Photo: Kevin N. Hume / The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

More than half of the estimated 50,000 Muni fare evasion tickets handed out each year go unpaid, according to figures supplied by the Municipal Transportation Agency.

“We have a closure rate of about 40 percent going back to fiscal year 2008,” said Muni spokesman Paul Rose.

In other words, only 4 out of 10 people who were ticketed paid.

In fiscal year 2017-2018, for example, Muni’s 50 fare inspectors cited 49,594 cheats for $5.4 million in fines.

But only 22,272 of the tickets were paid, netting Muni $2.58 million for a fare evasion program that costs Muni $6 million a year.

Rose said the program was never intended to make money — or even recover its cost.

“Our main priority is to help ensure that people pay their fair share,” said Rose.

And while Muni estimated that cheats cost the system about $17 million a year in lost fares, it’s not exactly a burning issue with the Municipal Transportation Agency’s board of directors.

“The board has focused on better access for people who cannot afford to ride Muni, rather than criminalizing fare evading,” director Cheryl Brinkman said.

Instead, “we are looking at the root cause of the problem, working on free Muni programs for low and moderate income youth, the disabled and the elderly,” Brinkman said.

SFMTA vice chair Gwyneth Borden agreed.

“In the grand scheme of things, I’m not sure it’s a top priority,” Borden said. “I don’t know if it’s a big enough problem to invest more effort.”

Must be nice having that kind of money.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phillip Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier