UPDATE: San Francisco's Transportation Sustainability Program and Transportation Sustainability Fee

UPDATE - October 30, 2015

BOMA San Francisco members and staff continue to monitor this legislation.

A recent San Francisco Examiner article sums up the most recent discussion, earlier this month. At this point, it appears that commercial office developers with projects in excess of 100,000 square feet will see an increase of the fee from $18.04 to $19.04 per square foot.

Note that BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee members will meet with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) staff in charge of implementing this fee and program, as well as SFMTA Director, Ed Reiskin. The meeting will take place on November 4th, at 12 noon.

Please email johnb@boma.com if you are interested in attending this important gathering.

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UPDATE - September 30, 2015

At a recent meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee, there was a debate regarding the proposal to change the current Transit Impact Development Fee (TIDF) into a Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF) and to apply it to all new developments except affordable housing projects.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) proposal would increase fees for a majority of new developments - including commercial projects where the fee would increase from $12.06 per square foot to $18.04 per square foot. Activists feel that this fee should be higher and the proposal incorporate other changes. 

The suggested amendments include reducing the discount for projects already underway and not allowing the SFMTA to specify that 60% of the proceeds from the new TSF go to maintenance of San Francisco's transit system. The SFMTA is concerned that raising these fees higher than proposed, both for commercial, residential, and other projects could stymie the growth in San Francisco.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email kenc@boma.com and johnb@boma.com. BOMA developer members have been asked to provide their thoughts and we would appreciate your feedback if you feel that any increase in the TSF than what is proposed by the SFMTA, below, would affect your project - or future projects - adversely.

The SFMTA proposal will be heard again at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee on October 5th.

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Original Post - September 24, 2015

BOMA staff met recently with representatives from the City and County of San Francisco regarding the upcoming Transportation Sustainability Program (TSP) and Transportation Sustainability Fee (TSF). 

The Transportation Sustainability Program is about keeping people moving as the City grows. Smart planning and investment will help ensure that San Franciscans are able to arrive safer and more comfortably at their destinations now and in the future.  

The proposed Transportation Sustainability Fee will help fund upcoming transportation changes (see below) by:

• Creating a citywide transportation fee on new development;
• Update to existing Transportation Impact Development Fee (TIDF) – expands applicability to include market-rate residential development and certain large institutions.

What Will the TSP Do?

The Transportation Sustainability Program is made up of three components:

• Enhance Transportation to Support Growth
• Fund citywide transportation improvements, like more Muni buses and trains, to help accommodate new residents and jobs. Find out more.
• Modernize Environmental Review
• Make the review process align with the City’s longstanding environmental policies by changing how we analyze the impacts of new development on the transportation system under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The new practices will be more reliable and emphasize travel options that create less traffic. Find out more.
• Encourage Sustainable Travel
• Make it easier for new residents, visitors and workers to get around through methods other than driving alone by integrating environmentally friendly travel into new developments. New practices will provide on-site amenities so people have better options than driving their car by themselves, such as car sharing and shuttle services. Find out more.

Representatives from the City and County of San Francisco will be presenting this information to BOMA San Francisco's Government Affairs Committee on November 4th. If you are interested in attending, please email johnb@boma.com for the meeting details.