SFMTA beefs up efforts to crackdown on Muni fare evaders

NBC Bay Area reports that San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency is expanding its fare inspector workforce from 59 to 76 employees as part of a broader effort to combat fare evasion, which Muni estimates affects approximately 25% of ridership. The reporting includes on-the-record quotes from SFMTA officials, a fare inspector, Mayor Daniel Lurie, and Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, alongside specific operational data (5-7 fare evaders caught per shift, $14 million revenue increase year-over-year). The article notes a substantive policy development—requiring free-fare-eligible riders to tap their passes for better data tracking—and provides context about Muni's challenges distinguishing between legitimate free riders (youth under 18, those using apps) and actual fare cheaters. Independent reporting from the San Francisco Chronicle adds depth by noting Muni's revenue per passenger remains less than half its 2015 levels, contextualizing why the agency is prioritizing fare collection, while KALW and the SF Examiner corroborate the hiring expansion and recent ridership recovery trends. Watch for implementation outcomes of the new tapping requirement and whether the expanded inspector force measurably reduces the estimated 25% evasion rate.