San Francisco officials may be forced to cut one of its most iconic transportation facilities due to a major budget shortfall.
Jeffrey Tumlin, the executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, warned Wednesday that it may have to eliminate its cable car and streetcar lines entirely if it does not receive new sources of funding. reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
He noted that the agency’s financial prospects have deteriorated after voters failed to pass Proposition L, which would have taxed ride-sharing companies to generate an estimated $25 million annually for public transit.
The re-election of President-elect Donald Trump, as well as Republican control of Congress, also means “there is no chance of any more federal aid coming,” and with California’s massive budget deficit, the agency is unlikely to receive any state aid will receive. staff.
As a result, Tumlin said, the transportation agency faces an annual deficit of up to $322 million in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Suspending the three remaining cable car lines (California, Mason and Hyde) and the F Market streetcars is one way the agency can make up for some of those losses.
It would save an estimated $33 million annually, agency officials told a stakeholder working group on Wednesday.
But it can also have a negative effect on tourism, as there are often crowds of people waiting in line at the Powell Street bypass to board one of the cable cars that take them up the steep hills of Powell and Bring Hyde Street. the Chronicle previously reported.
Jeffrey Tumlin, the executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, warned that it may have to eliminate the cable car and streetcar lines completely
Suspending the three remaining cable car lines (California, Mason and Hyde) and the F Market streetcars would save an estimated $33 million annually, according to the agency.
Proposed reductions in light rail frequency could be reduced from every 10 to 15 minutes to every 12 to 20 minutes
Other options the agency has presented to stakeholders include cutting service frequency in half on its busiest lines, including buses 1, 14 and 38, and six-letter rail lines, which could save the agency $71 million each year.
If these cuts were to happen, 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 drop from every 10 to 15 minutes to every 12 to 20 minutes .
Suspending bus routes in the city’s hilly neighborhoods could lead to another $31 million in savings, while limiting night services could save $14 million.
Still, Tumlin suggested these cuts would be a last resort.
“The cuts I am making are not planned,” Tumlin told stakeholders. “This is what we want to avoid.”
A working group will meet in the coming months to generate ideas to increase sales, and the agency has already launched a merchandising campaign ahead of the holidays, including 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 also hope a funding measure can be brought to a vote in 2026, even though an earlier attempt failed this year in the state capital Sacramento.
Even if that were to happen, the revenue would have to be shared with other transit agencies, such as BART and Caltrain. according to SFist.
As a result, Tumlin warned that the cuts are “potentially real.”
“If we fail to reach an agreement, and we fail to win [more funding]we will have to make huge cuts in services.’