“But in order to do that, we need to have a real conversation about just how dire our situation is and what is at stake so that one, we can come to agreement on new revenue, and two, we can win,” Tumlin said.
He made that point again Tuesday when asked about plans for service cuts during a meeting of the SFMTA Board of Directors.
“There seems to be a lot of confusion about the different directions that we’re going in terms of what we’re cutting, what we’re not cutting, when are we cutting these services, things like that,” board member Stephanie Cajina told Tumlin. “I just want to offer you the opportunity to discuss a little bit more about the timeline of different decisions, especially around service cuts.”
“One of the things we’ve been trying to do on every single slide of every single presentation is offer a disclaimer: ‘There are no current plans for major service cuts,'” Tumlin said. “What we’re trying to lay out is what is at stake if we don’t solve the problem that we know is heading at us in calendar year 2026.”
Noting that ride-hailing services Uber, Lyft and Waymo have cut into the once-hefty revenue from the city’s parking garages, Tumlin said the goal of the current funding discussions is “to come to consensus this winter on how to rebuild the financial base for the SFMTA, which has been unsustainable already for many years.”
Lurie spokesman Max Szabo said the mayor-elect was not available to discuss the transit agency’s budget challenges. Instead, he offered a statement in the mayor-elect’s name.
“I’m building a team rooted in accountability, service and change to tackle the city’s historic challenges,” Lurie said. “That includes ensuring that transit is safe, well-funded and accessible for all.”