Our budget planning process is underway, and Muni is approaching the largest budget crisis transit has ever faced. We’re not alone – transit systems across the country are grappling with impending fiscal cliffs.
As we work to make our services and spending more efficient, and identify funding to bridge Muni’s budget gap, we want to hear from local communities about their transportation priorities. This will help us understand which services are most essential to maintain.
Some of the transportation needs the SFMTA supports include:
- Fast, frequent and reliable Muni service
- Repairs and maintenance of Muni buses and trains
- Low transit fares
- Street safety throughout the city
Please take the SFMTA/Muni Priorities Survey and share it with others who rely on Muni.
Learn more about what’s at stake and how we are working every day to solve this budget crisis.
The stakes are high
Transportation is vital to San Francisco’s livability and its economic recovery. We face a $307 million deficit as relief funding and other revenue sources dry up. We’ve been hard at work to reduce our spending, and our agency has achieved over $160 million saved in efficiency improvements in recent years.
Still, the pandemic decimated the city's tax base by hollowing out downtown. Relief funding and other revenue sources have dried up. We will have to make dramatic changes to Muni service and programs if we are unable to fill these gaps. The budget deficit is expected to grow to $434 million by July 2030.
Bridging the gap
Now, we are working hard to stretch every dollar: cutting costs and becoming more efficient to prioritize essential Muni services that our riders rely on.
Our agency has achieved over $160 million saved in efficiency improvements:
- $120 million saved in internal costs by eliminating 500+ vacant positions
- $30 million saved in planned one-time investments
- $10 million saved in transit priority and reliability upgrades
We're doing everything we can to save on costs internally, without impacting Muni service. But we will need additional funding sources to close our budget gap.
Our state partners and the Mayor are working hard to identify these options.
Without new funding, San Franciscans could face devastating reductions in transit and other transportation services.
Next steps
Now we want to know your transportation priorities as we look ahead. The survey, released in late October 2025, is live online at our budget planning webpage (SFMTA.com/Budget).
Survey outreach and review
We are also planning for widespread outreach, including printing surveys in English, Chinese, Spanish and Filipino.
In addition to promoting the online survey, we will also be hosting rotating pop-ups throughout the city starting in December where people can take it in person.
Understanding your priorities will help us know which services are essential to maintain. We will report our findings and be able to make decisions based on this data.
Stay informed and get involved
To learn more about how we develop and finalize a balanced budget at the SFMTA, see the budget development process section of our budget planning webpage.
To stay informed, you can subscribe for email and SMS updates on the budget.
To reach out with questions, you can:
- Email Budget@SFMTA.com
- Call 415.646.4785
Thank you for sharing your transportation priorities with us. Please considering sharing the survey with friends and family who rely on our services to move around San Francisco.
Comments are for the English version of this page.