San Francisco drivers might soon pay a little more to park, but a little less when they mess up the small stuff.
Muni leaders yesterday rolled out a catch-all plan to squeeze more revenue and cut costs as the agency stares down a structural shortfall expected to top $300 million a year. The package blends modest parking meter hikes and new transaction fees with an overhaul of fare tools and simplified cable car tickets, while quietly trimming a few non-safety fines. Directors were scheduled to dig into the details at a public board meeting later in the day.
Board packet lays out the numbers
In a staff presentation, the agency projects a deficit of more than $300 million starting in FY 2026-27, driven by rising operating costs and slower-than-hoped revenue growth. The board packet lines up a series of relatively small, discrete moves, from fare tweaks to parking changes, aimed at shoring up the budget while longer-term ballot measures are developed.
According to SFMTA, the modeled transit fare options in the presentation would bring in roughly $7.7 million in the first year.
Some fines would actually be cut
In a twist that might surprise frustrated motorists, the proposal would actually lower several non-safety parking penalties to $48. That includes tickets for not curbing wheels, which now cost $73, failing to park inside the lines, currently $76, and doing on-street vehicle repairs, which now cost $108.
To help offset those breaks, the package also includes a 2.1% transaction fee for credit card parking payments and a 10% increase in late citation penalties, meant to nudge people to pay on time. Those moves were reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Meter hikes, card surcharges and cable car changes
On the meter front, staff recommend a 25-cent-per-hour increase next fiscal year, with another 25-cent bump in FY 2027. Taken together, SFMTA estimates those two hikes would generate more than $4 million in new revenue.
The presentation also calls for retiring the MuniMobile app as the Next Generation Clipper system comes online. Cable car tickets would be streamlined into a single $15 Cable Car Plus day pass, and fare capping would be introduced so that rides become free after two paid trips in a day. The staff slides detail these options along with their projected financial impacts.
Officials pitch 'common-sense' adjustments
Transportation chief Julie Kirschbaum framed the proposed changes as modest, "common-sense policy choices" and stressed that staff are aiming to improve how the agency collects money rather than to slam riders and drivers with steep hikes.
The San Francisco Chronicle notes that SFMTA analysts believe this package, together with other efficiencies, could trim nearly $30 million from the projected shortfalls over the next two fiscal years.
What comes next
The board was set to discuss the proposal at its meeting, with no immediate vote planned. Staff said any changes would be phased in and brought back to the directors for formal action.
Riders, neighborhood groups and tourism stakeholders are expected to weigh in as the agency refines the plan ahead of budget hearings and potential local funding measures next year. For now, San Franciscans are being warned to expect a little more pain at the meter, and a small break on some of the less egregious slipups.
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