Muni Rolls Back 2021 Fare Increases (For Now)
Thanks to SF Chronicle for letting us know that Muni rolls back fare increases after pressure from SF supervisors.
Back in April SFMTA approved their budget which included broad Muni fare hikes. The fare hikes (at least the 30-cent hike proposed for 2021), which were opposed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, were considered necessary by the SFMTA in order to avoid service cuts.
What fare hikes were supposed to be implemented?
- Single rides on Clipper (currently $2.50) will rise to $2.80 in 2021 and $2.90 by 2022.
- The monthly “M” Muni pass rises from $81 to $86 by 2022.
Three weeks later SF Chronicle gave an update that San Francisco’s transportation board has pulled back a 30-cent fare increase in a deal with two supervisors that followed months of jockeying in City Hall. The tension started in April when SFMTA approved a budget that included a 30-cent Clipper card fare hike, amidst the pandemic and economic shutdown that added financial hardship for many Muni riders.
As of writing, and checking their website and social media accounts there’s no official statement from SFMTA yet. To stay updated you may check their website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Dean Preston proposed a charter amendment that would have stripped power from SFMTA including its authority to decide fares.
SFMTA rolls back Muni fare increases after supes threaten a charter amendment that would have stripped power from the agency. The compromise reflects a careful calculus, as agencies try to fill budget holes without burdening riders who are struggling. https://t.co/H3lxCOk7mK
— Rachel Swan (@rachelswan) June 10, 2020