those supervisorial and management job. director ackerman did provide me with the statistics about the fact that the vast majority of our supervisor and manager jobs are being taken by people who are already at the agency. certainly when i'm out there in the field talking to our people, our workforce is very well aware that there are advancement opportunities right now at sfmta. >> vice chair eaken: thank you for that. on the j.f.k. update, i will strongly endorse the need to create a safe connection between the panhandle and j.f.k. if -- i see people make so many questionable decisions. you're kind of like looking at the car. it's just a really big mess and the contrast between what we've create the on j.f.k. and that

intersection is strong. any timeline on those improvements? >> director tumlin: part of it will depend on the fate of our general obligation bond in june. i do know that the recreation and parks department is pursuing some grant funding for that. we also want to resolve the similar gap that exist from mlk to lincoln to great highway to connect park.

>> vice chair eaken: i love the muni move view campaign. is there anything the board can do to support that campaign? >> director tumlin: continue doing what you do. i'm grateful for how you're involved in your communities. continue listening to community members what are their concerns and what is making them hesitant to ride transit and what can we do in order to help bring people back to transit and promote transit. >> vice chair eaken: then finally, just taking a like at that taylor and turk intersection on google map, we noticed we put in the right turn or red treatment. that's part of tenderloin changes we immediate. there's a series of daylighting and changes that we've made. i'm curious, you said it's still under investigation. any time you have to share those

reports with us, i would appreciate any reflections you have on if we only done this, if we had this. what we learn as much as we possibly learn from these, i feel our best practices are already in place. i wonder how you make sense of this tragedy. >> director tumlin: one of the frustrations with the vision zero report, we report to you immediately which is often in advance of the san francisco police department issuing their public findings. it is inappropriate for us to talk about what we believe happened in advance of confirmation of that. because there can be liability issues not just for us but for the people involved in the crash. we do our work -- our internal staff work in advance for us to talk about what has happened.

oftentimes, what happened was a result of somebody doing something they shouldn't been doing. there's not an engineering solution for aside from bringing the speeds down to something closer to 10 or 15 miles an hour. so much traffic safety work is about speed. in part because of the design tolerance of the human body is the running speed, which is about 12 miles an hour. our bodies are designed to withstand a crash at about that speed. as speed increases the force of impact varies by velocity. i don't want to give you the long vision zero lecture. one thing we may want to do is less frequently do a vision zero

retrospective. >> chair borden: i have a question. with the most recent variant, there's a huge uptick in cases how we continuing contingency planning? i'm concerned about the muni campaign. i'm also worried about the variant and people not being able to work and us missing runs runs. >> director tumlin: all we do is continue to follow the data and very carefully adhere to whatever guidance we're getting from the san francisco

department of public health. we have closely followed whatever the department of public health told us to do. that has been successful in making sure that our workforce, covid transmission rate has stayed lower than the regional average in part because our people have followed the rules. that our workforce is nearly 100% vaccinated. if there is another surge, we will getting new instructions from d.p.h. we'll follow them. that may result in service mx. we've been through this before. we know exactly what to do now. one of the things that the pandemic has taught us is our place of deep resilience and how to make adjustments in realtime. we will continue to adjust based upon the conditions. >> chair borden: at this time we'll open up to public comment. members of the public either in the room or online who like to

comment on any of the items that director tumlin discussed and the questions from board members, now is the time to do so. if you're in the room, please go to the microphone or line up. we'll call people online after we get through people in the room. >> i'm mark rueberg, san francisco taxi worker alliance. i want to comment on the j.f.k. decision. taxi worker alliance we thought was modest and sensible request for modification. that was to give taxis access to the music concourse and the museums through 8th avenue. we think this is actually all the more important now that

access to the park and to that area of the park, it has been limited. it's very difficult mostly impractical for taxis to serve that area of the park if they have to go around by way of fulton, which are very often very congested streets. it means there's going to be less service in the park. that serve is all the more important.

the 44 bus uses the same route we will be asking for. taxi uses is not a swarm of taxis or flood of taxis. it will be an occasional thing will taxi will enter through 8th avenue and turn right and have access to the museums. >> chair borden: next speaker come on up. >> good afternoon. concerning the report, i'm looking forward to the car free golden gate park. i can walk down the j.f.k. and these other paths without having worried about cars that go much

faster than me. we got to do something about striping and signing it. there are people who pedal their bikes fast and scooters and skateboards and electric bikes which i enjoy and mention head of steam power bike. that's a new one on me. i have to look that up. i'm looking forward to enjoying this. i think that golden gate park should be for everybody. not just people who have automobiles. i like to hear more about this hate is a virus campaign. it's very important work. i hope it would include me. i'm different. i want fully to be included on the system. i think it shouldn't be about us specific subset of people. it should be a way to create a safer more welcoming system for

everyone. i am looking forward to more people working for muni. i think the city and county of san francisco is a good place to work. can't say i ever worked in -- for the federal government yes. not for the city. we want to get and keep people in this work because i want the muni to be there for me. been riding it for over a decade. let's keep going with the work. thank you. >> chair borden: thank you. any additional members of the public who are in the room who like to speak? seeing none, we'll move to those online. >> clerk: we do have 12 callers in the queue. first caller. >> caller: good afternoon commissioners.

now that j.f.k. car free, it's time to deal with fulton street. the commissioners who live in the richmond go to fulton street sunday afternoon see how crowded it is. time for a transit lane only. that seems to be the people i talk to from from ocean beach would help solve that problem. i'm glad to hear mr. tumlin say that m.t.a. is going to take over the management of the garage. i think that's good. you can drive in the garage for

15 minutes without paying a fee or maybe when you're on walking j.f.k. go down and see that garage. it's very depressing. i couldn't find the a.d.a. places. i hope when m.t.a. takes over, they'll put lights in there and make it not so depressing. i went in there on a weekday, -- [ indiscernible ] there's less cars in there than five fingers on my hand. i'm looking forward m.t.a. taking over the garage making it more friendly and accessible. >> caller: hello. this is a question for the taxi

department. the main question is, our medallion, the price will be dropped because we cannot provide medallion price. with the overhead, lot of it getting higher.

i want to know who is going to take over the [ indiscernible ] >> chair borden: i want to note

to the caller, the item about medallion is not on the agenda. we're not able to answer questions that are unrelated to what was already discussed. >> caller: hello. good afternoon. first people calling in today, this is item number 7. not number 9 is the one you want to address commission on other issues. first shout out three ramp taxi drivers who got honored today by annette -- annette williams and her staff. the next related to all the cab drivers should be honored especially those who worked during day accept the

paratransit debit card. we also have to deal with portable wheelchairs as well as walkers and the people shopping and belongings. we should all be honored. our cost have gone up why we have been shouting six months to allow the passenger to tip us more on the app -- not on the app, tip us more through the debit card. it's not happening. i'm paying $10 to $15 or more in gas. it's ridiculous that the m.t.a. is so heartless in this area. j.f.k. drive, i'm echoing what mark said. going to the garage is not an answer. we won't do it unless you make us employees. the park supposed to be for everyone. including seniors and people

with mobility issues. that's not what's happening now. last but not least, these scooters. turk and taylor is an intersection. it takes reckless scooter walking on the sidewalk and ignoring the lights for this to happen. please more enforce. of the scooter users. >> chair borden: next speaker please. >> caller: i wanted to add my voice to the call from senior disability action in favor of extending the mask mandate on muni. we've all seen how crowded some of the buses have gotten. transit is an essential public service and vulnerable people shouldn't feel forced to choose. we need to include everyone.

i ask you to follow the lead of bart and public health authorities both federal and state level and i strongly recommend that on transit. thank you. >> chair borden: next speaker please. >> caller: i call in support for the parking zone in the mission bay. [ indiscernible ] >> chair borden: this is not the right item for that. that's item number 9. right now we're talking about the director's report. >> caller: sorry about that.

>> chair borden: note to rest of the callers, right now we're on item number 7. which is director's report with special recognition, we talked about hiring activities, we talked about the muni moving we talked about vision zero. if you want to address those items now is the time. otherwise please call in and under item number 9 or press one under item 9. we can address any issue under the jurisdiction of this body that's not on today's agenda.

>> caller: good afternoon. thank you for having me. i am speaking to the director's report which was quite difficult to listen to. san francisco m.t.a. vision is a city of diverse and vibrant neighborhoods connected by space, reliable, affordable, transportation for all. allowing mask requirements to end on muni and s.f. paratransit is creating less space and less reliable transportation for riders and workers. as immunocompromised person who is treated with treatments, i consulted with my doctors about riding on muni after the mac requirement is removed. i told him it was extremely risk

risky and should be avoided. my 4-year-old child is starting to associate with bus on the street. it is heart breaking. public transportation is an essential service unlike other indoor activities that are optional. therefore, it's your duty to ensure safety is paramount. the reality is masks helps protects everyone against the spread of this airborne infection. not requiring this measure takes transmission of covid-19 infections easier. more cases means more incidents of long covid and more

preventible deaths. mask requirements can create a safer more reliable transit system. you have the authority to realign by restoring mask requirements. >> chair borden: next speaker please. >> caller: hello. i'm an organizer disability action. i'm calling to respond to the director's report. it was very difficult to hear a report that essentially went on as if we're not living in a pandemic still until the issue of masking was brought up at the end. i wonder where ridership is down and why thousands of jobs is empty when the safety of riders and drivers is ignored and imperilled by the sfmta director and board. our members are senior and people of disabilities all ages who no longer feel safe riding

muni in san francisco. these are people who lived their whole lives for our city and can no longer get to rallies, to public meetings, to events, to doctors appointments to grocery shop to run errands because of the policies that sfmta had put in place no longer requiring masks. it's unconscionable. director tumlin say the sfmta has been following the data. i wonder how that's consistent with san francisco having highest test positivity rate in the state of california right now. if you're following the data, you will be raring masks for everyone, drivers and riders alike on muni buses, subways and paratransit. people with disabilities are able to get to dialysis appointments. it's disgusting that you guys

are priority responding to the mayor pressure instead of responding to the needs of your drivers and riders. there was a recent outbreak of sfmta headquarters. considering that, how on earth you will be able to run a functioning muni system without requiring masks. please reconsider. thank you. >> chair borden: next speaker. >> caller: please follow bart and reinstate mask mandates. if we don't, our hospitals are going to get overwhelmed and even the funerals will get overrun. i have autism and it gives me a very weak immune system.

i'm immunocompromised too. not enough vitamin d as well. >> chair borden: does that conclude your comment? >> caller: yes. >> chair borden: next speaker please. >> caller: hi, i'm calling in senior disability action. eye -- i urge you to bring mask mandate back to the muni. we're still in the middle of the pandemic. it's not acceptable that you might catch covid because you took a bus trip with no mask mandate. it's extremely small ask to keep our communities safe. please keep riders and operators safe. please bring back the mask

mandate. thank you. >> caller: good afternoon. i'm a muni operator. i would like to suggest that the muni move campaign should consider highlighting the 44 o'shaughnessy route that connects to the golden gate park and museums and new j.f.k. promenade. i like to take a moment to encourage the introduction of the mask mandate. i'm currently over covid. it is keeping me from serving public as a transit operator. i think that mask mandates can prevent this in the future. thank you. >> chair borden: thank you. next speaker please. we can hear your repeat -- please go to

the next line please. please mute. that will be helpful. >> caller: can you hear me now? >> chair borden: there's a slight delay between the tv and us speaking. >> caller: thank you m.t.a. board members. my name is alissa. i just heard in the director's report that d.p.h. feels the pandemic is ebbing while media places san francisco in the red

zone. i retired from teaching last june after 50 years. i waited 75 years to be a grandma. it's a precious role. my grandson is a 1-year-old, too young for a vaccine. my husband is 77, disabled with multiple health conditions. riding on muni with unmasked passengers puts me and my family at great risk. during the mask mandates i found other passengers to be diligent about masking. i never saw muni operators or station personnel need to act in a policing role. passengers did the right thing. please follow the board bart and reinstating the mask mandate and keeping us safe. thank you.

>> caller: hi. i heard the director mention that if there's another surge. well, i don't know if you're aware, we're in another surge. community transmission is currently high positivity is higher now than it was at the height of the delta surge. this is all coming from the c.d.c. website. i e-mailed my rep. i'm not making this up. i twitter and tag everything that i can. no one seem to be listening that covid is still present. everyone is at risk for long covid no matter how healthy and vaxed you are. if you're getting bad information from the public health department, somebody really needs to do something serious about that. this is serious. this is not over.