Lurie is damaging transit, the environment-and democracy-on Market Street - 48 hills

"At the same time, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, faced with a looming $320 million budget shortfall, is starting to reduce service: the 5-Fulton, the new 6-Hayes/Parnassus, the 31-Balboa, and the 9-San Bruno, now turn around when they reach Market Street, forcing passengers going farther to transfer. Lurie's invitation amounts to the privatization of transit for private gain at the expense of the general public."

"Better Market Street is a set of road diets approved by the SFMTA Board of Directors in October 2019 and implemented in January 2020. Prior to approval, the program underwent years of planning, environmental review, and public outreach. A major aspect of BMS has been the elimination of private cars. The purpose? To make downtown Market Street safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and to speed up Muni service. As the city has recovered from the pandemic, statistics indicate the improvements are working."

"However, Lurie is making his decision to undo Better Market Street unilaterally and without environmental review. This is not how it's supposed to work, and that's according to the will of the voters: our charter, our Transit First Policy, and the 2007 Proposition A. Proposition A, which passed with 55 percent of the vote, gave more power to the members of the SFMTA Board of Directors."

Mayor Daniel Lurie has invited Waymo, Uber, and Lyft onto Market Street between 10th and Steuart Streets, effectively reversing Better Market Street changes. The SFMTA faces a $320 million budget shortfall and is cutting service, causing multiple lines to terminate at Market Street and forcing transfers. The invitation is portrayed as privatizing transit for private gain and likely to invite other companies such as Tesla and Amazon's Zoox. Better Market Street involved road diets, years of planning, environmental review, and elimination of private cars to improve pedestrian safety and speed Muni, with positive post-pandemic results. Lurie acted unilaterally without environmental review, contradicting charter, Transit First policy, and Proposition A.

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