SF Chronicle: Prop L is “an opportunity that can’t be missed”
The San Francisco Chronicle has endorsed Prop L to bring critically-needed revenue for Muni, our city’s public transit service. Read the Chronicle’s full endorsement of Prop L here.
“It’s an opportunity that can’t be missed.”
Money from Prop L, the newspaper’s editorial board wrote, “would go directly to Muni and would be earmarked for keeping or increasing service levels and discounted fare programs. Funds could be available as soon as next year, providing a stop-gap before a possible regional public transportation measure hits the ballot in 2026.”
”Ridership is recovering far faster toward pre-pandemic numbers than [for] neighboring transit agencies like BART,” wrote the Chronicle, citing data showing that unlike other aspects of how the city is run, Muni has earned high satisfaction ratings from San Franciscans.
“Ridership is recovering far faster toward pre-pandemic numbers than [for] neighboring transit agencies like BART.”
“That recovery, however, is at risk,” the Chronicle wrote, with an upcoming budget deficit that “could result in a 20% cut to services. Commuters could face longer wait times between buses or an elimination of their line altogether.”
“If passed,” the Chronicle wrote, “Prop L would institute a new gross receipts tax on ride-hailing companies in San Francisco, which could bring in $25 million a year — which supporters say could be enough to maintain an average of 10 bus lines.”
A Muni vehicle opens its doors at a bus stop on Fulton Street in San Francisco.
“[Prop L revenue] would go directly to Muni and would be earmarked for keeping or increasing service levels and discounted fare programs. Funds could be available as soon as next year, providing a stop-gap before a possible regional public transportation measure hits the ballot in 2026.”
In addition to being popular, Muni is also the mode of transportation that San Franciscans want more of. “In a Grow SF poll earlier this year, 50% of respondents said they’d like to take Muni more,” wrote the Chronicle. That same survey found that increasing the frequency and reliability of buses and trains is the transportation investment that San Franciscans want most—and by funding Muni service, that’s what Prop L delivers.
“Prop L won’t save Muni singlehandedly,” the Chronicle wrote, but “it’s an opportunity that can’t be missed.”
The San Francisco Chronicle is Northern California’s largest newspaper, reaching over 6 million users every month, and we are delighted to have earned their Yes endorsement on Prop L, a ballot measure to Fund the Bus this November.
Read the Chronicle’s full endorsement of Prop L here.
