we switch to accommodate amtrak and the other things you are talking about? >> we would say this, for example right now the project has -- in order for that to happen we will need a clear direction from the president of the united states that he were no longer going for high-speed rail. a practice like this takes years to build. assuming we had a clear direction that it is not going to ever happen, and i remind everyone that politicians come and go, political parties and come and go, so it is always important to keep in mind you have to think for the long a-te. assuming what you're saying were to happen, we could phase of things. right now that is exactly what we are doing. the links of the platforms. -- the lengths of the clot

forms for example. 1,300 ft lengths for example. what we need for amtrak comes in now. i also want to point out and remind of the board when you hear commentary about should we build the station, given what is happening to high-speed rail, the station is not just mandated to be accommodate high-speed, a number of bus operations from a number of counties. it is also going to accommodate high-speed. i want to remind everyone that the agreement we have with the

state department of transportation that transfer the land to the city and county of san francisco that is allowing the city to build a new community requires the terminal be built and have the buses in operation by a date certain. it never said anything about rail. commentaries that are made regarding having a bust-only facility, we have received a number of calls from people that are concerned about, it's like that, because for many years many members of the public had to take buses into facilities that was an adequate, and safe and had a number of problems. they do not understand what people who ride buses are not entitled to a beautiful station here yen so i just wanted to

point out that you wanted to say something. >> we have to figure i have to pay for extending to help traic. that is the next heavy lift. this terminal has been designed in the right way to accommodate that, more than to accommodate it. the fact that we're doing the excavation got in some ways the most difficult part done already, but we have our work cut out for us. i am looking forward to focusing more on that over time. >> now i would like steve and to give the construction update.

>> good morning, directors. i'm with turner construction. construction management oversight. another good month of work, even considering the days people were off for the holidays. no recordable four incidents in the past 30 days. does to give you the overview scheduled at a typical show you, we are all done with the trenching. we are well into the buttress work and now starting excavations. let me show you some of that. the demolition of the foundation of the existing terminal of the original terminal is in green. we're down to the first level of excavation in the blue area. they have set that area up. i will show you pictures for installation of precincts. the purple area still represents the buttress work that continues. that is home fzone four.

we did accomplish several more but tourist shops during the month of december. there are 207 total shops. right now we of completed 36 as of last week. 37 is being poured as we speak. 38 is scheduled to be poured tomorrow. this is shots of the butcher's wor buttress work is similar to what you've seen before. there has been substantial changes on the west end. and you can see the trucks on the ramp leading the project and the excavation work at the far west end. you will notice the pile of stored material has changed from the beams for the shoring wall to the pin pleyepile tubes.

so the demolition and excavation is going on in zones 1 and 2 in the west end. we continue to work on foundations in the zone to area where the old transportation center was. there is completed excavation at the far west end. the shoring wall is basically the west end of the project. that has been set up as a fabrication area. just a couple more shots of the excavation getting done. archaeology work continues. archaeologists are working closely with the contractors, which we appreciate them teaming up and recovery more and more

artifacts. there is another pretty they uncovered in the materials they found over the past 30 days. the utility relocation packages are for all intensive purposes complete. the street has now been restored at the 400 block of howard behind it. that is back in full operation. phase two so we can do traffic bridges is well underway and should be complete. pg&e is already working on pulling in the new feeders on the forestry area. we started these two infrastructure on fremont street. -- phase two infrastructure on

fremont street. construction numbers have not changed for the past month and neither has the emphasis of the schedule. the critical path runs through the package, which is well underway at this time, and the next critical phase will be the separate packages. 183,000 hours still holding near 70 percent mark on the labor. here is distribution of local labor. happy to answer questions. supervisor kim: really appreciate the breakdown. any other questions? item number 5 is complete. i do believe that completes the executive director report. thank you. we have to go to public comment

we do have a member of the public that wants to address you. todd williams of the carpenter'' local union 22. >> he left. that is the only member of the public i was aware that wanted to address you on the item. we can move to the regular calendar. if you could call item no. 7. >> item 7 is the presentation of the transbay transit center building excavation plan and temporary bridge and trestle design. >> good morning. mike wilpool. i have put a small presentation showing the excavation plan of the design. we will start off and do a quick overview of the schedule for the next two years. we will look at the excavation call routhaul route.

the temporary bridge installation and how it affects pedestrians. some of the building elements we will be constructing, and then a short video tour of the project taken from the model. this is the same schedule but steve showed a few minutes ago. pre-trenching is complete. the shoring wall is currently 95% complete. the only part remaining is a streak wall on fremont. -- street wall on fremont. the excavation and bridging pads started. that is proceeding from the west end to the east end, completing in mid-2014. so the excavation off-haul route.

this shows the main routes into and out of the project from the east bay and won a one. trucking will come in on fremont street. and from 101, we will come in on folsom street. zoom in for the excavation work over the next four years. excavation will start in this zone. it will be there for 10 months. we will be entering the site at this location, which is a couple hundred yards from second street. they will load up here and exit going out to the bridge and turning left again on howard. after about 10 months, excavation will start work in this area, which we call the central zone.

they will come in on fremont and expit the sites, tgoing out for street. because the projects extend underneath beale, fremont and first street, we have traffic flowing across the street. we will construct temporary bridges for the traffic to allow the construction to proceed. temporary bridges will be constructed next to the existing roadways, and then installed over the roadways on a long weekend. the schedule shows that started later this year. as you can see, the bridges contain that read full lanes. -- contain three full lanes.

in addition to the bridges, we have temporary access running down the center of the project. because the project boundary extends all the way out to the thomas street and they are directly at jane that -- adjacent, you cannot build them from outside working in. this trestle gives us the opportunity to do that. trucks will and toenter using te trestle. they will be doing excavation from the trestle, coming back up with the concrete. once you are at ground floor, the trestle will go away. here is a view taken from the model. basically you're standing at howard street looking no. so the temporary bridge, to lane of

traffic, pedestrian sidewalk off to the left. another view would be of the same thing but a different location. standing on beale street in looking west. that is the fremont bridge and beyond that the first street bridge. so we can go on to the video now. can i push a button? this is flying across the project from west to east with the trestle and the middle -- trestle in the middle. the next three is free mall. this is a view of fremont street looking north with the traffic flowing across the temporary bridge. same street looking south. the old terminal is now being demolished. this is at fremont street

looking north. this is the west end looking east. old terminal and new terminal. that is it. supervisor kim: any questions on this item? director reiskin: the lane that you are building that goes through the middle -- >> we call that the access trestle. director riskrecessiiskin: is tt accessible? >> there is a gate that opens and closes. the existing -- there are three

peru lanes and a turn lane. -- three through lanes and a turn lane. >> that does conclude that item. members of the public wanted to comment on it, we could turn to the next item? item number eight, approving minutes of the december 8, 2011 meeting and members of the public indicated they wanted to address you on that item. >> move to approve. >> all in favor? any of stain? to-- abstain? >supervisor kim: any public comment on this item? there are no other items on this meeting. the meeting is now adjourned. thank you.

>> just a few steps away from union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts. experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily

bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter] >> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first

consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square.

for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation. [applause] >> in addition to its own

programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪

under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming. ♪ looking into meridian's future, she says she wants to keep doing the same thing that she has been doing since 1989. to enlighten and disturbed.

>> i really believe that all the arts have a serious function and that it helps us find out who we are in a much wider sense than we were before we experienced that work of art. ♪

>> we believe we can bring innovation to government, entrepreneurs, developers, with the government to make a difference. i would like to introduce mayor ed lee of san francisco to kick us off. >> thank you, good morning. happy new year i want to start out by saying the new year brings us -- while we still hear bad news from the federal and state economy, i have always believed, particularly this last year as interim mayor, working with people like ron conaway, jenn, certainly talking with david chiu, we need to innovate

our way out of a lot of these problems. you are going to hear me use that word innovation quite a bit. i think, for our city, innovating ourselves into more transparency to be more customer friendly and transparent, to be more efficient as a government, bringing more services, and meeting the economic challenges that i think are continuing to plague us, is going to be the way we succeed. today, i have two basic announcements. the first is we are forming a strategic partnership. code for america is a nonprofit that has been presenting innovative ideas to city governments, and particularly, for san francisco. i want to expose them to

everything we have in terms of direct customer services, challenges we have had for many years, and to ask them to work with the strategically to create, in a competitive nature and a strategic partnership, a relationship where we can have companies and individuals and the entrepreneurs come through code of america and get the kind of information for the challenges we are having in government, and to work with us to create the most innovative ideas possible. some of you may ask, what are we really talking about? for example, last january -- the best example i can give you is, i was intrigued by this application we have created in the mta, where we had a sf park. an innovative idea of creating parking applications to solve some of our congestion on the street. i brought that application to

the conference of mayors in washington, d.c. and was immediately surrounded by no less than five additional measures that said, that is something happening in san francisco. we can use that idea here. it is that kind of example where we have more ideas to share, where we can create more applications than create ideas, through the code of america, working with our technology entrepreneur is, working with city departments, with the leadership of our mayor's office, board of supervisors, to challenge us to come up with more ideas as to how we could solve some problems that plague us, whether at the unique, in homeless areas, or whether it might be trying to catch a taxi might be trying to catch a taxi cab in a more efficient way.