Fare evaders beware-- no cuts planned to Muni inspectors
By: Mike Aldax
January 23, 2009
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| Muni officials say they plan to maintain a staff of about 50 inspectors to catch fare evaders, despite budget troubles. (Examiner file photo) |
SAN FRANCISCO — On a recent weekend afternoon, two swift teenagers snuck in through the rear doors of an outbound 6-Parnassus Muni bus on Market Street, beelining for the back seats in hopes of dodging the $1.50 fare.
They apparently didn’t notice the Muni inspector onboard, who was on the lookout for sneaky fare evaders.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had to pay,” the inspector told the teens, who smirked sheepishly as they dug in their pockets for change.
A once widely abused trend of riders hopping on The City’s packed buses and streetcars without paying has reversed some, as Muni hunts for ways to offset a growing deficit and cuts in state funding.
In the past two years, Muni has more than doubled its staff of fare inspectors, to 49, increasing citations by about 44 percent in the latest count. And, the Municipal Transportation Agency pledges to maintain about 50 inspectors on staff next year, regardless of funding problems, said spokesman Judson True.
That wasn’t the case in recent years. During an Examiner investigation in 2005, a team of reporters boarded 22 of 30 city buses or trains without paying or providing proof of payment. The investigation helped kick-start reforms to Muni’s fare enforcement, which helped the agency collect $35,000 in fare-evasion tickets from July through September, the agency reported.
“We’re committed to collecting fares, because the revenue helps us provide better service to our customers,” True said.
A conditional hiring freeze at Muni, however, means the agency cannot add another 20 inspectors to the staff, as originally planned for 2009, he said. But Muni continues searching for new ways to collect fares — including rehabilitating aging fare-box collectors that tend to break down — hoping additional revenue will help boost funds for upcoming improvements to The City’s oft-criticized public transportation system.
This year, for instance, Muni will begin implementing its highly anticipated Transit Effectiveness Project, a major overhaul of The City’s network of buses and streetcars that promises to slash wait times and relieve congestion on the busiest lines while adding some service to underserved and developing neighborhoods.
“We’re evaluating an ongoing pilot program of fare inspectors on buses, and we’re looking at fare data to see how we can expand that system,” True said. “Anyone who rides Muni Metro knows they need to have proof of payment or they are at high risk of citation.”
Fare evasion, of course, is not solely to blame for uncollected revenue. More than even fare hoppers, broken fare boxes strip Muni of much-needed funding for bus and streetcar service, according to Muni chief Nathaniel Ford.
That problem is currently undergoing a major overhaul, Ford said last fall, adding that a major contract to rehabilitate Muni’s fare boxes systemwide was signed recently and is upcoming.
Major changes down the line
After a whole lot of talk, this year will see a slew of major projects meant to improve the fluidity and safety of San Francisco’s streets.
A revamping of a decades-old bus and streetcar route system, the addition of 34 miles of bicycle lanes and the testing of demand-priced parking meters are just a few of the new projects set to begin within the next year. All projects are spearheaded by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which oversees Muni, the Department of Parking and Traffic, the Bike Plan and soon the Taxi Commission.
“All of our initiatives are designed to help up improve service to our customers,” said Muni spokesman Judson True.
In March, the transit agency is expected to merge with the troubled Taxi Commission, hoping to use its broader resources to improve cab service in The City.
In spring, the 18-month pilot project SFpark begins. It will test a demand-pricing idea for metered parking spaces, charging anywhere from 25 cents to $18 depending on the demand for them or whether they are near special events. The idea is to ease congestion in The City’s most bustling corridors.
In summer, expect major implementation of the Transit Effectiveness Project, an initiative to improve Muni’s on-time performance — partly by increasing bus and streetcar service on the heaviest-traveled lines, such as the N-Judah, 38-Geary and 14-Mission.
And also this summer, the transit agency hopes to begin applying the oft-delayed Bike Plan, which aims to improve safety, fluidity and access for The City’s bicyclists and pedestrians. All that stands in the way of the plan is a court-ordered injunction, which might be lifted by summer if an environmental review turned in Nov. 26 is finalized and approved. — Mike Aldax
Paying the price
Muni says it will spend more resources this year to crack down on fare invaders.
21: Fare inspection officers in December 2006
49: Fare inspection officers in December 2008
$50: Fare-evasion citation
$35,000: Value of citations issued from July through September
6.47 percent: Increase in fare revenue from July through November*
$66.6 million: Fare revenue from July through November
*As compared to the same period last year
Source: Municipal Transportation Agency
