“This was a direct request San Francisco Transit Riders asked of the SFMTA as part of the budget process. Cash fares are increasing again, and given that it can sometimes take more than 90 minutes for a one-way trip on Muni, we asked SFMTA to consider adding 30 additional minutes to the transfer to ensure riders can get to their final destination without having to pay twice,” said Rachel Hyden, Executive Director of the San Francisco Transit Riders, in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled SFMTA took our request to heart and is making it happen!”
The idea to extend the transfer, according to the SFTR, came from their board's director Genesis Garcia. The idea is that by extending the time to two hours, riders who have long journeys from outlying areas will have a better buffer if a bus is delayed or a transfer missed. Moreover, it will better enable people to run short errands on a single fare--and thereby make Muni more competitive with Ubers, scooters, taxis, etc.
Meanwhile, achieving this time increase is part of the advocacy philosophy of letting the end user--the customers--drive policy decisions, rather than planners. "SFTR believes that it’s the daily riders, and not just the professional planners, who can help direct a transit first, and rider first, policy," they wrote in their release about the fare change.
But many advocates are already concerned it could provide funding for more highways. And will it really provide the seamless and equitable transit system everyone says they want?