SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approve resolution to urge state to save Bay Area public transit
"We need the federal and state governments to step up and save public transit before it's too late."
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors considered a resolution to formally urge the state to provide more funding to save Bay Area public transit.
And late Tuesday evening, ABC7's Lena Howland says the SF Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve the resolution to urge the state to save Bay Area public transit, according to Supervisor Dean Preston's office.
Video in the media player and the story below are from an earlier update
A majority of the Board of Supervisors cosponsored the resolution, ensuring it will pass, according to a spokesman for Supervisor Dean Preston's office.
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, city leaders held a rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall with public transit officials to gather support for public transit funding.
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"Our progress, especially when it comes to service restoration, is in jeopardy now," Preston said. "We need the federal and state governments to step up and save public transit before it's too late. We need bridge funding from the state."
San Francisco leaders are now asking the state for help, as agencies are already up against their own shortfalls from ridership levels still not returning to pre-pandemic levels, rising operating costs from inflation and federal emergency relief funds set to run out, for some, in the coming fiscal year.
"What's at stake is not only service cuts, but denying San Franciscans the opportunity to get to work, to get to school, to get to medical care, to get to social services," Jeffrey Tumlin, the San Francisco Director of Transportation said. "The effect on people will be dire."
Tumlin says 400,000 people ride MUNI every day, half are people of color and 70 percent make less than $50,000 a year.
VIDEO: 25% fewer Muni buses possible as SFMTA faces potential $214 million deficit
"The cutting of service means it will fall hardest on those who have the least options, it's one more thing that would make living in the Bay Area harder and less affordable, it may drive some people to have to leave the region entirely," Ian Griffiths, the Policy Director for Seamless Bay Area Transit said.
If the state doesn't step in for help, it could mean no weekend BART services, only hourly weekday service and even the possibility of entire MUNI bus lines being cut, according to state Senator Scott Wiener, who has already asked Governor Newsom for support earlier this year.
VIDEO: What happens if BART funding falls through? Here are the worst-case scenarios
"Why the state? Because we don't have enough money here locally," Hillary Ronen, a San Francisco Supervisor said. "We, in San Francisco subsidize our public transit more than most cities do and that's because of how much we value it and how important it is to the city and county of San Francisco."
But with this push, comes an uphill battle, as the state of California is facing a projected budget deficit of billions of dollars.
"It means that we have to prioritize transit over other things, and now's the time to do that because if we don't do it now, we can't just turn transit off for a few years and turn it back on like a light switch," Griffiths said.
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