Local

[Print]  [Email]        

Muni program wasting money


May 28, 2009

Show me the ticket: Muni fare inspector Larry Parish checks passengers’ transfers on a train. (Examiner file photo)

Muni’s program to catch fare evaders is riddled with flaws, but the cash-strapped transit agency could save up to $3.5 million if it implements sweeping changes, according to a city audit.

The $7.6 million proof-of-payment program is designed to crack down on fare evaders and encourage more people to pay when riding light-rail vehicles. However, Budget Analyst Harvey Rose’s 105-page audit shows the program is plagued by flaws.

Muni has just closed a $128 million budget deficit by raising fares and cutting service. It is also already facing a possible $16 million shortfall because of state budget and other cuts.

Low fines that are “significantly less than most other transit systems” do not deter fare evasion or replace lost revenue, the audit said. Muni recently floated a proposal, supported by Supervisor Bevan Dufty, to increase the fine for first-time offenders from $50 to $75 and to introduce fines of up to $500 for repeat offenders.

Additionally, fine collection is inadequate. Muni did not collect almost half the $1,292,100 in fines and late penalties it levied between February and July of last year, according to the report. Offenders do not pay Muni citations on the spot, but are supposed to provide a name and address to the ticket inspector so a citation can be provided. However, fare inspectors cannot legally compel a person to show valid identification.

The report also said there are too many inspectors on trains during times when Muni has lower ridership. The transit agency should also fully staff booths at turnstiles to help decrease fare evasion at ticket gates, according to the audit.

Fare inspectors themselves also came under scrutiny. The report noted wide discrepancies in the number of times inspectors asked passengers for proof of payment. During a two-year period, inspectors made an average of 4,544 contacts per month and recorded an average of 111 evasion citations and warnings per month. But those numbers differed dramatically from month to month, from as low as 1,866 to as high as as 7,608.

In a response to the audit, the Municipal Transportation Agency said that “many of the recommendations are based on outdated statistics and comparisons with transit agencies that do not operate in comparable service environments.” It disagreed with the audit’s methodology and focus on costs, but conceded it could better document fare inspections and could set contact quotas for inspectors.

 

Changing for the better

Recommendations to improve Muni’s proof-of-payment program:

- Synchronized deployment of inspectors based on ridership patterns
- Employ periodic fare inspections of all riders in the station and on trains
- Escalating penalties for repeat offenders
- Analyze incident reports quarterly and annually
- Create a digital log of fare enforcement activity
- Develop database to log daily staff performance
- Produce a monthly report on the rate of fare evasion and inspection

Source: City budget analyst report

 



To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.


Most Popular Headlines





 


 



 

Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

aldorr

May 28, 2009

How about they just make it easier to pay. I have seen so many people jump the turnstiles when they can't pay at one end of the station (out-of-towners who don't even know any better)... Or people just standing there with dollar bills in their hands, staring at the slot for the month passes. I say make it easy to spend money of all forms on MUNI... that way the fare inspectors will be needed less and people will pay more often, legally.
Of course, maybe it's MUNI's plan all along to try to get people NOT to pay, so that they can rake in the fines.

 

makan

May 28, 2009

An idea would be to allow people to get on for free but make them pay to get off. Set up one way turnstiles at the entrance so everyone exits the vehicle/station at the same place. Then they pay their fare.

 

Tacosaurus

May 28, 2009

Why not use the BART system? Passes to check in and check out. It works in the East Bay and in London among other places I am familiar with. Jeeze Peezy.... until we force folks through appropriate screening we will ALWAYS have the usual SF cheaters riding for free. (The same ones who don't pay the fines when cited.)

 

art

May 29, 2009

often times i see "muni cops" waltzing up and down market st. en masse, drinking coffee/sodas and smoking ciggys! they are a joke.

 

Erinandrewsnekked.com

Oct 19, 2009

Fire these mall-cop fare inspectors ASAP. They're nothing but losers!

 

Dec 19, 2009

lowongan kerja 2010 lowongan kerja bank lowongan kerja terbaru lowongan pekerjaan lowongan cpns lowongan pekerjaan terbaru internet marketing ferri yanto angelica faustina high paying keyword

 


Post a comment


Email:
(This will not be displayed or shared. Privacy Policy)

Your Name:

Comment:




World

Fortune tellers: Year of Tiger isn't Tiger's year, but Obama to shine

It's the Year of the Tiger, but Chinese fortune tellers say it'll be a rough patch for the world's most famous one: disgraced golfer Tiger Woods. Full story

Local

Notorious penguin Harry survives infection

Fans of The City’s most famous penguins can... Full story

Local

Jackson doctor back in court in April to find out date for next major step in case

Michael Jackson's doctor returns to court in April to find out the date for the next major step in the case — a proceeding that will reveal for the first time the evidence the prosecution believes will show his "gross negligence" was the direct cause of the pop star's death. Full story