RegComm Recap – Transportation, Safety, and the Future of Transit Funding
On Wednesday, March 12, HAC’s Regulatory Committee welcomed Jodie Medeiros from Walk SF and Dylan Fabris from San Francisco Transit Riders for a conversation about making San Francisco’s streets safer and ensuring public transit remains accessible, reliable, and fully funded.
Walk SF: Creating Safer Streets for All
Jodie Medeiros from Walk SF discussed the alarming rise in traffic-related deaths in 2024, with pedestrians making up the majority of fatalities. Despite San Francisco having strong data on high-injury corridors, policy changes have been slow to keep up with the crisis.
Jodie emphasized that pedestrian deaths should not be seen as inevitable, but rather as a failure of policy and design—one that can and must be fixed.
Here are the facts:
Speeding is the leading cause of pedestrian deaths, and Walk SF is pushing for stronger enforcement through policies like automated speed cameras. San Francisco is set to be the first California city to launch a speed camera program, with 33 cameras rolling out across districts this year.
Daylighting laws, which prohibit parking near crosswalks, have been proven to reduce crashes by 30%, yet implementation has been inconsistent. Walk SF is calling for full enforcement of daylighting at every intersection by 2026, with additional protections at the most dangerous locations.
Street design plays a critical role in safety—cities like Hoboken, NJ, haven’t had a single traffic-related fatality in eight years, proving that change is possible with the right investments in infrastructure.
Want to get involved? Walk SF is celebrating their work in bringing in speed cameras on Thursday, March 20. RSVP here!
SF Transit Riders: Muni’s Looming Financial Crisis
Dylan Fabris from SF Transit Riders laid out the urgent funding challenges facing Muni and other Bay Area transit agencies. Without new revenue sources, Muni could see system-wide service cuts of up to 30% by next summer, impacting thousands of San Francisco residents each day.
Here are the facts:
SFMTA is projected to face a $322 million annual deficit by 2026, driven by a decline in general fund revenue, reduced parking fees, and the expiration of federal pandemic aid.
Service cuts have already begun, including reduced bus frequency, the elimination of morning trips, and shortened routes. Without new funding, Muni could see system-wide cuts of up to 30% by next summer, affecting 30,000+ riders each day.
Current Challenges:
SFMTA can only raise fees or cut service, both of which negatively impact riders.
Competing citywide budget deficits.
Uncertainty at the regional and state levels.
What SF Transit Riders are pushing:
Near-term solutions, including:
Using $15 million from SFMTA reserves to prevent immediate service cuts.
Urging the SF Board of Supervisors to allocate $15 million from the general reserve to maintain transit service.
Longer-term funding efforts include:
A $2 billion statewide budget request for transit funding.
A regional funding measure (potentially through bridge tolls or sales tax).
A local funding measure (likely a parcel or sales tax) to secure dedicated Muni funding.
Here’s how to support SF Transit Riders:
Join the Muni Now, Muni Forever campaign to urge our City officials to address Muni’s budget deficit and protect Muni services from harmful cuts.
You can also RSVP for their event on March 18 to rally at City Hall at 11 AM to oppose Muni service cuts.
