow and engage our membership, and we look forward to all he'll bring to transit riders across San Francisco.

Tuesday January 21: SFMTA Budget Breakdown

Join us next Tuesday night to hear from SFMTA staff about Muni's budget and priorities. This meeting will help develop San Francisco Transit Riders' budget priorities and inform our advocacy.

Tuesday, January 21
6:00-8:30 PM
795 Folsom Street, 1st Floor

Muni faces a lot of challenges and needs a lot of resources. The operator shortage is one well-known challenge. SFMTA is working out the kinks to replace its light rail vehicles (LRVs). Fare policy affects riders every day, as well as Muni's ability to deliver service. What else goes into the budget? What comes out of it? What do SFMTA staff need to deliver good service? Join us to learn all about it and ask your questions.

A note about SB50

After a lot of good discussions both internally and with our members and allies, we have decided to take no position on SB50. We will continue to advocate for identifying transit funding and streamlining transit improvements.

We want to thank Supervisor Mar for his support for transit and for our 30x30 campaign, and we look forward to working more with him on streamlining transit funding and approvals.

We also want to thank Senator Wiener for all his support for transit and transit funding, and look forward to continuing to work with him as well.

I regret the confusion and distraction caused by my statement supporting Supervisor Mar’s resolution regarding SB50. It’s unfortunate that some allies and members are under the impression that San Francisco Transit Riders opposes increased housing density. I spoke up to support the increase of transit alongside increased housing density.

The transit riders we strive to represent, as well as our membership and board, have a range of views on housing and the best way for San Francisco to care for, and to plan for, its people. Housing is a complex issue with many challenges and solutions.

We know that more housing near good transit can be good for transit, housing, community, and the climate. We also know that Muni struggles to meet today's demand. The fact that public transit is so far behind contributes to the increased traffic congestion we see every day. We need to support investment in public transit in order to serve today’s riders, as well as continue to grow to serve tomorrow's.

This is why we’re working on funding measures for transit; on prioritizing transit on our streets; and on building a real rapid network that serves all neighborhoods in San Francisco with frequent, reliable, and faster service.

See you on the bus,
Cat

Transit News & Calendar

BART won the Most Good Transit News In One Day Award on January 9:

• Board approves project to deliver WiFi at BART and cellular upgrades. Word is, this project will bring cell service to Muni's subways over the next 2 years. (We have heard this before, but we remain hopeful!)
• BART to launch ambassador program on trains next month. This is an idea we think SFMTA should consider, so we look forward to learning from BART's experience.
• BART Board approves generational project to replace train control system. SFMTA is eyeing a similar system - we hope to see the same headline for SFMTA in the not-too-distant future!

Tuesday, January 21 

• SFMTA Board Meeting, 1:00pm, City Hall. The results and recommendations from Mayor Breed's Muni Reliability Task Force will be presented. We thank Mayor Breed for inviting our participation, and appreciate the opportunity to keep the riders' voice at the table, particularly talking about implementing transit priority across the city.
• Muni Budget Breakdown, 6:30pm, SFTR HQ.

Tuesday, January 28
SFMTA annual Board workshop. An all-day deep dive into everything SFMTA. More information to come.