SFMTA adds 17 inspectors as fare evasion crackdown expands in San Francisco

At bus stops, rail platforms and subway stations across San Francisco, Muni riders now face 17 more inspectors as the city expands a fare-evasion crackdown that officials say is about accountability as much as revenue. The added staffing pushes the transit fare inspector team from 59 to 76, a 30% increase, and comes as SFMTA tries to close a $322 million budget gap without squeezing service even further.

Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the plan May 5, pairing the inspector expansion with a shift away from in-app MuniMobile ticket activation and toward more visible Clipper payment. City officials also said they want better data collection to track fare evasion more accurately. The current classification for Transit Fare Inspector pays from about $84,968 to $103,324 a year, a sign the agency is trying to rebuild a unit that had 59 filled jobs and 17 vacancies as of Dec. 31, 2025.

The pressure is real. SFMTA has estimated fare evasion on Muni Metro at about 21%, up from roughly 12% before the pandemic, while other reporting has put the number closer to one in four riders. The agency also said revenue per rider rose 6% between February 2024 and February 2025 after it changed enforcement tactics. That gives the crackdown a clear fiscal case, but it also raises a tougher question for riders: whether more inspections will make transit feel safer and fairer, or simply more heavily policed.

That question matters because inspectors have not historically been spread evenly across the city. Past reporting showed fare enforcement concentrated in some places more than others, even as Muni buses and light-rail lines reached the outer edges of San Francisco. SFMTA says inspectors do more than write tickets. The Proof of Payment team checks fares on vehicles, bus stops, rail platforms and subway stations, and the agency says enforcement is aimed at people who can pay, not riders who qualify for free or discounted fares. For daily riders, the test is simple: whether San Francisco can collect more fares without making the commute feel like a punishment.