Press Release: Community Advocates Introduce Ballot Measure to Fund Muni

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 22, 2024

Contact: info@sftransitact.com

San Francisco, CA – Community advocates for public transit have introduced the “The ComMUNIty Transit Act,” an initiative measure to increase funding for public transportation in San Francisco. After receiving a ballot title and summary from the City Attorney on Friday April 19th, supporters of the measure will soon begin gathering petition signatures to qualify the measure for San Francisco’s November 2024 ballot. 

The measure is expected to generate up to $30M a year for Muni transit operations by increasing business taxes on ride-hail platform companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Waymo. The proposed gross receipts tax would apply to ride-hail companies making more than $500,000 in annual revenue from rides in San Francisco, starting at a rate of 1%, and capped at 4.5% on revenue over $25 million.

Revenue from the measure will be directed to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for two purposes: first, to maintain and increase Muni service throughout the city, including improving transit access to public schools, libraries, and parks; and second, to maintain and expand discounted fare programs for youth, people with disabilities, and low-income riders.

“Muni sees over 500,000 passenger boardings every day, connecting San Franciscans to family, friends, employment, school, recreation, and vital services,” said Kat Siegal, a proponent of the proposed measure. “To meet our city’s climate and transportation safety goals, we need to sustain and expand Muni service. Ride-hail and AV companies use public streets for private profits, increasing carbon emissions and traffic congestion while slowing public transit. Under the ComMUNIty Transit Act, the largest of these companies will contribute about 45 cents out of a $10 fare to support our city’s public transit.”

“Public transportation has been underfunded at the federal, state, and local level for decades, and Muni operating revenue continues to suffer from the impacts of the pandemic,” added Chris Arvin, another proponent of the measure. “Our grassroots coalition of transit advocates is done waiting for others to start solving the transit funding crisis—we're going to do it ourselves.”

“We’re happy to report that as of today, the committee to support the ComMUNIty Transit Act has received over $100,000 in pledged donations, putting us over half of the way to our initial goal of $200,000 to support the campaign,” said Lian Chang, another proponent of the measure. 

The ComMUNIty Transit Act is an effort by a coalition of advocates and allies in support of safe and sustainable transportation in San Francisco. The act’s proponents include Chris Arvin, Vice Chair of the SFMTA Citizens' Advisory Council; Kat Siegal, Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority’s Community Advisory Committee; and Lian Chang, whose previous advocacy includes supporting Vision Zero at Walk San Francisco. All affiliations are shared for identification purposes only.

A growing team of volunteer advocates is gearing up to gather over 10,000 signatures of San Francisco voters in order to qualify this measure for the November 2024 ballot. For more information, visit the Community Transit Act’s website at sftransitact.com and read the City Attorney’s ballot title and summary. A press kit is available here.