San Francisco officials may be forced to get rid of one of its most iconic transport features amid a large budget shortfall.
Jeffrey Tumlin, the executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, warned on Wednesday that it might need to completely eliminate its cable car and street car lines if it does not receive new funding sources, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
He noted that the agency’s financial outlook has worsened after voters failed to pass Proposition L, which would have taxed ride-sharing companies to generate an estimated $25million annually for public transportation.
The re-election of President-Elect Donald Trump, as well as Republican control of Congress, also means ‘there is no chance there is additional federal relief coming,’ and with California’s massive budget deficit, it is unlikely the agency will receive any state aid.
As a result, Tumlin said, the transportation agency faces an annual deficit of up to $322million by the 2026 – 2027 fiscal year.
Suspending the three remaining cable car lines – California, Mason and Hyde – as well as the F Market streetcars is one way the agency could recoup some of those losses.
It would save an estimated $33million annually, staffers at the agency told a working group of stakeholders Wednesday.
But it may also have a negative affect on tourism, as crowds of people are often seen waiting inn line at the Powell Street turnaround to board one of the cable cars to take them up the steep hills of Powell and Hyde streets, the Chronicle previously reported.
Jeffrey Tumlin, the executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, warned that it might need to completely eliminate its cable car and street car lines
Suspending the three remaining cable car lines – California, Mason and Hyde – as well as the F Market streetcars would save an estimated $33million annually, according to the agency
Proposed cuts to light rail frequency could decrease from every 10 to 15 minutes, to every 12 to 20 minutes
Other options the agency presented to stakeholders include cutting service frequency on the busiest lines, including the 1, 14 and 38 buses as well as six lettered rail lines by up to half, which could save the agency $71million each year.
If those cuts were to occur, some of the city’s most popular buses would come every 10 minutes, instead of every five to six minutes, while light rail frequency could decrease from every 10 to 15 minutes, to every 12 to 20 minutes.
Suspending bus routes in the hilly neighborhoods of the city could lead to an additional $31million in savings, while cutting nighttime service could generate 14million.
Yet Tumlin suggested these cuts would be a last resort.
‘The service cuts I give are not planned,’ Tumlin told stakeholders. ‘These are what we want to avoid.’
A working group is set to meet in the coming months to generate ideas for boosting revenue, and the agency has already launched a merchandising campaign ahead of the holiday season that includes branded hoodies, hats, socks, mugs and stickers, NBC Bay Area reports.
Another option is to eliminate bus routes in the city’s hilly neighborhoods
Transit officials are also hoping to place funding measure on the ballot in 2026, even though an earlier effort failed this year in the state capitol of Sacramento.
Even if that were to pass, the revenue would have to be split with other transit organizations, like BART and Caltrain, according to SFist.
As a result, Tumlin warned the cuts are ‘potentially real.
‘If we fail to come to an agreement, and we fail to win [more funding], we will need to make massive service cuts.’
