San Francisco supervisors have cleared the way for transportation planners to seek funding for a potential community shuttle serving residents of District 4.
Sitting as the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) board, supervisors voted 10–1 at its Feb. 10 meeting to adopt the final report of the District 4 Community Shuttle Study that recommends staff from the SFCTA search for funding options to operate a community shuttle as a pilot project. District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan voted against adopting the report, and the SFCTA’s Community Advisory Committee also did not adopt the report.
How to fund the pilot project and whether the community shuttle should be a priority for the SFCTA were discussed, given the current financial stability of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Jeal Paul Velez, a principal transportation with the SFCTA, said the annual operating costs would be between $2.5 million and $3 million, depending on the types of vehicles used as well as wages and benefits offered to the drivers of the shuttles. There would also be a one-time $600,000 cost for procurement, contracting, and marketing, making the first year annual costs range from $3.1 million to $3.5 million.
The operating average cost per trip could be between $25 to $30.
Velez said staff could potentially look at state grants, corporate sponsorships, and city funding to cover the costs of the first year of the pilot.
After the first year, state grant funding would end, and staff would need to seek funding elsewhere, including possibly increasing fares for the service or having District 4 pay for the service through a community benefit district or parking district, for example.
Chan said she supported the community shuttle concept but wanted to postpone discussions until after the November election, when the SFMTA will know the outcome of two ballot measures to fund Muni.
“I would like to see those things actually pass and happen, and that our transit system is funded before we spend on a pilot program,” Chan said. “I think my no vote today is a signal to say this should be at the bottom of the priority list.”
The board adopted only the final report, not any funding for the project.
Some members of the Community Advisory Committee also raised concerns about the costs and plans for long-term funding.
District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong, who represents the Sunset District, remained supportive of the final report.
“District 4 continues to face significant mobility gaps, particularly for short trips between key destinations such as Stonestown, SFSU, and neighborhood corridors, ” Wong said. “The proposed on-demand shuttle offers a targeted solution to improve coverage and provide a compelling alternative to driving.”
He added that he understood the committee’s concerns about the cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability of the community shuttle, but that conducting a pilot would enable data collection, cost tracking, and equity impacts.
The community shuttle would work similarly to another community shuttle pilot in the Bayview neighborhood, where Sunset District residents would request a ride to a destination through a smartphone app or by calling a multilingual center. Wait times could be anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes with travel time ranging from 15 to 25 minutes.
Community shuttles would pick up additional passengers along the route and drop them off at their destinations. Passengers would pay using a Clipper card or smartphone. Fares to ride the shuttles would match the current Muni fares.
While most residents living in District 4 are within a quarter mile of a Muni bus stop, Velez said Muni does not offer a “competitive alternative” for trips made within the district, often requiring passengers to make transfers or long walks to bus stops.
“This is particularly a bigger issue for seniors and people with disabilities that are more burdened by this request to either transfer or have to do a long walk,” Velez added.
Anni Chung, CEO and president of Self-Help for the Elderly, spoke in support of approving the report. Chung gave an example of a senior with a bad knee, who visits the Chi Sing Community Center in the Sunset District and has to make three transfers on Muni to get to the community center.
“If you build it, they will come,” Chung said.