{"id":39912,"date":"2025-03-01T12:06:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T20:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=39912"},"modified":"2025-03-01T12:06:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T20:06:33","slug":"mayor-lurie-has-99-fixes-for-san-franciscos-downtown-but-fixing-transit-aint-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/03\/01\/mayor-lurie-has-99-fixes-for-san-franciscos-downtown-but-fixing-transit-aint-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Lurie has 99 fixes for San Francisco\u2019s downtown, but fixing transit ain\u2019t one"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Person by\u00a0KELLY WALDRON<\/a><\/strong> FEBRUARY 28, 2025 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Illustration
Mayor Daniel Lurie has made downtown recovery a priority, but a key part of that is missing: Maintaining fully-serviced public transit. Illustration by Ronna Raz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Comic<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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In his first seven weeks in City Hall, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has made downtown recovery a priority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pushed the Board of Supervisors to relinquish some of its oversight power for city contracts related to homelessness, drug overdoses and substance use, a law that was swiftly enacted<\/a>. At his request, the San Francisco Police Department spun up a \u201ctriage center<\/a>\u201d on Sixth Street to deal with the notorious drug market nearby, and launched a \u201cHospitality Zone Task Force\u201d to increase police presence<\/a> around downtown tourist hotspots like Union Square, Moscone Center and Yerba Buena Gardens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lurie eliminated<\/a> affordable housing fees for office-to-housing conversions downtown, pushed<\/a> for a state law to authorize 20 new liquor licenses downtown, and urged<\/a> businesses to \u201ccome back and invest\u201d in San Francisco at the Chamber of Commerce this week.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But a key piece of downtown recovery is missing from his policy announcements and speechmaking: Transit. How can Lurie ensure the survival of downtown if the buses and trams that shuttle people who will reinvigorate the city\u2019s urban core \u2014 the shoppers, bon vivants, and hospitality workers who cater to them \u2014 need a lifeline?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t believe that there has been a Muni funding \u2018State of Emergency\u2019<\/a> ordinance,\u201d said Todd David, the political director of the YIMBY group Abundance Network, referencing Lurie\u2019s name for his fentanyl measures. \u201cI am a little bit shocked that the Muni and BART fiscal cliff has not received the political attention that it absolutely deserves.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muni is facing a $50 million shortfall for the upcoming budget cycle, and, beyond that, a ballooning deficit<\/a> that is expected to hover between $239 million and $322 million<\/a> by fiscal 2026-27. The agency is considering service cuts to some 20 lines this summer that would trim that shortfall by $15 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDowntown success \u2014 public transit is intrinsic to it,\u201d said Tom Radulovich, a transit advocate and former longtime elected BART commissioner. \u201cAnd there\u2019s never been a greater threat to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Supervisor Myrna Melgar asked about Muni\u2019s looming service cuts during a Lurie appearance before the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11, the mayor did not unfurl a plan of action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one wants to see Muni service cuts,\u201d said Lurie. But, he added, \u201cThe reality is: This is what Muni may need to do to solve the wider budget crisis they are facing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Late<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lurie\u2019s team, for its part, also seem resigned to cutting Muni\u2019s service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe process the MTA is going through is necessary. We have to evaluate among what are really tough choices,\u201d said Alicia John-Baptiste, Lurie\u2019s chief of infrastructure, climate and mobility, who added that service cuts are likely, especially before the agency\u2019s financial outlook worsens next year. \u201cI don\u2019t think we will regret having reduced our costs in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mayor could allocate money from the city\u2019s general fund to support transit, but a spokesperson for Lurie did not respond when asked whether he would do so. John-Baptiste emphasized that the city\u2019s budget at large is also facing major cuts. \u201cThe general fund itself is facing really significant shortfalls. We are committed to putting our dollars where they matter most.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But accepting cuts to Muni would endanger Lurie\u2019s other downtown recovery priorities. Vibrant streets, more housing and thriving businesses are all dependent on more people going downtown, during and outside of working hours. Cutting transit would also affect those who don\u2019t ride it: Fewer trains and buses would mean more cars on the road and more congestion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USF<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDowntown San Francisco\u2019s competitive advantage, relative to other places where people might shop or live, is its public transit,\u201d said Radulovich. \u201cThe private car mode shift is not viable for downtown, unless they want fewer people to come downtown.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, Muni is looking at three different service-cut scenarios<\/a>, said Chris Arvin, a transit advocate who is part of the SFMTA\u2019s Muni funding working group: <\/p>\n\n\n\n