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City and County of San Francisco

Municipal Transportation Agency

Citizens’ Advisory Council (MTA CAC)

FINAL MINUTES
of
Regular Meeting

Thursday, February 8, 2005 at 5:30 p.m.

1145 Market Street, 5th Floor (Main Conference Room)

San Francisco, California

1. Call to Order / Roll Call (Agenda Item 1). The regular meeting of the Municipal Transportation Agency citizens’ Advisory Council (MTA CAC) was called to order at 5:35 p.m., Thursday, January 6, 2005. Daniel Murphy (chair) presided. A quorum was present including the following:

MTA CAC Members Present at Roll Call: Daniel Murphy (Chair), Steve Ferrario (Vice Chair), Joan Downey, Emily Drennen, Griffith Humphrey, Bruce Oka, Cesar Perez, Norman Rolfe, Dorris Vincent, Daniel Weaver.

MTA CAC Members Absent at Roll Call:

MTA CAC Absent: Mary Burns, Sue Cauthen, Art Cimento

MTA Staff (San Francisco Municipal Railway [Muni] and Department of Parking and Traffic [DPT] Present: Deborah Denison (Acting MTA CAC Liaison), Debra Reed (MTA CAC Secretary)

Community Representatives Present: David Pilpel, Bob Planthold (Senior Action Network)

2. Adopt Minutes of January 6, 2005:

Minutes of January 6, 2005 MTA CAC meeting were adopted

Move to adopt the minutes by Dorris Vincent with the necessary corrections:

a) Correct Emily Drennen’s comment on page 4

b) Correct the spelling of Dorris Vincent’s name on page 1

2nd by Norman Rolfe

CAC passed unanimously

3. Public Comment – Concerning any issue within the jurisdiction of the Council and not noted on the agenda

No comments from the public.

4. Report of the Chair: Daniel Murphy (MTA CAC Chair)

a) Mr. Murphy (MTA CAC Chair) introduced Debra Reed, as the new MTA CAC Secretary.

b) Mr. Murphy attended the February 1, 2005, MTA Board of Directors and Executive Director’s meeting. In a brief conversation with Michael Burns (Executive Director) about service standards, as a result of surveys through Next Bus and other sources, Mr. Burns was feeling confident about the progress of meeting the 85% On Time standard. MUNI has identified problems in the system and scheduling problems in need of adjustments.

5. Staff Report: Deborah Denison (Acting CAC Liaison)

No report for February ‘05.

Staff-Initiated Items

6. MTA FY 2006 Budget: Stuart Sunshine, Deputy Executive Director

Mr. Murphy E-mailed a list of questions to Mr. Sunshine.

From the presentation presented to the Board of Directors on February 1, 2005, we continue to work with policy makers to come up with alternatives, such as, looking at transfers, parking measures, citations. On February 28, 2005 will be the vote on the balance budget package.

From Daniel Murphy’s E-mail of questions:

a) There was a question about Third Street startup costs in the budget. If Third Street won't be starting up in FY06, are these funds likely to be expended? If not, why aren't they redeployed to things we'll be paying in FY06?

There are some training costs associated with the operation opening of that line. Money has been set aside. While there is still some question as to the official start date, there will be a period of time for testing. Delays have been attributed to the issues DPW had with the 4th Street Bridge.

b) If we could get a list of monthly fast pass sales figures before and after the last fare increase, or for the last couple of years generally, that would be helpful. I’ve gotten some questions from the public about that, and some CAC members have asked me for this piece of information.

Mr. Sunshine will forward the fast pass sales figures to Mr. Murphy at a later date, as he did not have the information with him.

c) There was a question about whether we have a breakdown of non-platform positions being cut in the current FY06 proposal, and their programmatic impacts.

Mr. Sunshine answered that there has been no plans regarding cutting any non-platform positions. While vacancies may go unfilled, no cuts are being proposed.

d) Is the parking tax collected from hotel garages that provide parking for guests?

Mr. Bob Planthold said that the Senior Network had worked with Susan Leou (Treasurer). According to Ms. Leou, hotels charge no tax on guest parking, but upon acting as a commercial garage for non-guest patrons parking while attending an event, these are then charged parking tax. Hotels do not have to and are not suppose to charge parking tax on their registered room guests. Mr. Murphy is not aware of any enforcement in place to insure that garages converting to valet thus increasing their number of revenue generating spaces are volunteering this information to the City for tax collection purposes.

e) What is the time frame for having parking meters accept Translink cards, or some other card for payment? One of the concerns raised about parking meter rates was the practical one about people having to carry around large quantities of quarters.

Mr. Sunshine said that the new meters have been purchased to work with meter debit cards in response to motorists needing large quantities of quarters to feed meters. A pilot program is slated for fall of this fiscal year to introduce meter debit cards, be it Translink or other card venders.

i. Steve Ferrario asked who sets parking meter rates. Mr. Sunshine responded that the DPT Commission sets meter rates based on input from the DPT Executive Director, small business associations, merchants, and neighbors.

ii. Emily Drennen asked if the State’s cut/slice of sales taxes will impact the budget. Mr. Sunshine responded that the Governor’s Proposition 42 used to balance the state budget had resulted in a $5 million dollar impact to MUNI. It is projected to end in 2007.

iii. Cesar Perez questioned the possibility of increasing PCOs? Mr. Sunshine responded that maintenance and vendor personnel would reprogram meters. PCOs would be shifted around through changes in deployment strategies, rather than increasing personnel.

iv. Daniel Murphy asked if the $0.0025 sales tax (Proposition E) may be a viable solution. Mr. Sunshine responded that in view of the fact that the Directors are not elected officials, the MTA Board having the authority to placing a tax on the ballot is a subject for research.

v. Bruce Oka asked about service reduction on the 2 Clement line. Mr. Sunshine responded that service reduction impact on the budget is $5 million to $20 million. The first step is to look at headway adjustment, the policy, etc.

Public Comment

i. Bob Planthold, Senior Action Network, asked about the elimination of paper transfers and senior fare increases. Mr. Sunshine responded that at this time the push to keep the $.35 cash fare for Seniors, Disabled and Youth, along with the paper transfer structure is to stay as is, however these could possibly change as the budget plan develops.

ii. David Pilpel felt that an increase in PCOs would result in better enforcement and still generate revenue. Mr. Sunshine responded that the deployment structure of PCOs is being analyzed for different strategies for a better result.

Finance & Administration Committee Recommendations from Monday,

Recommendations from the MTA CAC, compared to the staff proposal, the MTA Board:

i) Raise garage rates more aggressively, using private garage rates as a benchmark;

CAC passed unanimously

ii) Raise parking meter rates to $2/hour in neighborhoods and $4/hour in the downtown core;

2 opposed Steve Ferrario and Dan Weaver – Mr. Weaver feels that meter increases should be deferred until after meters are upgraded from coin-fed only to systems that would also accommodate pay-cards, such as Translink, debit-cards, etc.

Item not agreed to – 7 CAC yes votes / 2 CAC no votes (need 8 yes to pass)

iii) Raise Residential Parking Permit rates higher to maximum as permitted by law; (Amended)

iv) Increase parking meter hours and days. (Amended)

CAC passed unanimously

Recommendation from the MTA CAC that the senior, disabled, and youth Fast Pass be raised to $12, and that the senior, disabled, and youth cash fare remain at $0.35.

CAC passed with 1 opposed Emily Drennen

Recommendation from the MTA CAC:

i) Whereas Parking fines and fees constitute the largest percentage of the MTA’s revenue, the MTA CAC urges the MTA Board to raise parking fines beyond the proposed penalty amounts, including raising the street cleaning fine to $40.00 and raising the meter and residential parking permit fines to $50.00. (Amended)

2nd by Joan Downey

CAC passed with 1 opposed Dan Weaver

ii) Whereas The “Proposed Fare Alternative 1” is expected to generate approximately $13 million, the MTA CAC urges to MTA Board to adopt fare increases as a last resort.

2nd by Norman Rolfe

CAC passed unanimously

Class Pass Program:

Recommendation from the MTA CAC that Muni work actively to expand the Class Pass program to all San Francisco college campuses, including City College of San Francisco; San Francisco State University; the University of California, San Francisco; the University of California, Hastings College of the Law; and Golden Gate University, and that Muni pursue other Transportation Demand Management programs in the future. The MTA CAC further requests that Muni report on the progress of Class Pass expansion efforts by August 2005.

CAC passed unanimously

Recommendation from Daniel Murphy that the MTA Board consider placing on the Ballot a sales tax measure dedicated to funding MUNI and non-auto transportation (example, pedestrian and bike transportation) with the clear stated objectives of preventing or for staling future fare increases and service cuts and meeting the Proposition E service standards.

CAC passed unanimously

“Public Comment”

David Pilpel suggested that to the extent that service adjustments are part of the budget solution, that specific service changes be brought to the CAC for review and an appropriate public outreach occur.

Recommendation from Norman Rolfe that to the extent that service adjustments are adopted as part of the FY05 or the FY06 budget that the MTA CAC be consulted on the specific proposals for such adjustments.

2nd by Bruce Oka

CAC passed unanimously

Recommendations from the MTA CAC that the MTA Board not adopt the following revenue options:

i. Charging for transfers or eliminating; (Amended)

ii. Charging a surcharge for express buses;

iii. Eliminating the token discount;

iv. Eliminating Fast Pass use on BART.

CAC passed unanimously

Council-Initiated Items

7) Council Members’ Questions and Comments:

a) Joan Downey asked Deborah Denison about the decline of token supply.

i. Hoarding has resulted in recent scarcity of tokens. MUNI is considering using paper tokens and to discontinue using the physical token.

ii. Also priority for tokens has been given to non-profit charity organizations. Bob Planthold responded that the City through Department of Human Services gives tokens to people on General Assistance or Welfare through non-profit firms to assist people seeking employment, etc.

b) Norman Rolfe and Steve Ferrario recalled that New York would change the design of their tokens with each fare change.

c) Dan Weaver would like a representative from Translink to talk about the connection between planning for Translink cards, parking meter cards and our new parking meters.

d) Emily Drennen would like a report from DPT and DA on the Proposition K funding and expenditure plans. Daniel Murphy suggested that the FAC committee meeting would be a better platform for the discussion.

e) Steve Ferrario asked about MUNI’s long-term plan on proof of payment. Daniel Murphy had a discussion with Michael Burns who seemed to be reluctant to move to a no-fare gate system. Mr. Murphy discussed some of the recommendations from OCSC on how fare gates should work.

f) Emily Drennen asked that with the new fare gates would there be a way to read the disabled fast pass? Steve Ferrario responds that the gates will have Translink.

g) Bruce Oka comments that Translink is a great system, but it will not be used for Para transit.

8) Agenda planning for February meeting:

a) Deborah Denison would like to propose changes to the service standards at the MTA CAC Council meeting. She would like to bring other staff members, Susan and others who are involved in compiling. She is hoping for an in-depth discussion of auditor’s recommendations and changes for FY06. Mr. Murphy will schedule the March 21, 2005, OCSC committee meeting followed by the full MTA CAC council meeting on April 7, 2005.

b) On Mr. Weaver’s suggestion, Daniel Murphy would like to invite a representative from Translink project for an update report.

9) Adjournment 7:55 p.m.

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