Frequently Asked Questions

For additional information on the TEP, please read the following frequently-asked questions.

The Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) is an 18-month effort to comprehensively evaluate the existing Muni transit system and recommend ways to attract more riders and make service more effective and economical. It will look at all aspects of our existing system from service policies to operations to management, assess how we compare with other major transit systems, and forecast where we see future demand. Learn more about the TEP process.

The TEP is a joint effort between the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco Controller’s Office. The Controller’s Office is responsible for contractual and administrative issues, and the SFMTA is responsible for technical transit-specific issues. After a rigorous selection process, the agencies hired Transportation Management & Design (TMD), one of the nation’s leading transit service planning consultants, to provide independent, specialized expertise. There are also various committees and working groups involved in advising the project team. Learn more about who’s involved.

The SFMTA Board will have responsibility for approving the recommended plan and any proposed changes that may affect the SFMTA budget. The Board of Supervisors may also review the plan if it includes any proposed major service changes.

Proposed alternatives will be presented to the SFMTA Board. Formal approval by the Board will be necessary for any proposed changes that may affect the SFMTA budget.

The project is primarily funded through Proposition C, which was passed by San Francisco voters in November 2003 and designates the Controller’s Office as City Services Auditor. Under Proposition C, SFMTA pays the Controller’s Office to conduct audits and other reviews of the agency.

Yes. One of the tasks will be development of a financial model to help SFMTA evaluate system costs and best promote long-term financial stability through more efficient operations. On the revenue side, the TEP will involve comprehensive market research to assess the needs and desires of both riders and non-riders.

The TEP will evaluate the entire Muni transit system to identify neighborhoods in need of service expansion and infrastructure improvements, as well as areas where duplication of service or very low ridership might warrant streamlining.

The TEP will likely result in recommendations to expand service in areas of high ridership or potential future demand, and streamlining service in locations where duplicate service and extremely low ridership exist. The project also will recommend ways to increase revenues with the focus on doing so through increased ridership rather than fare increases.

Public review and input on the TEP will be solicited throughout the project. Extensive input from several broad stakeholder groups representing a range of community interests will help develop the TEP plan. The draft TEP service plan will be available on the web site, and the public will be able to comment on the plan via email, phone or mail. The draft TEP plan also will be reviewed at meetings with individual community groups. For questions or comments, Contact Us.

While Muni currently evaluates service based on system performance goals outlined in Proposition E, there is no specific efficiency goal for the TEP. The project will include an evaluation of current system efficiency goals, an analysis of best practices in comparable areas, and will develop a set of recommendations and a long-range road map to improve performance and financial stability.