Municipal Transportation Agency
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (also known as SFMTA or San Francisco MTA) is an agency created by consolidation of the San Francisco Municipal Railway
(Muni), the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), and the Taxicab Commission.
SFMTA was established by the passage of Proposition E in November 1999, a measure which amended San Francisco's charter and established the semi-independent agency to combine and run Muni and DPT. The measure, promoted by the transit riders' group Rescue Muni
, among others, established service standards for the agency and made a number of changes to the laws governing it.
Prior to the passage of Proposition E, the Muni was governed by the Public Transportation Commission and the Department of Parking and Traffic was governed by the Parking and Traffic Commission. Both bodies were dissolved upon the full implementation of Proposition E.
Proposition E established a seven-member board to govern the agency, its members appointed for fixed, staggered terms by the Mayor of San Francisco and subject to confirmation by the city and county's Board of Supervisors. Board members are limited to three terms. The SFMTA Board of Directors is responsible for, among other things, hiring the agency's executive director.
At its inception, the SFMTA's Director of Transportation (a position referred to, at various times, in practice and by SFMTA Board policy, as "Executive Director" or "Executive Director/CEO") was Michael T. Burns. On July 15, 2005 he left the SFMTA for a position with Santa Clara VTA
. Deputy Executive Director Stuart Sunshine, a former aide to Mayor Frank Jordan
and Mayor Willie Brown, and a former head of the Department of Parking and Traffic, served as acting executive director until January 17, 2006, when Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., previously the general manager and CEO of MARTA
in Atlanta, took over as the new executive director. On June 15, 2011, the SFMTA announced Ford would be leaving the agency effective June 30, 2011; shortly thereafter the SFMTA Board decided that Director of Administration, Taxis, and Accessible Services Debra A. Johnson would take over as acting executive director until a permanent replacement was selected by the SFMTA Board. The board selected Edward D. Reiskin, the head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works, as the permanent executive director, effective August 15, 2011.
The first chair of the SFMTA Board of Directors was H. Welton Flynn; he was succeeded by Cleopatra Vaughns. When Vaughns left the board, James McCray, Jr. was elected chairman. Like two of his then-colleagues, McCray previously served on the Parking and Traffic Commission, which was abolished when the department merged into the SFMTA. All members of the current SFMTA Board were initially appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom
except for Director Joél Ramos, initially appointed by Mayor Edwin Lee
.
Only once has the Board of Supervisors exercised its prerogative, under the charter, to reject the mayor's appointees to the SFMTA Board, when then-Mayor Newsom appointed Hunter Stern to a vacant seat. The Board of Supervisors rejected Stern by a 7-4 vote on September 27, 2005. Stern was an official with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
.
Proposition E also established a 15-member SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council which must review the agency's budget and which makes recommendations on agency policy. The mayor appoints four members of the SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council and each member of the Board of Supervisors appoints one.
Proposition E allowed for the SFMTA to take over the functions of the Taxicab Commission. In 2009, the agency did so, as a result of legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors and signed by the mayor.
In November 2005, the voters of San Francisco rejected, by a margin of 35%-65%, a ballot measure which would have allowed the Board of Supervisors to appoint three of the SFMTA Board's seven members. In November 2007, the voters of San Francisco approved, by a vote of 55% to 45%, a charter amendment further expanding the power of the SFMTA Board, granting the agency more flexibility in its labor relations, providing more funding for the agency, and imposing new limits on downtown parking.
Board Secretary: Roberta Boomer
(3 vacancies)
Council Secretary: Yvette Torres
* The city charter refers to this office as the Director of Transportation, though the alternate title "Executive Director" was more commonly used during the first decade of the agency's existence. In February 2006, the MTA Board adopted a resolution adding "CEO" to the title. When Edward D. Reiskin took office in 2011, he opted to use only the position's official title.
* Although the city charter specifies that the MTA Board shall have a "chair," Flynn, Vaughns, McCray, and Nolan have all opted for the style "chairman."
San Francisco Municipal Railway
The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
(Muni), the Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT), and the Taxicab Commission.
SFMTA was established by the passage of Proposition E in November 1999, a measure which amended San Francisco's charter and established the semi-independent agency to combine and run Muni and DPT. The measure, promoted by the transit riders' group Rescue Muni
Rescue Muni
Rescue Muni was founded in 1996 by transit riders in the U.S. city of San Francisco seeking to improve the reliability, service, and safety of the San Francisco Municipal Railway...
, among others, established service standards for the agency and made a number of changes to the laws governing it.
Prior to the passage of Proposition E, the Muni was governed by the Public Transportation Commission and the Department of Parking and Traffic was governed by the Parking and Traffic Commission. Both bodies were dissolved upon the full implementation of Proposition E.
Proposition E established a seven-member board to govern the agency, its members appointed for fixed, staggered terms by the Mayor of San Francisco and subject to confirmation by the city and county's Board of Supervisors. Board members are limited to three terms. The SFMTA Board of Directors is responsible for, among other things, hiring the agency's executive director.
At its inception, the SFMTA's Director of Transportation (a position referred to, at various times, in practice and by SFMTA Board policy, as "Executive Director" or "Executive Director/CEO") was Michael T. Burns. On July 15, 2005 he left the SFMTA for a position with Santa Clara VTA
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is a special-purpose district responsible for public transit services, congestion management, specific highway improvement projects, and countywide transportation planning for Santa Clara County, California, United States...
. Deputy Executive Director Stuart Sunshine, a former aide to Mayor Frank Jordan
Frank Jordan
Francis M. “Frank” Jordan is a U.S. politician, foundation executive and former Chief of Police.Jordan was born in San Francisco in 1935 and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1953...
and Mayor Willie Brown, and a former head of the Department of Parking and Traffic, served as acting executive director until January 17, 2006, when Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., previously the general manager and CEO of MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
in Atlanta, took over as the new executive director. On June 15, 2011, the SFMTA announced Ford would be leaving the agency effective June 30, 2011; shortly thereafter the SFMTA Board decided that Director of Administration, Taxis, and Accessible Services Debra A. Johnson would take over as acting executive director until a permanent replacement was selected by the SFMTA Board. The board selected Edward D. Reiskin, the head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works, as the permanent executive director, effective August 15, 2011.
The first chair of the SFMTA Board of Directors was H. Welton Flynn; he was succeeded by Cleopatra Vaughns. When Vaughns left the board, James McCray, Jr. was elected chairman. Like two of his then-colleagues, McCray previously served on the Parking and Traffic Commission, which was abolished when the department merged into the SFMTA. All members of the current SFMTA Board were initially appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
except for Director Joél Ramos, initially appointed by Mayor Edwin Lee
Edwin M. Lee
Edwin Mah Lee is the 43rd Mayor of San Francisco, California. He was appointed by the Board of Supervisors on January 11, 2011 to serve out the remainder of former mayor Gavin Newsom's term, after Newsom resigned to take office as Lieutenant Governor of California. At the time of his appointment...
.
Only once has the Board of Supervisors exercised its prerogative, under the charter, to reject the mayor's appointees to the SFMTA Board, when then-Mayor Newsom appointed Hunter Stern to a vacant seat. The Board of Supervisors rejected Stern by a 7-4 vote on September 27, 2005. Stern was an official with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a labor union which represents workers in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or Inside Wiremen, in the construction industry and linemen and other...
.
Proposition E also established a 15-member SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council which must review the agency's budget and which makes recommendations on agency policy. The mayor appoints four members of the SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council and each member of the Board of Supervisors appoints one.
Proposition E allowed for the SFMTA to take over the functions of the Taxicab Commission. In 2009, the agency did so, as a result of legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors and signed by the mayor.
In November 2005, the voters of San Francisco rejected, by a margin of 35%-65%, a ballot measure which would have allowed the Board of Supervisors to appoint three of the SFMTA Board's seven members. In November 2007, the voters of San Francisco approved, by a vote of 55% to 45%, a charter amendment further expanding the power of the SFMTA Board, granting the agency more flexibility in its labor relations, providing more funding for the agency, and imposing new limits on downtown parking.
Muni Transit Statistics
The SFMTA Tranportation Fact Sheet (2010) gives the following statistics about SFMTA service and equipment:| Statistic | Number |
|---|---|
| Avg. Weekday Boardings (FY 2009) | 707,459 |
| Regular Weekday Transit Routes | 75 |
| Regular Fare | $2.00 |
| Regular Fast-Pass Cost | $60 |
| Priority Bus Lanes | 14.8 Miles |
| No. of Diesel Buses | 507 |
| No. of Cable Cars | 47 |
| No. of Historic Streetcars | 39 |
| No. of Light Rail Vehicles (Metro) | 151 |
| No. of Trolley Buses | 313 |
| Total Service Vehicles | 1,057 |
| Single Track - Light Rail Vehicles (gauge 4' 8.5") | 71.5 Miles |
| Cable Car (gauge 3'6") | 8.8 Miles |
SFMTA Board of Directors
- Tom Nolan, Chairman
- Jerry Lee, Vice Chairman
- Malcolm Heinecke
- Bruce Oka
- Cheryl Brinkman
- Leona Bridges
- Joél Ramos
Board Secretary: Roberta Boomer
- Policy & Governance Committee: Lee (Chair), Brinkman, Oka
SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council
- Daniel Murphy, Chair
- Daniel Weaver, Vice Chair
- Art Cimento
- Joan Downey
- Dorris Vincent
- Steve Ferrario
- Mary F. Burns
- Jamison Wieser
- Susan Vaughan
- Katie Haverkamp
- Mark Ballew
- Marc Salomon
(3 vacancies)
Council Secretary: Yvette Torres
- Engineering, Maintenance, & Safety Committee: Weaver (chair), Ferrario, Wieser
- Finance & Administration Committee: Murphy (chair), Vaughan
- Operations & Customer Service Committee: Downey (chair), Murphy, Burns
- Taxicab Committee: Burns (chair), Murphy
List of Directors of Transportation* of the SFMTA
| Name | Service Began | Service Ended |
| Michael T. Burns | 7 March 2000 | 15 July 2005 |
| Stuart Sunshine (acting) | 15 July 2005 | 17 January 2006 |
| Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. | 17 January 2006 | 30 June 2011 |
| Debra A. Johnson (acting) | 1 July 2011 | 14 August 2011 |
| Edward D. Reiskin | 15 August 2011 |
List of Chairmen* of the SFMTA Board of Directors
| Name | Service Began | Service Ended |
| H. Welton Flynn | 7 March 2000 | 20 January 2004 |
| Cleopatra Vaughns | 20 January 2004 | 2 May 2006 |
| Michael Kasolas (acting) | 2 May 2006 | 16 May 2006 |
| James McCray, Jr. | 16 May 2006 | 3 February 2009 |
| Tom Nolan | 3 February 2009 |
List of Vice Chairmen of the SFMTA Board of Directors
| Name | Service Began | Service Ended |
| Enid Ng Lim | 7 March 2000 | 1 July 2003 |
| vacant | 1 July 2003 | 20 January 2004 |
| Michael Kasolas | 20 January 2004 | 1 March 2007 |
| vacant | 1 March 2007 | 3 April 2007 |
| Tom Nolan | 3 April 2007 | 3 February 2009 |
| James McCray, Jr. | 3 February 2009 | 30 April 2010 |
| vacant | 30 April 2010 | 4 May 2010 |
| Jerry Lee | 4 May 2010 |
List of Chairs of the SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council
| Name | Service Began | Service Ended |
| David Pilpel (acting) | 6 July 2000 | 3 August 2000 |
| Linton H. Stables III | 3 August 2000 | 11 July 2002 |
| Daniel Murphy | 11 July 2002 |
Trivia
- Upon the departure of Director Shirley Breyer Black in April 2010, none of the original members of the SFMTA Board remain in office.
- Former SFMTA Board member Shirley Breyer Black is the aunt of United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen BreyerStephen BreyerStephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
and United States District Court Judge Charles R. BreyerCharles R. Breyer-Early life and career:Born in San Francisco, California, Breyer received an A.B. from Harvard College in 1963 and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1966. He was a law clerk to Oliver Carter of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of...
. - Muni's Flynn Division is named for former SFMTA Board chair H. Welton Flynn.
- SFMTA Board Chairman Tom Nolan, before moving to San Francisco, was a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, and was the first openly gay member of that body.
- SFMTA Board member Bruce Oka is the only SFMTA Board member to have served on both the SFMTA Board and the SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council.
- Former SFMTA Board member Leah Shahum is the current Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle CoalitionSan Francisco Bicycle CoalitionThe San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is a California 501 nonprofit public benefit corporation established to "transform San Francisco's streets and neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation." Founded in 1971, dormant through much of the...
. - The late Director Cameron Beach was, before joining the SFMTA Board the chief operating officer of the Sacramento Regional Transit DistrictSacramento Regional Transit DistrictThe Sacramento Regional Transit District, commonly referred to as RT, is the agency responsible for public transportation in the Sacramento, California area. It was established on April 1, 1973, as a result of the acquisition of the Sacramento Transit Authority...
and vice president of the Market Street RailwayMarket Street Railway (nonprofit)Market Street Railway is San Francisco Municipal Railway's 1,200-member nonprofit preservation partner. It relies on private contributions to help keep San Francisco’s famed historic streetcars of the F Market & Wharves line and the national landmark cable cars running to this day.Market Street...
. - Former SFMTA Board member José CisnerosJosé CisnerosJosé Cisneros is the elected Treasurer of the City and County of San Francisco, California. He was appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in September 2004, defended his position in 2005 and was sworn in for his first full term in 2006...
was later appointed, and subsequently elected, to the position of city Treasurer & Tax Collector.
External links
- San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
- San Francisco Municipal Railway
- San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic
- SFMTA Board of Directors
- SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council
- Rescue Muni
- The N Judah Chronicles
- Street cleaning schedule and map