Mike Chen 陳懋華

@mikechensf.com

552 Followers 338 Following

San Francisco housing, transportation, good government 🏳️‍🌈🚌🌉

chart of San Francisco Midterm Primary Turnout
Guardian article: Tech industry wins big in California after millions spent on primary election
Chart from a report of counts of two-wheeled devices at a sample of middle and high schools from Marin and San Mateo counties. Of the electric devices, 88% are not legally e-bikes.
chart of polling movement since March
Flyer (processed image) of 4 friends seeking a 4BR apartment with a $400 finder's fee. Area is San Francisco near Divisadero and Oak.
Wikipedia: Did you know that a popular song has been used by Apple, the White House, an MLB stadium, and a Disney film? (links to an article that you're supposed to guess)
Chart of San Francisco Muni transit ridership by route in the month of February 2026
Chart showing partisan registration of athletes by sports league. WNBA (women's basketball) is the most Democratic at 68%, followed by NBA (men's basketball) 43%, NFL (football) 34%. The NHL (hockey) and MLB (baseball) are the most Republican at 44% and 54%.
X/Twitter post from Spencer Pratt says: I’ve been in the public eye most of my life and there isn’t any dirt you can find on me that hasn’t already been aired. Seems like the only thing people don’t know is my voter registration, so here go: I registered Republican in 2020 and never changed it. And I wasn’t going to change it now just to check a different box. This is a non-partisan race - there will be no D or R next to my name. As Mayor, I will not serve either party. I will work with anyone who wants to help the City. No labels necessary.
Picture of a storm drain covered in dirt and leaves, before being swept
Clearing a storm drain blocked by leaves with a rake. The water drains away. It is pleasing in the way that people like to pop pimples.
Headline: S.F. pushes planning code changes to speed up affordable housing development
Next Generation Transit Lane Enforcement System Advantages Modern transit lane and bus stop enforcement systems integrate advanced technologies that offer immediate, measurable improvements in efficiency and coverage. These systems address the limitations of the current TOLE program by automating key functions and reducing manual workload. Key features include: • Real-Time Data Transmission: Cellular connectivity eliminates the need for manual video retrieval from each bus, enabling faster and more efficient data access. • Automated Violation Detection: Intelligent onboard systems identify potential parking violations in real time, removing the need for staff to manually review thousands of hours of footage annually. • Integrated GPS and ALPR: Global Positioning Systems and Automated License Plate Readers automatically capture vehicle and location data, streamlining the citation process and reducing human error. • Automated Evidence Packages: The system generates complete, review-ready evidence packages, allowing enforcement staff to process up to five times more violations with existing staffing levels. • Enhanced Imaging Capabilities: High-resolution cameras with low-light functionality ensure accurate violation capture in a variety of lighting and weather conditions.
To the Members of the California State Senate: I am signing Senate Bill 720. This bill would allow local governments to establish an alternative automated traffic enforcement program that uses automated equipment to detect violations of traffic control signals, with violations issued to the vehicle's registered owner and subject to escalating civil penalties ranging from $100 for a first offense to $500 for repeat offenses. Preventing accidents and saving lives is a critical priority, and this measure provides another tool to advance that goal. Its success, however, will depend on thoughtful implementation at the local level and ongoing evaluation, with a willingness Io make adjustments to guard against unintended consequences. Civil penalties alone may not always provide sufficient deterrence, particularly for those able to easily absorb the cost. To be effective, the program must also remain a safety-focused tool rather than drifting into a revenue-driven exercise. As this program moves forward continued vigilance will be essential to ensure it fulfills its promise — safer streets, stronger accountability, and genuine deterrence of dangerous driving behaviors.
Poster for Yes on Proposition 50, the Election Rigging Response Act. The graphic is a bear holding the state of California with the word "democracy" on it. Below, the caption reads "Come and Take It".
Color blind palette image
One-story office buildings with parking next to the Anaheim Transportation Center
MetroLink train
San Francisco weather forecast for the coming week: sunny, with highs in mid to high 60s
a heavy car fallen from the road and crashed onto rocks, a foot above water
As of February 28, working on: testing, fare gates, ticket vending machines, mobile phones, field testing. Next up if all goes well: pilot test, then customer transition over a period of months.
The schedule critical path continues to run through system integration testing, mobile wallet integration, and VenTek ticket vending machine deployment. These items continue to be the tasks driving our schedule risks. We have started field testing and will expand this to more users in Pilot. However, if during field testing or Pilot we find issues requiring application changes there will be a material impact to the schedule. We are still targeting the end of April to start Customer Transition; however, since these remaining risks are still open, and we want to preserve the current customer experience, at this time we cannot provide a date certain for the Start of Customer Transition.
Sign that says "private parking physicians only" in English and Russian
Today, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released docked bikeshare trips for January 2025. From January 2024 to January 2025, docked bikeshare trips starting and ending at a docking station on six of the largest systems grew 17.1%. By area served and system (six largest), the number of docked bikeshare trips in January 2025 and the percentage change from January 2024: New York, NY (CitiBike): 2.24 million (up 19.2%) Washington, DC Metro (Capital Bikeshare): 0.17 million (down 8.4%) San Francisco, CA (Bay Wheels): 0.26 million (up 61.1%) Chicago, IL (Divvy): 0.10 million (down 9.1%) Boston Metro, MA (Blue Bikes): 0.16 million (down 1.1%) Jersey City, NJ (CitiBike): 0.05 million (up 2.6%)
Summary of bikeshare with chart showing trips over time. Bullets: more than 330 stations citywide. 3,000 total bikes, including non-electric and e-bikes. Working with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission on future of bikeshare.
Storefront with a "grand opening" sign and balloons
Since 2019, fare compliance has fallen from ~88% to ~80%. At the same time, Muni expanded ways to pay: • Muni Mobile • Universal pass programs for Chase, Outside Lands, etc. • Expanded monthly discount programs Expanding payment methods that don't require tagging have contributed to the perception that more people are fare evading, even when most people are paying proper fare.
The projected revenue, once all the changes are deployed, is $18.5 million annually, said Chun. For perspective, parking meter revenue in fiscal year 2002 was $51 million. This year, revenue is projected to be $48 million. These numbers do not include revenue from parking citations.
Next Steps: • Feb 18: Initial Board discussion on short -term funding options. • Mar 4: Review of community feedback on service cut proposals and final Board decision on funding options. • Mar 18: Detailed review of parking optimization and final decision on service cuts (if relevant). • April 1: Title VI approval of service cuts (if relevant) and other funding related Board actions.
Muni Funding Working Group completed discussing Efficiency improvements, Service cuts, Revenue enhancements, Service enhancements. March 2025: Discuss funding packages and release Controller’s Report. Regional Revenue Measure: • Authorizing legislation introduced - January 2025. • Polling conducted - February 2025 • Regional consensus building underway
We have heard citywide concerns about affordability and strong community opposition to extending parking meter hours in the evening and on Sunday, so we are not presenting a scenario that would raise $15 million by doing that.
Option 2: program cuts outside transit. Cancel vintage historic rebuild and delay phase 2 midlife bus overhaul. Reduce maintenance at joint BART/Muni stations. Cancel Safety Equity Initiative bus stop lighting program. Reduce tow subsidies. Eliminate school crossing guard program or find alternate funding sources.
Option 1: transit service cuts. Scenario 1: Preserve high ridership routes: Suspend lower ridership routes where there are parallel options. Scenario 2: Maintain existing connections: Maintain all connections and coverage by reducing frequency on Rapid corridors and connectors service across the system. Scenario 3: Prioritize equity routes: Prioritize service on Muni Equity routes and access in Muni Equity Neighborhoods by suspending routes and reducing frequencies elsewhere.
To close the $50M gap, the SFMTA identified $35M of solutions with smaller trade-offs but needs guidance on the remaining options, which require harder trade-offs. Allocate transit Population Baseline increase to operations (from General Fund): $9.5 million. Redirect 25% of paint and sign shop employees to capital priorities and fund with increase in streets Population Baseline (from General Fund): $2.5 million. Optimize existing parking solutions: fill PCO vacancies and optimize enforcement, increase cost of contractor permits, meter and garage rates, minimum times at meters: $18.0 million. Decrease existing professional service expenditures: $5.0 million.
Our budget challenges FY25-26 Budget: ~$50 million need. This budget shortfall starts in July. FY26-27 Budget: ~$320 million need. This deficit starts when federal and state one-time relief funding are exhausted by June 2026.
Multi-Year General Fund Reductions $16M in General Fund reductions over multiple budget cycles have been offset by mandatory vacancies. • Budgets assume some salary savings due to the time between separation and backfill. • SFMTA’s budget has high assumption of vacancy savings, in part to absorb unexpected COVID-related revenue cuts. • With limited resources, SFMTA prioritized hiring transit operators and revenue-generating positions. • SFMTA held non-operator positions, like track and overhead line workers, vacant to continue to hire operators and maintain service schedules. • SFMTA is at a tipping point, where further deferred hiring could lead to unreliable service and compromise trust. • To maintain service quality, SFMTA is pursuing options, like service cuts, to increase non-operator hiring.
• General Fund uncertainty - City’s six-month report emphasizes significant financial instability - Citywide hiring freeze - Departments that are not safety critical instructed to reduce expenditures 15% - Future reductions in General Fund revenue likely • Other revenue sources, including state and federal funds also expected to fluctuate • Finance team is continuously forecasting and financial planning to manage risk
The SFMTA is actively managing expenditure by: • Defunded 295 FTE positions in FY24-25 budget (160 more defunded positions than FY23-24 budget) • Slowed hiring starting July 1, 2024, and froze non-essential hiring October 1, 2024. • Implemented quarterly planning for purchase of materials, supplies, and professional services. • Reviewing work orders for financial consistency with operational needs, devolving review to Project Managers for tighter expenditure control, and restructuring certain work orders to facilitate charging to capital projects.
Starting in August, Transit Fare Inspectors doubled their productivity and performed over 60,000 inspections in Oct., the highest total for one month on record. In Dec. and Jan., numbers were lower because we were training new fare inspectors. Feb. is on track for a record number of total inspections. Graph of inspections per hour over time. January 2024: 13. In September 2024, the inspections per hour rises to a peak of 20 in November 2024. February 2025 is 17 inspections per hour.
Continued revenue decreases have worsened financial position relative to October. Actions taken in October to freeze hiring will address projected deficit.
February 2025 Financial Update
Picture of which areas would not be allowed for parking due to the state daylight law, to improve visibility of pedestrians at crosswalks and reduce collisions.
Muni store merchandise including T-shirts, stickers and mugs
Text infographic This little-known race decides the future of the Democratic Party. ADEM delegates vote on the California Democratic Party platform nad endorsements. It's time to set a new direction for the California Democratic party. This diverse coalition is: - pro-housing - pro-worker - ready to set aside differences and achieve results for regular San Franciscans
Map of BART Board of Directors districts in San Francisco
Chart of investor home purchases by size of investor. Breaks down to entities transacting 1-9, 10-99, 100-999, 1000+. It shows that large institutional buyers are a small piece of the market. Source: JBREC (Burns)
Pie chart Total single-family housing stock 105M units Blackstone owned housing: 0.06% Other institutionally owned single family rental: 0.5% Source. John Burns Real Estate Consulting
Picture of a street in Chinatown with crowds filling between buildings. Paper lanterns hang overhead.