We believe San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) staff violated ethical and legal standards in the implementation of new parking regulations. As San Francisco residents, we request the Board of Supervisors:
- investigate how SFMTA staff avoided public review and improperly obtained SFMTA Board approval for new 'Policies for On-Street Parking Management.'
- establish a method for the public to appeal SFMTA parking decisions to the Board of Supervisors, as currently authorized by the City Charter, Section 8A.102(b)8(i).
Why is this important?
In 2007, the citizens of San Francisco gave SFMTA authority to manage and update City parking policies, without ongoing oversight from the Board of Supervisors.
SFMTA published the 'Policies for On-Street Parking Management' document in order to "provide transparency in how the agency makes decisions." The agency promised the document contained "no new policies" and only clarified "where we do (and do not) use parking meters and residential parking permits.”
Public data, internal emails, and dissenting staff memos prove otherwise.
SFMTA staff misled their own Board of Directors and violated the public trust by creating all new policies. Even after appeals from 20+ neighborhood and business associations and the agency's Citizen Advisory Committee to rescind the policies, the SFMTA Board has taken no action.
The Board of Supervisors must step in to provide oversight and accountability.
