Immigrant Families Demand Safe, Affordable Public Transit
POWER's Women Workers Project is leading a community campaign for safe, affordable public transit in San Francisco and an end to SFPD "saturations" that unfairly target immigrants and low-income youth and seniors who ride the buses. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (MTA) aims to close the $50 million gap in its budget with fare hikes and service cuts that hurt the low- and middle-income people who depend on MUNI bus and train service. Even more damaging is the MTA's extreme version of a Proof of Payment program, where police officers are contracted to check for valid transfers or passes at bus stops and on buses, especially in low-income neighborhoods like the Mission.
VICTORY! POWER and the MORE Public Transit Coalition succeeded in pressuring the Municipal Transportation Agency to cease the police saturations and check points on MUNI! Read more about the victory here!
Last Wednesday, we held a press conference in front of City Hall to protest SFPD "saturation" checkpoints, fare hikes and service cuts and call for progressive sources of revenue. Read the CBS 5 news report on our action!
Watch video coverage of POWER's Women Worker's Project member, Gloria Esteva give her testimony at the press conference (please note that her testimony begins at the 2:30 mark).
The Proof of Payment checkpoints are known as "saturations" and are creating anxiety and fear within the immigrant community and among youth, who are targeted by the program. Passengers who are found without passes or with transfers that are expired even by a few minutes are issued tickets of $75.00. Enforcement officers often demand to see passengers' ID and those who do not show ID within a "saturation" raid are referred to SFPD for a background check. Youth under 18 who are cited enter the criminal system and must go through juvenile court.
The Proof of Payment program is not an effective source of revenue: MTA officials admitted that it costs over $3.6 million a year, and the agency collects only $900,000 a year in fare evasion penalties.
Immigrant Latina women leaders in POWER have helped to form the MORE (MUNI Riders and Drivers Expanding) Public Transit Coalition made up of low-income families, youth and senior organizations to work with allies such as Supervisors David Campos and Jon Avalos to demand that the MTA seek progressive sources of revenue. Our leaders are talking to immigrant riders on San Francisco MUNI buses, building a coalition of organizations concerned about the future of public transit, meeting with City Supervisors and holding negotiations with the MTA Board. We are encouraging the Board of Supervisors to reject the MTA Budget until alternative revenue sources replace the measures that punish low-income MUNI riders.
