SFMTA says it will stop sending taxi-permit appeals to Board of Appeals; drivers urge reversal

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency informed the Board of Appeals in an April 20 letter that it will discontinue its informal practice of allowing the board to hear appeals of SFMTA taxi‑permit decisions. Board members discussed the letter at the April 26 meeting and heard extensive public comment from taxi drivers, industry representatives, and advocates who urged the board and city officials to preserve the right to independent review.

Vice President Jose Lopez, who led the board’s earlier outreach on this topic, said the board had emphasized due process and impartial, arm’s‑length review when it met with SFMTA staff. "I do think that the cases we've heard…raise issues of public safety, the rights and treatment of the elderly, of small business owners, of the disabled," Lopez said, adding he was disappointed by the agency's decision to withdraw the board’s review role.

Several taxi drivers and medallion holders said removing Board of Appeals review will sharply reduce transparency and leave small operators without an affordable route for independent oversight. Charles Rathbone, who identified himself as one of several elderly medallion holders, said the charter right to appeal is longstanding and warned the change was "distressing" and effectively an extinguishment of due process by administrative fiat.

Career drivers and industry associations made similar points in public comment: Marcela Fonseca, who described herself as a career cab driver and a K‑medallion holder, said the board had been a vital independent avenue for fairness. "We believed you were our only avenue to a fair and impartial hearing," she said. Others asked the city to reconsider or to route the change through clearer charter or voter‑level processes.

SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin framed the agency’s decision as part of a broader "mobility permit harmonization" effort intended to streamline permitting across many modes and to align appeals procedures. Board members and public commenters disputed that framing, noting that taxi permits are governed by charter provisions and Mayor‑ and Board‑created rules that merit independent oversight.

The Board of Appeals did not vote on any binding change regarding SFMTA’s internal practice during the meeting. Commissioners thanked Executive Director Julie Rosenberg and President Swig for engaging with SFMTA leadership, and several members volunteered to draft a letter asking the mayor’s office, the assessor/recorder, the treasurer, and the district supervisor to help address the broader administrative gaps that the SFMTA decision exposed. Taxi advocates said they will press city leadership to restore an independent appellate path or to provide an alternative that preserves transparency for vulnerable permit holders.

The item underscored a broader policy debate: whether transportation‑related permitting is best decided within the operational agency that issues permits or whether independent, quasi‑judicial review by the Board of Appeals better protects due process for individuals affected by agency enforcement and permitting choices.