Press Release: Board of Supervisors Passes Supervisor Wiener’s Subway Master Plan Along with Extension of Transit Impact Fees to Residential Development Scott Wiener Follow Nov 4, 2015 · 2 min read

Supervisor Wiener authored the Subway Master Plan, which requires a long-term plan for new subway construction, and played key role in moving forward Transportation Sustainability Fee, which will generate $1.3 billion over 30 years by assessing transit fees on new market-rate developments,

San Francisco — Yesterday the Board of Supervisors approved two measures to address San Francisco’s need for an expanded transportation system. Supervisor Wiener authored the Subway Master Plan to create a roadmap for citywide subway construction in San Francisco, while the Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) will generate $44 million annually in new funding for transportation improvements. Supervisor Wiener worked on transit impact fee funding for five years, and partnered with Mayor Ed Lee and co-sponsors Supervisors London Breed and Julie Christensen to pass the TSF.

“For years we have dramatically underfunded transit and suffered from a lack of long-term vision regarding our transportation system,” said Supervisor Wiener. “Our transit systems are over-crowded, as are our streets. As our city and region grow, it’s imperative that we invest in public transportation, more subways, and much improved transit capacity and reliability. These two measures are key steps in this pro-transit effort.”

The TSF requires developers — for the first time — to pay transit impact fees on new market-rate residential developments. Previously, developers only had to pay transportation impact fees on commercial developments. Supervisor Wiener has been working on the TSF for years, including legislation three years ago to improve the TSF’s predecessor, the Transit Impact Development Fee (TIDF). These new fees will go toward new vehicles, transit system enhancements, pedestrian safety projects, and regional transit improvements. The fees generated are estimated to be $44 million per year, or $1.3 billion over 30 years.

Supervisor Wiener’s Subway Master Plan legislation requires the creation of a long-term policy for new citywide subway construction with a goal that San Francisco expand its inadequate subway system. Currently San Francisco has two subways — a short subway under Market Street for Muni and a BART subway that runs down Market Street to the Mission and to Daly City. Most of San Francisco has no subway access at all. A second Muni subway tunnel, the Central Subway, is under construction and will be open in 2019. The Subway Master Plan will require that the city come up with an outline for long-term subway expansion throughout the entire city.

Supervisor Wiener chairs the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and represents San Francisco on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. He authored Proposition B, the 2014 ballot measure that ties transit funding to population growth, as well as legislation to move San Francisco toward improved late night transportation.