Press Release: Community Advocates Submit Signatures to Place Measure to Fund Muni on November Ballot
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 5, 2024
Contact: info@sftransitact.com
San Francisco, CA - On Friday morning, volunteer transit advocates carried twenty boxes, painted to look like Muni buses and containing 17,879 signatures, to City Hall to qualify their grassroots measure for the November election. Wearing campaign t-shirts with the slogan “Fund the Bus” and chanting “bus, bus, bus” when a 49 Van Ness was spotted, the group of about forty-five transit supporters was in high spirits as their convoy wound its way through Hayes Valley from a storage unit to the steps of City Hall.
A group of about forty-five ComMUNIty Transit Act volunteers was in high spirits as the convoy wound its way through Hayes Valley to the steps of City Hall to deliver their signature petitions to the Department of Elections. Photo credit: Connor Cimowsky.
In the face of an estimated annual deficit of over $220M starting in fiscal year 2027, the ComMUNIty Transit Act is expected to generate up to $30M a year for Muni operations, funding transit service and fare discount programs for youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income riders. The measure’s income would come from a new gross receipts business tax of up to 4.5% on ride-hail companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Waymo that make over $500,000 in annual revenue from rides in San Francisco.
Supervisor Dean Preston and supervisor and mayoral candidate Ahsha Safaí showed their support for the ComMUNIty Transit Act on Friday morning on the steps of City Hall. Photo credit: Ben Cochran.
“While our measure will not close the entire budget gap, it is part of the solution, and our campaign is also building political will and volunteer energy that will turn out in support of future transit funding efforts,” said Kat Siegal, one of the grassroots measure’s proponents.
State Senator Scott Wiener, who is leading negotiations for a much larger regional measure for 2026 addressing the impending transit fiscal cliff affecting agencies throughout the Bay Area, has endorsed the ComMUNIty Transit Act. Other endorsements include BART Board Director Janice Li, and the Sierra Club.
A box containing signature petitions and painted to look like the 1 California Muni bus passes through security inside the Polk Street entrance to City Hall. Photo credit: Connor Cimowsky.
Supervisors Dean Preston and Myrna Melgar, and supervisor and mayoral candidate Ahsha Safaí, joined the group at City Hall. Preston said, “As an everyday Muni rider, I know how much it matters for Muni to reach all parts of our city and to be accessible to all. I’m proud to stand with this grassroots San Francisco initiative for a more robust, reliable, accessible, and affordable public transportation system in our city.”
“Supporting the ComMUNIty Transit Act is critical for San Francisco's future as our public transportation faces millions of dollars of shortfall,” Supervisor Safaí said. “This ballot measure will help prevent devastating service cuts and protect the jobs of the operators, mechanics, and cleaners who keep Muni running.”
Supervisor Myrna Melgar posed with ComMUNIty Transit Act volunteers inside the Department of Elections office at City Hall on Friday morning. Photo credit: Connor Cimowsky.
Supervisor Melgar added, “Investing in public transportation is the right thing for our climate and the right thing for our City. Tens of thousands of San Franciscans rely on Muni to get to work, to take their kids to school, and to enjoy all the glorious corners of our City. It is our duty to ensure that these integral systems are reliable, efficient, and fully funded.”
The ComMUNIty Transit Act’s boxes of signature petitions were stacked inside the Department of Elections office, as the campaign submitted its signatures in order to let San Francisco voters weigh in on their proposal to help fund Muni operations through a tax on ride-hail companies in the November election. Photo credit: Connor Cimowsky.
According to campaign organizers, 132 volunteers gathered signatures for the measure over the last nine weeks, across hundreds of events. “As a senior, I helped collect signatures to get this measure on the ballot,” said Ruth Malone, professor emerita at the UCSF School of Nursing. “It was so easy, because so many people use and love Muni!”
When asked why she volunteered for the funding measure, Maya Chaffee, Mission resident and member of the BART Bicycle Advisory Task Force said, “I love the bus. I love not having to stress about car ownership, I love fighting climate change, and I love the freedom to travel and meet many interesting and cool people. I love this great city, and without Muni, San Francisco would not be the same.”
Press kit with additional quotes, captioned photos, links, and more
