authority and for the communities of the bay area. particularly san francisco to make sure that we could advance and benefit from high-speed rail and realize the vision of having the terminus in the transit center we are building at transbay. it follows a similar agreement was reached in southern california and those to bookends of the high-speed rail i think were hopeful in the passage -- helpful in the passage in approval of the revised business plan just last week. we have a very major stake in that upgrades to caltrain, the connections to fourth and king and the new connection of the transbay terminal are very important part of our overall transportation network in the city. we have been actively engaged in that process at the staff level, working with the city family and

our regional partners and we see that as a great step forward. i wanted to alert you and that the public of some pretty significant work happening on the doral drive -- doyal drive to make way for its successor, the presidio parkway. the big work will start april 27 at 8:00 p.m. and go through until 5:00 a.m. the following monday, april 30. which will completely close that road. the golden gate bridge will be open during that time there will be regional communication to urge people to avoid the golden gate bridge since it will be -- have limited access. within san francisco, all traffic will be routed to park presidio boulevard. i am using that as the only point in or out of access of the golden gate bridge. it will be heavily congested.

we are joining with the region and urging folks to find other ways to go. we're working closely with the highway patrol park police, the police department, and our own pco's to coordinate and minimize to the possible extent we can. we will be adjusting traffic signals, deploying pco's will be rerouted and facilitating the caltrans use of science. a pretty significant transportation impact. bond yee and his staff are working with that. they have found some additional work they need to do and that work was going to be starting last night where they are taking a lane of doyle drive from 8:00 p.m. each night through noon the next day. to do some hazardous material

abatement. we have been working closely with them on that and more nurturing the impact as the lead up to this major weekend shutdown. and then finally, as we come off the heels of our own centennial celebration, we are joining with the port of san francisco to jointly celebrate our respective anniversaries in addition to our 150. -- for 100, the port has 150. they have a jump on us. we're joining them tuesday, the 24th, as they kick off their sesquicentennial with a photo display in the ferry building. we will have features from the port and sfmta archives dating back to the 19th century that depict this energy that has been in place since before san francisco existed between water based transportation and surface

transportation. we're happy to be joining with the port and jointly celebrating and urged folks to check out that exhibit. that will be kicked off on the twenty-fourth of april. that concludes my report. president nolan: comments or questions from members of the board? >> you do have public comment on the executive director's report. q>> francisco de costa, eric williams, no. gordon rowe, herbert weiner, emile laurence. president nolan: who else? >> tone lee. >> commissioners, good evening, once again. i want to speak on one topic very briefly that is not

discussed but can be brought up under ongoing business. you have a new directive to the ramp taxing holders which are threats to remove the ramp or the rap taxes if they do not pick up enough handicapped. i do not know how many bands are out there but they cost -- vans are out there but they cost 2000 bucks. if you do not pick up enough paratransit, you can be suspended. the revenues from your van will go to the city and county of san francisco. the letter is not signed. it is not signed by any person from the sfmta. it has a group of different amalgamations in terms of who put it out. there is this. even the sfmta admits that the paratransit pickups that the van

picks up are not necessarily wheelchair. 80% are not. it is not clear whether they have to pick up wheelchair pickups or fare transit pickups or force the drivers to start hanging around hospitals, handicapped centers, general hospital, the veterans hospital and i will state this emphatically. in order to get my ramp in, i spent seven months around the veterans administration taking veterans almost for free trade when i lived in my car at national cab because i did not make enough to pay date on sundays. when i attempted to get my ramp van. that is what you are pushing drivers to do with this directors -- directive. i leave you with that to be analyzed. thank you for time. president nolan: thank you. next bigger, please.

-- next speaker, please. >> good afternoon. the bicycle has a very low brick system. the capacity a lot heavier than the bicycle. 180 pounds is the bicycle is running down the hill, 35 miles per hour. a lot of bicyclist in an accident. some of the people do not know and they get hit. it is like a big heavy metal. if you're an old person like in the newspaper, you are finished. if you would like to raise revenue, you have to target the bicycle people. bicycle people is a good target to make their money. licensing, liability, everything you say like taxi. taxi has a lot of liability and to have to put the speed bump on some of the downhill lanes for the bicycle hills -- lane only. you have been to the airport. go down the ramp and they have a

speed bump. to let you know, this is you have to slow down. the same in san francisco. i saw you draw a lot of bicycle lanes ever were. i saw you drop a lot of bicycle lanes. i do not even see one single bicyclist using that area. but now it is [unintelligible] they half to merge into two lanes. they make one small [unintelligible] the others have stopped. they had to open one bicycle lane, not even one person was using it. thank you for your new system on market and mason. now barry smith. i turn left on though -- on the light. -- now is very smooth. now he goes along with them a

draw a lot of bicycle lanes. some are nice and some are not very nice. you have to educate them. >> the last person, herbert weiner. >> now, how many people on the board are bikers? mr. ramos is, i believe he rides a bike. are there other members? ok. i am sick and tired and efed up of the board pandering to the bikers. you have ruled out the carpet to them, you have given them by clients, you have given them a free pass. what do we get for it? two pedestrian deaths in the last year. i do not think this board can afford to protect them anymore. there are hot potatoes. neither can the board of

supervisors. what they have to do now is they have to practice safety rules but they also have to contribute to the pot. this is -- as this last gentleman pointed out. why did not pay parking fees? why do they not pay for bicycle license? there are 10,000 mike -- 10,000 members of the bicycle coalition. multiply that and you have revenue. you have parking fees. you also have parking fines. they are demanding equal privileges and rights as automobile riders, and yet they're ducking their responsibilities. i am sick and fed up with this. and the city as a whole is prejudiced against them and for good reason. they have a lot of cleaning up to do for their act. one thing they can do is contribute to the pot. which is this budget. and i believe it should be part

of the muni budget and it should be part of this one this year. president nolan: thank you. next item. >> there will be no student advisory report. now you are moving on to comment. our next speakers. >> afternoon -- good afternoon. you have to have a lot of endurance to speak here at public comment. i'm going to take this opportunity to focus on things we have talked about which i think is very urgent. i did not do myself much service by coming up here and criticizing part it -- parking

entrance practices. i want to invite any member here to come down to be set a cab, my company. if you have any questions about how the industry works, questions about impact -- dispatch. people did not understand it. they do not understand the economic model, how it works in san francisco. i want to be open as a fleet owner to invite any of you and have an open-door policy in terms of helping understand how this industry works. having said that, i am quite amazed we are at a place right now where we have so many medallions that may be available for drivers that are lined up. they are lined up to purchase them. the city is contemplating moving toward replacing working drivers with themselves as the monthly income earner. the city can raise an enormous amount of money. i mean enormous and i and politically correct ways. inpouring working drivers. i'm warning you that if you take

away what has been great about san francisco's medallion system, where the working driver gets the medallion and replace it with the city, there will be an enormous backlash, whether they are sold or given away, working driver gets medallion and if you move toward a model that replaces the opportunity for working drivers to get medallions, there is going to be an enormous backlash in this industry. something that i myself foresee. i am hoping before we get to that place where you have a concrete plan that you take more input from the industry and talk about what should go forward in terms of medallion reform. there's a lot of money here and i hope it is done correctly. thank you. >> our next speakers. >> good afternoon. i compliment you on your endurance and mine. i have been in the cab business for 50 years or so. it has been my habit over the

years to once in awhile stakeout and see what is going on. -- sneak out and see what is going on. i said if you have anything for me, i wanted to see how this batch is and how traffic is. there were 2000 drivers waiting to drive and he did not have any calves. i said i will forgo that. maybe some other time, maybe on a sunday. what i want to bring to you is some of their regulatory impediments that seem to affect us. just one. i had a chat with a fresh manager -- a garage manager. cabs were ready to go. they do not have that important thing from the airport that makes them a cab. what the heck is going on? he said, in order to do that, i need to have a permit from the

tax division of the sfmta. some piece of paper saying it is ok for you to go to the airport to get the detail decal. how long does that take? sometimes two or three weeks. that is absurd. you need to go any time you have a cap ready, get it inspected and let them know it is done. i think that ought to be changed. thank you. president nolan: next speaker. >> good evening, almost. barry toronto. i want to welcome chairman nolan back. i hope everything is working. president nolan: it seems to be so far. >> we're not getting specific here. anyway, i want to point out --

president nolan: time is up. >> i need to seconds anyway. i want to bring up several issues. one, i applaud you on how you handled the use pass issue. at the same time you did not put money in the budget for chaperones. i have taken the 48 before and the number of kids on the bus and how they behave sometimes is a long route and it goes on 24th street. it is uncomfortable being on the bus when they start acting out and start harassing the other passengers in the bus. it is an issue you need to do with. once this starts getting implemented. it will lose other passengers on the bus who are paying the fare. the next is the double parking issue. you worry so much about enforcing meters and putting more meters and doing sundays. what about the fact the double parking still exists, even in the evening hours? you go one block on diamond

street, there is so much double parking. you get somewhere their tagging, you'll make so much money. also the white zone and taxi zone. the taxi people are voting for white zone enforcement. why'd you get them to enforce the zones around hotels and other places where the limousines and town cars are parking. you're closing your eyes to all the money. and also the future of tac is important. we should take -- keep something in place. before may 15, it is important to make sure you schedule and of town hall meetings so that enough of it is vetted out by the industry and stakeholders before it comes to you at the mta. you have people coming here and screaming they did not get a chance to this.

thank you. >> our next speakers. >> one thing that was not examined in the budget, i am wondering about the 311 service. before that was instituted, the municipal railway had a special section for taking complaints. now it is directed toward 311. i understand it is expensive. $1.97 for col. there are a lot of calls that come in. i am wondering if it is more efficient to move that to the municipal railway where it was before. the second thing, just a general comment, a reflection. people go to helen minibuses but they never arrive on time and i am wondering if the devil has not called mr. reiskin to complain. thank you. >> a euronext speakers.

-- our next speaker is. >> in communist countries, the college brainwash. in america at it should be called retraining, refresh. i have been living in this city for 25 years and driven a cab for 22 years. you have thousand muni drivers, your hiring. a lot of them are young folks. i saw many times they are more and more younger. they always forgot. sometimes it has happened occasionally trade you need to have -- occasionally. you need to solve the problem. safety on the is mind training. they have a good hand and good leg, not like old folks but they forget about their mind. they never remind themselves because they have [unintelligible] all the time from you.

i have to drive every day to make my on cam -- my own income. i have to keep my car in very good condition. the only lawsuit, you lose 10 million or 20 million. they're laughing, they had to raise -- they lost another. [unintelligible] all these folks are coming. that is the truth. also, this is a good city. i think we can do better. the fares are pretty low already. in hong kong, you have to go far. you have to pay more money. every block a stop in san francisco.

you're on the schedule that you are combining some of the muni stops, that is very good, too. thank you. >> our last speaker. >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon, chairman and directors. there is a staff proposal out there. maybe it has not gone out to yet. the main feature is that it would entail the leasing overtime of one-third of the taxi fleet, over 500 medallions to cab companies rather than issue to the drivers as his been the practice for over 30 years. in 2010, you approved the sale of taxing medallions and i have some profound problems with that program and that policy. nonetheless, one that was put forward, it was sold in large part as a means of freeing up medallions for drivers. this current proposal is

irreconcilable with the policy behind the italian sales -- medallions sales. it will vastly reduce drivers' chances of getting a medallion. the only thing they have in common is revenue for your agency, the mta. also, i have to say that leasing medallions to certain favored companies is going to have some grave consequences. when you're getting rental income from the operation of medallions, you will be partnering with these companies, these chosen companies. you'll be giving them an economic advantage over the others and how does that square with your role as an impartial regulator? can you avoid the perception and the reality of favoritism? will these companies be treated differently from -- for regulatory and participatory issues? what about liability issues?

it is a huge can of worms. unless it is a very light meeting on the 15th, give us a time certain for these tax issues so that drivers can attend and also give us separate agenda items so all these things are not lumped together. >> after i assured you we would be here on may 15, for this item, it is possible it will not be until the first meeting in june. whenever it is, we will make sure to do outreach to all the stakeholders. our intent is to try to keep the agenda as clear as possible of non-taxi items so we can focus on the many and challenging tax the issues we will be facing. i apologize for that misstatement. president nolan: i would support if we can do it -- at a certain time. people will not have to sit

around for too long. the idea of breaking up some of the items in particular, this might be helpful. go ahead. i would like to state this basically to you. as well as the rest of the commission. do not use the taxi business to solve your problems. it cannot solve them. your problem limp -- your problem basically remains with wages and pensions of two-thirds of your employees that are taking your budget into the sky. secondly, if you look at the overall changes that have taken place in the taxi business sense

gavin newsom, and peskin got into a feud and put the mta in charge of the taxi business, the rules are changing so fast, most drivers do not know what is going on. you have ataxia by azeri group that does not pay any attention to any thing because they have no power whatsoever. you make rules sitting back here in the back office that no one sees. you have got to stop that. if you look at the increases and i have looked at piles of them, the phase in the taxi business, we have fees that have grown up 800% since to have taken over. we see fees now that we never saw before. that just popped up out of nowhere. the actual cost to a driver and keep this in mind is running his cab as a business, it is a small

business? i hear rumors that you want to give medallions to taxi companies? keep in mind [unintelligible] because of the corruption in the taxi business when medallions were controlled by firms and not drivers. thank you for your time. president nolan: anyone else care to address the board backs seeing none -- care to address the board? >> maybe we could give him a response in terms of what this is. >> i made a note and would be glad to report back to the board. president nolan: next item. >> the consent calendar. are -- mr. grimes has requeste

d10.3 -- requested 10.3 be severed. >> second. president nolan: a motion and second. all in favor? all opposed? 10.3. who is going to speak to this? >> that afternoon. -- good afternoon. i know it is getting to that time of the day. i will be quick. i am the program manager at [unintelligible] in san francisco. we serve many of the disadvantaged communities as well as -- within the southeast

sector of the city. we performed many outreach efforts and programs to engage in our community that we serve. we are looking to engage our community to ride bicycles or taking many of the pathways that connect our city. i encourage you not only to accept this act but to reach out and work with cbo's to perform and plan outreach efforts and conduct educational programs for the entire city. these programs connect our city. thank you. president nolan: is there a motion on 7.3? >> yes. president nolan: any further discussion? all in favor? next item. >> moving to close session. president nolan: is there a second? second? any further discussion?

clerk: closed session. the board of d