Muni is in dire financial straits. As federal and state COVID-relief funds reach their end, San Francisco’s transit agency faces operating deficits projected to grow from more than $300 million next year to as much as $400 million by 2030. To avoid catastrophic service cuts, Muni will need voters to approve two different revenue measures in November 2026. Cost reductions and efficiency are also part of the agency’s strategy to keep buses and trains running.
As efficiency becomes a central concern for Muni, and as voters are asked to invest significant new resources in the system, this research paper seeks to take Muni’s “vitals” by looking at how it performs relative to its peers across a range of key business metrics for efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness. Our findings show that Muni performs well, especially when compared to other systems around the county. We believe this record of good performance should give policymakers and the public confidence in Muni and its overall management. And because a record of good performance alone isn’t enough to solve a future budget deficit, SPUR’s analysis also suggests areas where further work may be needed to find savings and improve performance over the coming years.