Amid a major recession, ridership on the San Francisco Municipal Railway fell by 4.4 percent during the fiscal year ending June 30th. Nationwide, transit agencies saw ridership dip by about 2.7 percent.
According to a report by SFGate, Muni’s electric trolley bus lines saw the biggest decrease in ridership, followed closely by the diesel coaches and the Metro streetcars. The only vehicles in Muni’s fleet that saw an increase in ridership were the iconic cable cars.
You don’t have to look far to find the reason for this dip – here’s the recap of the fiscal year that was:
July 1st, 2009: Regular adult fare increased from $1.50 per ride to $2 per ride. Youth and senior fare increased from 50 cents to 75 cents. Adult Fast Pass increased from $45 to $55. Disabled monthly stickers, youth passes, and senior passes increased from $10 to $15.
December 5th, 2009: Many bus lines had hours reduced, frequency reduced, and segments eliminated, and six routes were discontinued. Some heavily-traveled routes saw increased frequency.
January 1st, 2010: The regular Adult Fast Pass was renamed the “A” Fast Pass, and the price increased from $55 to $70. The “M” Fast Pass was sold for $60 for adults who don’t need access to BART within the city limits.
May 1st, 2010: Disabled monthly sticker, youth passes, and senior passes increased from $15 to $20.
May 8th, 2010: About 10 percent of total service hours were trimmed from Muni’s schedule by making across-the-board frequency cuts and hour reductions.
It should be no surprise that Muni ridership sank during a year in which the price of an Adult Fast Pass increased 55 percent and the railway implemented some of it’s most drastic cuts ever. Unfortunately, as the city’s population continues to increase, a shrinking Muni means more congestion and more problems for this supposedly sustainable city.
