SFMTA Strategic Plan
Looking Ahead
As the transportation agency for one of the most vibrant and progressive cities in the world, the SFMTA’s vision and values reflect the city we serve. We envision a city of diverse and thriving neighborhoods seamlessly connected by safe, reliable, affordable transportation for all.
Jeff Tumlin, Director of Transportation
This is the vision that will guide the SFMTA into the future. And it is the vision that introduces this strategic plan—the plan that will guide our agency’s decision- making during the uncertain times ahead and ensure that our people, services, projects and resources are all advancing in the same direction.
In addition to our vision, what really underlies this strategic plan is the SFMTA’s values. We prioritize economic vitality and environmental stewardship as core values for the San Francisco transportation system. We prioritize respect, inclusivity and integrity as core values for the SFMTA as a workplace. And, crucially, we value equity and trust across all our work. We are actively working to reverse long-standing inequities within our agency and throughout the network of service we provide to San Francisco communities. To make progress on righting past wrongs, we must first establish trust— with our employees, our riders and roadway users, our partners and our stakeholders.
The strategic plan sets out the goals that will help guide our priorities during the upcoming budget process and over the course of the next two years. It also sets forth the metrics by which we will measure our progress.
The past two years have been extremely challenging for transit agencies across the US, and the SFMTA is no exception. Our ridership and our revenue plummeted with the arrival of COVID-19. But, in the face of these challenges, our employees showed a level of dedication, loyalty and flexibility that is truly admirable. They also innovated new programs and services at speeds no one imagined a government agency could, so that they could support San Franciscans’ health and improve their lives.
As we move forward into the next phase of the pandemic and hopefully beyond it, the values laid out in this strategic plan will guide every aspect of our work. The goals and initiatives will help us keep focused on what’s most important to our customers. The metrics will keep us accountable. I invite you to collaborate with the SFMTA to bring our strategic plan to fruition and create a transportation system that opens up new possibilities for everyone who lives, works in or visits SanFrancisco. By working together in unity, we can provide the infrastructure needed to achieve the healthy, sustainable and equitable city we all want and deserve.
Policies
Established by voter proposition in 1999, the SFMTA is the department of the City and County of San Francisco that oversees Muni, parking and traffic, bicycling, walking and taxis. It is distinct in the United States as a comprehensive agency responsible for all aspects of transportation for the city it serves.
In that role, the agency builds, operates, regulates and maintains a diverse system of public transit, paratransit, taxis, shared bicycles, scooters and mopeds, as well as manages the streets that support all the ways that people and goods move around.
San Francisco’s transportation system is shaped by policies and programs at federal, state, regional and local levels. These policies span transit, urban development, housing and climate change regulations, and will continue to impact future projects, programs and policies in San Francisco for years to come. Through the strategic planning process, the agency establishes the vision and values informed by these policies and identifies the strategic goals for the next budget cycle in order to achieve this vision and uphold the values.
The SFMTA Strategic Plan
The SFMTA Strategic Plan is defined by a set of plan elements that outline the high-level concepts and aspirations of the agency – the vision, values and metrics – and the actionable strategies – the goals and initiatives – which will be incorporated into the everyday work of agency staff.
Since the agency adopted the last strategic plan in April 2018, there have been significant changes that have affected the city’s transportation system and the overall mobility of its residents, workers and visitors.
During the pandemic, people’s needs and travel choices changed and key destinations outside of the downtown core were identified. It also redefined what it means to support essential travel to those destinations around the city and how and when residents use the public rights-of-way for exercise and socializing. Additionally, the widespread adoption of telecommuting in early 2020 showed the city how new technologies and business operations could be adopted quickly and what a city without vehicle congestion could look like.
Throughout the pandemic, the SFMTA continually demonstrated to the public its flexibility and willingness to try new ideas, constantly pushing to improve agency operations to support those most dependent on transit. As the agency looks ahead to a post-pandemic city, it is committed to doing its part to support the city’s small businesses and the city’s overall economic recovery, while taking steps to stabilize the agency’s financial situation and build trust with the public.
Vision
A city of diverse and vibrant neighborhoods seamlessly connected by safe, reliable, affordable transportation for all.
We envision a transportation network that improves the daily lives of everyone who lives, works in or visits San Francisco. Our transportation network:
- Gets people where they need to go - Workers are able to get to their jobs on time with minimal difficulty, families have confidence that their kids can get to and from school easily and community members can make essential trips and connect with their family members and friends.
- Supports the city’s economy - It opens up opportunities for employment and access to the shops, restaurants, parks, museums and other attractions that make San Francisco the vibrant city it is.
- Supports racial, social and transportation equity – It is proactive in resolving past harms caused by the transportation sector and provides high-quality services to support the lives and wellbeing of underserved communities in the Bay Area.
- Provides options that work for all - This network provides numerous transportation options, all of which are safe, reliable, rapid and affordable.
- Prioritizes transit, walking and bicycling - It is so efficient and enjoyable that people don't need to use cars for most trips.
- Combats climate change - It mitigates pollution and CO2 emissions from transportation and supports the resiliency and adaptation of the city's infrastructure.
This transportation network is the foundation a more diverse, equitable, culturally vibrant, healthy, economically thriving and innovative San Francisco and Bay Area.
Values and Metrics
The SFMTA is a values-driven organization, operating in line with a purpose defined by the city and its residents. The values listed here in the SFMTA Strategic Plan express the complexity of the agency’s work and outline how agency staff will work together to achieve the goals.
In order to track the agency’s progress in upholding all the new agency values, a suite of metrics have been identified for each value. Targets for each of the performance metrics will be defined every two years in line with the budget cycle. This will ensure there is adequate funding to support the agency’s strategic initiatives and achieve the agency’s goals.
In addition to the metrics identified in this Strategic Plan, the SFMTA will also continue to track: data related to day-to-day operations; long term indicators that extend beyond the horizon of the strategic plan; and the service standards specified in the San Francisco City Charter.
Three Types of Values
The large number of values speak to why the agency was formed and reflect the complexity of agency work as it supports the city.
In this cycle, the agency has expanded the list of values to define values for the workplace, those for the transportation system and the “bridge” values of Equity and Trust that apply to everything the agency does. Grouping the values in this way helps clarify how the values are linked together and enable a more holistic look at the agency’s operations.
Grouping the values in this way helps clarify how the values are linked together and enable a more holistic look at the agency’s operations.
Bridge Values
Bridge values are the values that are commonly held across both the workplace and the transportation system. Both Equity and Trust are critical components to describing the workplace as well as in creating the foundation for the system the agency is working towards, so these values are included in both lists. They reflect the agency’s current priorities and future needs as it continues to operate in a time of great uncertainty and work to aid the city’s recovery from the pandemic.
Workplace Values
Driven by the city’s core values, the system values will serve as a common touchstone for agency staff. They are clear principles for the agency to guide the allocation of resources and support the delivery of projects and services, as well as outline what is important to agency operations and what employees stand for when they complete their work.
Transportation System Values
Driven by the city’s core values, the system values will serve as a common touchstone for agency staff. They are clear principles for the agency to guide the allocation of resources and support the delivery of projects and services, as well as outline what is important to agency operations and what employees stand for when they complete their work.
Strategic Goals
Set by the SFMTA Executive Team, each of the 10 new goals are in line with our values and will leverage agency resources and opportunities in order to address the needs and challenges the agency will face in the coming years.
Reporting
Public reporting on progress is critical to the implementation process. As the agency moves forward in completing initiative and establishing new programs, the SFMTA will continue to issue regular public reports and updates on the goals and strategic plan metrics with the following:
- Monthly online updates on the metrics: The SFMTA publishes monthly metrics data to the public website in order to provide greater transparency on agency performance.
- Quarterly progress updates and metrics reports at the SFMTA Board’s Policy and Governance Committee : Quarterly updates on the initiatives and performance metrics keep the Board of Directors and general public updated on ongoing agency work in support of the plan.
- Semiannual Controller’s Office reporting : A subset of the metrics are tracked and reported publicly by the City & County of San Francisco Controller’s Office as part of the city’s online City Performance Scorecards.
- SFMTA Annual Report : The agency issues a report each year outlining the key accomplishments and challenges addressed over the course of the prior year, as well as key financial information, a year-end review of the performance metrics and the direction the SFMTA is moving.
- Biennial Municipal Transportation Quality Review : This review is mandated by the City Charter and completed every other year by an independent consultant.
Sunday Streets
Additional Agency Planning Efforts
The SFMTA Strategic Plan is rooted in the agency's work on the Racial Equity Action Plan, Connect SF, the recommendations of the Muni Reliability Working Group, and Vision Zero, as well as the ongoing work on the Climate Action Plan and the T2050 financial planning effort. Additionally, the work completed through the agency’s COVID response informed the needs of the agency going forward. Use the links below to access some of the individual contributing plans and programs.
City and County Policies and Programs
Agency Planning Efforts
