San Francisco Parking, Muni Rates Going Up

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - If you drive, park, or take public transit within San Francisco city limits, get ready for another tug at your pocketbook. Fares, fees and fines are going up on July 1.

A single Muni fare will still be $2.00 for adults, but Muni fast passes will be more expensive, cable car rides will go from $5 to $6 and there will be a $2 increase in the annual residential parking permit, to $100.

The fine for fare evasion is also going up by $25 to $100.

Officials with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the increases are simply because there isn't enough money to cover costs.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

"Fares only account for 23% of the entire cost of the service," said San Francisco MTA board president Tom Nolan. "So people need to keep that in mind and as those costs go up, so will their fares.

Nolan was pleased with the SFMTA's new plan of imposing yearly cost of living increases, rather than larger increases every few years.

"I think it's a really good public policy of indexing these things so there's no huge jump at any point," he reasoned.

Still, there was at least one fine that would take a gigantic leap come July: violations of disabled parking laws would increase to over $900.

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