mta staff and lisp if this board and especially the grassroots and many of the organizations out there in the community that are working to make that a reality and hopefully fund it for the future i think it is a great first step but we'll work with the community to expand our safety net and transit safety for everyone. >> thank you supervisor mar and carolyn speakers (clapping.) heidi and (calling names). >> we should note 3 the overflow room is 408 if anyone is listening we'll keep you're under arrest slot for awhile. >> good afternoon. my name is is heidi i'm the chair of the sfmta only official multi

citizens advisory committee. >> (laughter). and it's my lure to be here to represent the shared community in favor of extending free muni with the rising costs in san francisco and so many people thaty on the services this is a great services for others who can't access the community i lived on a limited income and i wanted to take muni because of the few dollars added up i would walk the blocks, however the seniors and others with disabled they're not able to walk the distances and not having the access may reduce their quality of life we feel this is a quality of life issue and an active issue we are fortunate to call this home but truly if we

can't assess all of san francisco the seniors and disability folks will be limited you have the power to make the difference we are greatly in favor of that and have a few concerns for the board through the limit equality he thought to make sure that people with disabilities are not discriminate against and want to make sure that given someone free we don't losses our voice we hope to make sure the sfmta takes procrastinations against fraud and help the ridership and the number of people that need 3r0i9 seating we thank you and hope that you vote forces free menu for protecting seniors and folks with disabilities we have a letter from our committee as well >> thank you for your work on the making thank you very much.

>> hi good afternoon. i'm a transit student with disability in 2004 sfmta extended free muni and while qualifying for a low to moderate income this is has been a positive impact on any life allowing me to be independent and has enabled me to be a better advocate i'm here to advocate any friends at the arc and all the adults with sdalts i hope you'll vote for the free muni for all people of age for free transportation in order to have an enriched quality of life thank you for your time and please vote in favor of free muni for seniors

protecting seniors and people that disabilities. >> thank you. >> (calling names) >> good afternoon sfmta i'm part of the arc of san francisco and we have 6 hundred and 65 clients disapprove the money should go to transportation no free muni busy have a problem with that card under grass system is not working one monday when i went when my instructor i got stopped by the sfpd and they told me and bert that the cars were not working and the van ness market was not working and i had defective card who in this company she should change the

policy of these cards we don't want it okay. thank you they have the system and jc we should be notified before you guys decide we - you should do it on the ballot because we didn't hear until it was too late thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> >> next speaker. >> is jackie. >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon, everybody i'm jackie i am a proud mta employee on mac. >> (laughter). i will say obviously i'm in favor of free muni be extended to low income seniors and people that disabilities in order for people to active a participate

in living in san francisco you need to be able to get around with $23 a month the pass is a big conjecture of a person's budget who received 9 had had and $25 a month thanks to getting screed i really want to see people who are senior and disabled to be able to get out and go to the movies we have senior 12k5u7b9 i discount days on monday and tuesday at two different movie companies there are another senior 12k0u7b9 days on shopping and everyday on a certain i'm not going to tell you the chicken placed 10 to 20 percent discount if you show your age people need to be able to add up the pennies i really

want to urge you strongly to vote for this i'm also concerned about the fraud but if people are going to cheat they'll find a way >> thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> (calling names.) >> >> high i'm maryy ellen white a senior of 76 years old on social security she gets more than i do but anyway i wanted to say it's difficult you're paying your rent and prescription drugs and you really want to get out and live a life please vote for free passing pays for people with disabilities thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> (calling names). >> randell evans in the room okay. we'll skip him

(calling names). >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon, commissioners i'm ragging ann yes of the senior center and the center disabilities free muni is beneficial for seniors as well as to the city of san francisco because most of the seniors receiving less than one thousand dollars a month rent and electricity and medication and dental costs a thousand dollars food and internet and the cable is connected and most faithful muni snrpz - free muni will enable the seniors to go to the centers and eat the right food and reason 3 this helps the seniors available to the senior

centers for dancing and computer and yoga and meeting other friends and reefltz friends and dresses up nicely fourth free muni helps with the adults with disabilities healthy and less 9-1-1 calls all we want for valentine's day is a free muni no free muni is like a wounded bird thank you, everybody (clapping.) thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> (calling names.) >> good afternoon gentlemen. >> is this working.

>> good afternoon. >> this is - arrest sarah this is sarah and i'm pacific and patrick and with you want free muni because we want free muni because she's been in the city since 2009. >> since 1980s and president of the united states i pacific has been traveling to the city and paying a lot i had to pay every month as well same amount we don't want the muni go up higher we want to be free muni so that we'll have a clipper card and won't have to pay a dime. >> i don't want to pay a dime myself i only get $100 a week. >> thank you very much.

>> thank you. next speaker, please. >> (calling names.) >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon hi, everyone my name is rosa i'm a youth i leader from the chinatown center and 3rd district commissioner, i was one that advocated for free muni i'm glad to be here to support free muni for disabilities and the youth commission freely supports the free muni with folks that are seniors and with disabilities i reason the support free muni is because my mom is sdablthd and for any family we're a low income family and for her during one of our low times my mom had

to choose between muni and cable she decided to give up cable for muni we live on a hill so muni was the only way to get back home when she was tired she gave up muni for cable me and i and my sister needed muni for homework and stuff like this she want to make sure we had stuff to succeed in school that's why free muni for folks with disabilities is a wonderful thing i want my mom to have cable again, thank you. >> again commissioner (clapping.) please extend to the youth community their thoughts for this. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> km. >> thank you good afternoon let me find a mike are works good

afternoon chairman and the board i want to read a resolution i'm dense us i'm with the mayors council there this was read that into the record the mayors resolution supported this expansion of the free muni program to the seniors and people with disabilities we're having a growing disparity between the seniors and the general population and whereas negotiated transportation is an important corner stone into the integrated community living with the folks with disabilities and seniors therefore the people again with disabilities and seniors are more reliant on transportation than any other population and whereas the san

francisco municipal transportation agency as previously added the issue of affordability transportation for youth and whereas the san francisco whereas let it be resolved that making transportation negotiated for people with disabilities and snarz maybe a priority for the san francisco municipal transportation agency and let it be further roved the mayors council or the san francisco municipal transportation agency board of directors to expand the free muni program to people with disabilities and seniors this is the resolution and thank you for your time i made it under the bell. >> thank you and to the disability council. >> (calling names) good afternoon. >> good morning, sir good afternoon, sir hi, i'm am with

the santa fe san francisco arc i want to talk about the free ride you muni for the seniors and for adult go disabilities and it will help my family a lot and helping me so i you know i'm using - thank you. >> thank you good testimony. >> (calling names). >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon. my name is is rem ma i'm a member of power and we worked long years for free muni passes i want to share some of the reasons why free muni was a success it's affordable a lot of the parents

scrambling to get muni bus money that burden is off their shoulders the child rides for free it gives vicinities so for the youth myself included when i didn't have money for the bus i would have to ask folks for money or try to do other things to get the money i also wanted to say the youth avoids crimtion you're not being has he would by the police for not paying your fair i know, you know in the death of kenneth harden he died because i didn't have the money to show he paid for his muni the principle if you have free muni you can go to school and the library and get around the city if you're not you're in one area your own community so a lot of

the kids are surprised the kids in bayview they're not able to be a tourist in their own city i support the free muni for seniors and people with disabilities thank you very much. >> thank you. next speaker. >> (calling names) >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon. chair and the board and everyone else in the room i'm james wong representing an organization in the city called it help for the recalled we help seniors and people with disabilities to enhance the quality of life in the city we advocate free muni based on the sole reason of the living costs in the city is so high every penny counts for the seniors and the people with

disabilities with low to moderate income we're an organization we have different free lymph we offer to seniors and for the seniors to get to the sites they need free michigander and free transportation so they can get out of their home and see the sites as well in addition to the meals free muni helps them to get to other places in the city like the hospitals to see their doctors the golden gate park and everywhere he will we advocate free muni to the seniors and people with disabilities. >> we've been joined by supervisor campos will the supervisors come forward we'll be right back thank you very much. >> (laughter). go ahead >> the head of mta mr. tom

president of the mta board and officers and members the board ladies and gentlemen, good morning. i'm a seminar volunteer representing the senior center headed by the leader a smarlt lady she has social services and translations for the homeless to is a fantastic place to live in the living conditions are very high that effects the cost of basic needs like medicines and house and fairs seniors and adults with disability are hard up to reach out or traveling to buy food medical check up and going to recessional parks and art exhibits and walk to see a movie visiting relatives and friends

we have $23 afforded in our papers is not enough for seniors and persons with disabilities we want to leave a meaningful life and be healthier and happier we need free muni he repeat we need free muni our deepest appreciation and staff who came to the center and collaborate with us with current issues for the senior and 12k5ib89 university thank you for enitalian us on the safety measures and the benefits for seniors and persons with disabled in advance thank you so much for hearing our petition please free muni for seniors and people with disabilities the seniors center president here

they are (clapping.) thank you. >> thank you, thank you supervisor campos. >> good afternoon and welcome supervisor. >> good afternoon, president that's a pretty hard act to follow director reiskin and others i want to thank the senior and disability community i won't repeat what she said i'll provide context for what's happening when we started the pilot of free muni for low income and middle-income youth we were trying to figure out how tomato misses the use of our public permit system we know one the roadblocks it's expensive to live in san francisco the idea for us pushing for free muni for

low income youth it will only be a inventing the hope we'll expand that program to cover anyone that needs access to public transit that includes our seniors and low income folks the program has been a tremendous success and at that time when the mta and other agencies are seeing a decline in ridership this program is actually introducing new people into the public transportation system it's not only great public policy but insures the public transit i will say that this couldn't come two soon the fact is that san francisco is the most special place in the country everyone wants to live in san francisco it's a special city and a a city that faces many challenges we have the greatest income inequality of

any city in the country there's a great deal of prosperity and wealth in san francisco the fact that month san franciscans are struggling to live in the city and the studies 0 show a great great deal of of costs is housing by transportation so with this act by approving item 11 i'll be sending a clear message to our senior and dablthd community they belong in san francisco we want them to stay and we recognize they're struggling and time to make a commitment to them the senior and disabled will have been an important part of making san francisco today what it is unless we help them they'll not been able to live in san francisco i'm proud we're here and grateful to this board to the administration for the leadership and i know you're

going to do the right thing and especially the community advocates that made this possible you you know when we started a few years back who would have thought we'd be here thank you for what you're about to do today. >> thank you for your leadership and >> next speaker. >> >> next speaker. >> (calling names). >> okay. good afternoon. >> good afternoon.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> good afternoon public transit is a net when it comes to the accessibility for many of

us we struggle with the cost of transportation i don't think it's working. >> use the other microphone the cost of the muni pass is now $23 a month it may not sound high but with a senior every nickel and dime counts only seniors can afford to buy one muni pass or share the muni passes if we can alleviate some of this it will greatly improve the quality of life where the cost of living is too much the city is getting increasingly hard for san franciscans if we want san francisco to be a transit first city we need to prioritize the need of our community we demand the free

muni be approval today so we can remain mobile in our city thank you very much thank you. next speaker. >> (calling names) are any of those folks here repeating. >> good afternoon. >> hi i have a video i'd like to share. >> video. >> video is it okay. >> who wants a video. >> about 4 minutes but only the last two minutes on u s c. >> i think you can plug it in there you have to download it. >> it can't exceed two minutes as long as you understand that

okay. >> it's not fair. >> it's not the decision it's for all the application in order to find (inaudible) in general if they need something strong around the city and probably the only way they can do it is in walking distance. >> okay thanks normally to promote the seniors taking the bus and in areas that they may serve i know they're not doing anything about it the

fact that seniors are unable to take the bus you need more folks with disabilities (inaudible) it is the only way in the budget especially for those next door in trouble i believe that people are seniors and (inaudible) this is the investment and anyone needing public transportation. >> minimal i know you guys doesn't have family and friends in other countries imagine. >> you call the senior skills this is why i ask the sfmta board for people with disabilities with grandparents and seniors can't see their friends they can only travel

through muni. >> people with disability. >> i'm here to ask you altitude to pass the free muni for seniors and people with disabilities to help them going get to their dissemination. >> thank you very much okay. >> thank you. next speaker, please (calling names). >> caesar. >> hello everyone i'm caesar i'm deaf i wanted to summarize alters story about disabilities you you know related to deaf to deaf