The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency last week held Muni Safe Day Out, an annual event where volunteers travel throughout the Muni system to inform the public how they can report harassment and safety issues.
SFMTA staff and community members volunteered to post signage across stations, pass out informational pamphlets, and speak with riders on how they can help make public transit safer by reporting their concerns online or by calling 311.
Brent Jones is the SFMTA acting director of transit and he welcomed over 60 volunteers Thursday into the agency’s atrium before people left with their teams to speak with riders. He said the purpose of the day’s public campaign is to make transit better by showing the community Muni cares about their concerns.
“You guys are all representing us and ensuring that our customers feel safe and confident to ride our service every day,” said Jones. “Today, we want to double down and ensure that our customers and our agencies partner together to ensure that Muni remains safe, clean, and reliable.”
The Muni Safe Day Out event is a part of the SFMTA’s Safety Equity Initiative, which regularly surveys riders on how safe they feel on transit and identifies ways to promote harassment reporting. With more reports, the agency will use the data alongside community input to address concerns across their system.
Reports by the San Francisco Police Department regarding crimes on Muni decreased to 423 in 2025, the lowest number of cases since 2020. The SFMTA also stated recent surveys indicate 75% of riders said they felt safe on Muni and fewer people believe reporting “doesn’t make a difference.”
SFMTA Chief Security Officer Kimberly Burrus said the reduction in crime is encouraging but admitted harassment and safety incidents are often underreported. She said the Muni Safe Day Out campaign is meant to increase the number of people reporting harassment and give the agency more data to make decisions about where to direct resources.
“We use data to assist us with our deployment,” said Burrus. “That data ebbs and flows one month to another. We really rely on the data to tell us where to go and where to be.”
When SFMTA leaders finished speaking, several teams made their way outside to board buses and enter stations to begin the information awareness campaign.
Team six started their pamphlet distribution campaign by boarding the 49-Van Ness/Mission line, sporting their bright yellow vests and chanting “Keep Muni safe! 311” to a captive audience. They spoke with riders on the bus in English, Spanish, and Mandarin as they rode between stops on their way to the Mission District.
The group was made of up volunteers from several SFMTA offices, many of whom said they were motivated to make Muni better because they feel like they are helping their own community.
“It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to keep that child safe on the Muni as well.”
Shahin Shaikh, SFMTA volunteer
“Being born and raised here, I used these systems myself as a as a kid,” said SFMTA volunteer Michael Loza as he gleefully stepped off the bus after speaking in Spanish to several riders. “A lot of the customers that we have, they’re not customers to me. They’re people I grew up with.”
Passengers said they appreciated seeing Muni staff physically inside buses and hearing them say they took harassment reports seriously. Others said they have become accustomed to irregular public behavior but are willing to bring it up to the agency.
“I feel like a lot of being a transit in SF is just like minding your own business,” said regular Muni rider Leslie Jin.
“It’s better than before,” said Lada Molnar as he rode to the hospital for an appointment. “Right now, it’s less people riding, which is an improvement, but when there’s a lot of them it’s not nice depending who boards.”
Shahin Shaikh, a volunteer from the SFMTA, said she sees a better public transit system as an investment in the whole community.
“When we get out and they see us with all faces, all colors, it gives a message to all our Muni riders,” said Shaikh. “It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to keep that child safe on the Muni as well.”
People can fill out a Muni feedback form online, where they will be asked to include the time of the incident and descriptions of the individuals involved. A location can be provided by including the route, cross streets, and vehicle number — which can be located on the exterior of a Muni vehicle as well inside in various locations.
To verbally report harassment on Muni or any other form of transportation, people should call 311. For emergency services, call 911.