april 26, 2022 joint special meeting with the san francisco board of supervisors and the county transportation authority. madame clerk, will you please call the role for the board of supervisors. chan present. haney present. mandelman present. mar not present. melgar not present. >> present. i'm here. >> thank you, supervisor melgar. melgar present. peskin not present. supervisor preston. preston present. ronen present. safai present. stefani present. >> president walton: present.

mr. president, you have a quorum. >> president walton: thank you. would you call the role for the county transportation authority. >> yes, chair. chan present. roll call] >> commissioner ronen: here. >> commissioner safai: present. >> commissioner stefani: present. >> commissioner walton: present. we have quorum.

>> thank you. and the san francisco board of supervisors and the county transportation authority acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the ramaytush ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the san francisco peninsula. as the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their tradition, the ramaytush ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibility as caretakers for this place. as guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. we wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and relatives of the ramaytush ohlone community and by affirming their sovereign rights as first peoples. colleagues, please stand with me to recite the pledge of

allegiance. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> president walton: and on behalf of the board of supervisors and county transportation authority, i would like to acknowledge the staff at sfgovtv. michael and jamie who record each of our meetings and make the transcripts available to the public online. madame clerk, are there any communications? >> clerk: yes, mr. president. i have a communication to welcome the general public interested in attending and participating in this joint meeting between the board of supervisors and the san francisco county transportation authority. you may be present in the board legislative chamber, room 250 in city hall and can listen to the

proceedings in person. alternatively, for those participating remotely, your options are to watch channel 26 on sfgovtv award-winning channel 26 or viewing the live stream at afterwards, a board will here from those in the remote speaker queue. it's best to dial into the system early where you can listen to the live sync to provide public comment. the number is scrolling across the screen. 1-415-655-0001. enter the prompt i.d., 2486 137 0759 # #. when you hear the discussions, your line will be muted in and listening mode only. once ready to provide your comments, press star 3 to enter the speaker line and the system prompt will indicate when it is your turn by stating that you have been unmuted.

that will be your cue to begin your comments. now to the agenda comment eligible for the testimony on the joint agenda includes items 1 through 4 which is the committee of the whole for a joint public hearing with the county transportation authority to hear testimony on the study and item 3 and 4, which are ordinances regarding the golden gate park. we will also hear joint general comment during item 11. during that time you may speak on matters that are not on the agenda, but within the jurisdiction of the board and the transportation authority. all other content will be public comment. the board of supervisors will accept written correspondence by using the address, 1 dr. carlton goodlett place, san francisco, california or by using the

e-mail address. in great partnership with the office of civic engagement and immigrant affairs, we will have interpreters who will assist in interpreting public comment. we will be inviting the interpreters to introduce themselves momentarily. finally, we have a live person standing by to assist if you have trouble connecting to the meeting. that concludes my communication, mr. president. >> president walton: thank you so much, madame clerk. >> are there any communications for the transportation authority? >> no communications. >> president walton: thank you so much. and before we get started, colleagues, just a friendly reminder to please mute your microphones when you're not speaking. in anticipation of the high volume of public commenters today, and because the board of

supervisors has to meet for our regular board meeting at 2:00 p.m., we will be limiting all public comment to one minute for this joint meeting. chair mandelman, i believe we have transportation authority business to take care of before going on to our special order. >> chair mandelman: thank you, president walton. all right, we have a -- what we think will be a heavy agenda. if there is no objection, i would like to continue 5 through 7, that is the chair's report, the executive director report, and i don't see -- that's a motion. is there a second? >> second. >> chair mandelman: okay. and do we need to call a roll on that? no roll call, we take that

without objection. i'd like to call items 8 through 10. our transportation authority consent agenda out of order. please call 8 through 10. >> 8 through 10 is the consent agenda. these were approved at the april 12 board meeting and are now before the transportation authority board. staff is not planning to present, but is available for questions. >> chair mandelman: okay. and is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? moved by peskin, seconded by ronen. and please call the roll on the consent agenda? >> commissioner chan: aye. >> commissioner haney: aye.

>> chair mandelman: aye. >> commissioner melgar: aye. >> commissioner peskin: aye. >> commissioner preston: aye. >> commissioner ronen: aye. >> commissioner safai: aye. >> commissioner stefani: aye. >> commissioner walton: aye. >> we have 10 ayes. the item has final approval. >> chair mandelman: great. thank you, madame clerk. president walton? >> president walton: thank you. madame clerk, let's go to our 9:00 a.m. special order, joint committee of the whole. please call items 1 through 4 together. >> approved on april 12, containing file 22369, the board of supervisors approved sitting as a committee of the whole

during this joint meeting called with the county transportation authority for a public hearing. they've called items 1 through 4 together. item 1 is public hearing scheduled for 9:00 this morning to receive public testimony on agenda items 2-4 specifically item 2 is the san francisco county transportation authority's consideration of whether to accept the golden gate park, john f. kennedy study. and also considered with this committee of the whole are the two ordinances, item 3, file 220339, both agendized pursuant to the previously stated motion approved on april 12, 2022, which called forth from committee item 3 is an ordinance to amend the park code to adopt the golden gate access and safety plan which includes

restricting private vehicles on slow street segments, including john f. kennedy drive, establishing bicycle lanes and urging additional changes to improve access to golden gate park and affirming the ceqa determination and making the findings. ordinance to amend the park code to adopt the golden gate access plan, which includes restricting private vehicles including on j.f.k. drive making certain street segments one way, establishing bike lanes and urging additional changes. and to affirm ceqa determination and make appropriate findings. mr. president? >> president walton: thank you, madame clerk. we will now hold this joint meeting -- joint hearing as the board of supervisors and county transportation authority. after discussions, we will take votes on the t.a. action item accepting the equity report and then the ordinances before the board of supervisors.

let's hear from the t.a. on item number 2. chair mandelman, any opening remarks? >> chair mandelman: thank you, president walton. only to thank our t.a. staff for their thorough work in preparing this equity analysis today. i think we have eliza pas to present. >> thank you, commissioners. one second. i'm going to begin with an overview of the questions. move on to data collection methods and findings and

conclude with an overview of our equity assessment. the access -- the access equity study was requested by commissioner walton to assess equitable access to the eastern portion of golden gate park which is outlined in red on the screen. from equity priority communities in districts 3, 10 and 11. the study does not assess equitable access from all parts of the city, it's just looking at equity priority communities within districts 3, 10, and 11. it also does not recommend a j.f.k. alternative, but provides data and assessments to informed decisions to make a final -- recommend a final configuration of j.f.k. drive and associated

problematic improvements. our study sought to answer the following questions. first, from equity priority communities within districts 3, 10, 11, before covid, who used the eastern portion of golden gate park, who is currently using the eastern portion of golden gate park? are people visiting the eastern portion of golden gate park as much as they would like and if not, what are the barriers to the trip? and how has the closure affected the visiting of golden gate park. we want to understand who is currently using the eastern portion of the golden gate park and we want to understand the equity of the three j.f.k. alternatives. we used three data collection methods for the study. the first is a statistically phone and e-mail survey of

residents within equity priority communities in districts, 3, 10, 11. we also conducted focus groups where participants were recruited using the same surveys, by distributed through community-based organizations and we also conducted an intercept survey in the eastern portion of golden gate park. the first question we sought to answer was who visited the eastern portion of golden gate park before and during covid? the chart on the slide shows the frequency of visits to the eastern portion of the park before and during the pandemic. we found that frequent visitors, people who visit at least a few times a month -- thank you -- declined in districts 10 and 11, but remained constant in district 3. the frequency of trip-making to the park was reduced in these findings, but all sorts of

trip-making was reduced due to covid and the reduction in recreational activities. we also broke down the frequent visitors to eastern golden gate park before and during covid by race and ethnicity. a key concern is whether there is a change in the composition of the visitors from before covid to today. we found there is little change in the composition of the frequent visitors by race and ethnicity. we also sought to answer whether people want to visit the park more often than they currently do. we found that two-thirds of survey participants in districts 10 and 11 want to visit more often and about half of survey participants in districts 3 want to visit more often.

of the people who want to visit more often than they currently do, we looked up the barriers to visiting golden gate park. the chart on the slide shows the sighted barriers by community. we found that the perceived difficulty of finding parking, the expense of parking were most frequently cited as well as long travel times and infrequent and slow muni service. non-transportation-related concerns included safety and preferences to use local parks. the findings from our focus group largely mirror the findings from our phone-e-mail survey with the primary challenges as difficulty finding parking, costs with parking and long transit travel times. focus group participants also identified senior and disabled access concerns and identified opportunities for improvements focused on transit services and

bicycle infrastructure. these findings are also fairly consistent with what sfmta and rec park have heard from their outreach into these same districts. -- in these same districts. our intercept survey allowed us to get insights into who is currently using the eastern portion of golden gate park. people were intercepted at three locations in the park. on j.f.k., on m.l.k. near the botanical gardens. we found that the use of the park decreases with the residential distance from the park. we were particularly interested in whether the full-time closure of j.f.k. to vehicles affects people's use of eastern golden gate park. the chart on the top shows that 50% of respondents said they visit the park the same amount

as they did pre-covid. 40% visit more often. and 10% visit less. the chart on the bottom shows that the majority of respondents who are identified as asian or white -- this is shown in the grey bar -- and of those who said they use the park less, the 10%, we looked at the composition by race and ethnicity compared to the survey overall. for groups that are shown where the salmon colored bar is longer than the grey bar which are people who identify as black, middle east -- you shall do however, this is a very small sample size. just over 40 people total. it's not possible to draw definitive conclusion. the final part of the report

describes our qualitative assessment of the potential impacts on equitable access to the park of the three j.f.k. configurations. the study uses a steps framework developed by the federal highway administration and researchers are u.c. berkeley. it looks at five barriers. spatial, related to distance. temporal related to time. economic related to the cost of services. physiological which is related to people making trips with physical or cognitive challenges. and social, which is related to people making trips from low-income or minority communities. this framework was applied from the perspective of residents living in the equity priority communities within districts, 3, 10 and 11 to the eastern portion of golden gate park.

sfmta and rec park provided three alternatives that we evaluated. the first alternative is open j.f.k. drive alternative which would restore j.f.k. drive to pre-covid conditions and include limited programmatic improvements. the second is a car-free j.f.k. which maintains the current configuration with programmatic improvements. the third alternative is a one way vehicle access which would allow westbound vehicle travel from east avenue to tran verse with some programmatic improvements. the one-way definition provided -- that we used as provided by the city during their public outreach last year. it is not the definition in commissioner chan's proposal.

this slide shows an overview of the programmatic elements that sfmta and rec park included in the alternative. and identifies which elements are included in each specific alternative. the alternative -- the alternatives are across the top and the programmatic elements are on the left. to highlight a few, the in-park shuttle changes are not included in the open j.f.k. alternative. new ada spaces are included in all alternatives. demand pricing is included in all alternatives. and parking subsidies are not included in the open j.f.k. alternative. passenger drop-off zone improvements are only included in the car-free alternative. to assess the potential impact, we needed to compare them to a

baseline condition. in this case, our baseline condition is a pre-covid configuration of j.f.k. drive where j.f.k. is open to vehicles, but there are no programmatic elements. we found that there were serious equitable access issues from -- for residents within equity priority communities in districts 3, 10 and 11, with significant spatial and temporal barriers and moderate economic and physical barriers. this table is a summary of our findings of the equity assessment. it shows that all of the alternative configurations have a likelihood of improving accessibility over baseline conditions. the green plus signs show an improvement in conditions. there were a couple areas we assigned unclear or neutral rating shown by grey question

marks. these are areas where there is potential to improve equitable access, but we were not certain such improvement would occur. in one instance, for the one-way access alternative, we concluded that the alternative was likely to worsen equitable access. this is shown by the red dash. this could change to an unclear or neutral rating if access strategies were added back similar to the j.f.k. closure option. the final slide illustrates why we concluded that the one-way vehicle access alternative is likely to worsen access conditions. both the full closure and one-way alternative results in a loss of a significant number of parking spaces near core park attractions, but the programmatic, such as the loading improvements, have the potential to mitigate some of

the reduction in parking. while it seems unlikely that the more modest elements included in the one-way alternative will. this slide is also an example of the granularity included in the final report for each of the alternatives. and this concludes the presentation. thank you. >> thank you. i am not actually able to see if colleagues have questions on my screen for whatever reason. so if you have a question or comment, i need you to raise your hand. commissioner chan? >> commissioner chan: [indiscernible] i just want to thank you, t.a. staff, for all the work on this equity study. i just had a clarifying

question, but i think you really have done well in your presentation and clarify. specifically about the one-way vehicle loop that specifically on some of the solutions, i think you already mentioned it, but if we're providing some solutions to the drop-off, like the garage drop-off and some other potential solution, some of them may be removed? >> with additional programmatic elements, they could be removed. >> commissioner chan: great. and the second question that i have is i have requested additional analysis -- not so much of the data gathered by t.a., but actually data that is based on what the city has gathered. could you just speak a little bit on that, or maybe the team

can speak on that, just a summary of that additional analysis based on not the gather data by the t.a., but actually gathered by the city >> of course. i'm going to have joe speak to that and i'll share a couple of slides as well. >> thank you. good morning, commissioners. my name is joe cast. i'm the deputy director for technology, data and analysis at the transportation authority. at commissioner chan's request we did additional analysis of data that was shared with us by sfmta and rec park. and this was primarily based on the city dash data which looks at -- it captures trips that are traveling on j.f.k. and commissioner chan, you asked us a few questions.

one was to first see if we could include this in the report. just due to the timeliness of the quick, we weren't able to integrate into to the report, but we were able to respond and some were a deeper analysis looking at trends by month, by week and then weekday versus weekend and any discrepanies we observed. we were table to largely -- able to largely respond to that. we weren't able to give the information on weekday versus weekend, because the number is average weekly visitors. so what we were able to find, first and foremost, and this is illustrated on the slide here. that we absolutely can confirm that there was a big increase in bicycle. so in the year that preceded the pandemic, the year in this case is march through february.

there are about 50,000 riders from march 2019 to february 2020 during the week. during the pandemic with the closure, there was a tremendous increase. it got as high as 94,000 on average during that year. it's kind of come back a little bit since then in our second year of pandemic to about 65,000. 66,000. so overall, compared to the pre-pandemic period, that's an increase of about 30%. so that confirms m.t.a.'s findings. one they think we expanded on the -- thing we expanded on is the city dash data doesn't include auto trips. the city dash data includes information on all trips and we infer what people are using based on the speed they were traveling. if it was less than 6 miles per hour, it was a walk. if it was between 6 and 10, it was a bicycle trip. and if greater than 10 miles per

hour, it was an auto trip. we did make adjustments and that bumped up the bicycle numbers and knocked down the auto numbers. but we did need to expand this to say there were some park-destined folks -- not drivers cutting through the park -- but they're using the park, but they're driving to use it. and that number we estimated to be 21,000 in the year pre-pandemic. there is a few numbers during the first pandemic because there was a portion of that first year of the pandemic when the road was open, but the second year of the pandemic, the numbers were 0. so there was a number of reduction -- what we found when we did this multimodal analysis, by our estimates there was 72,000 users, park destined users to j.f.k. by all modes that went up significantly to 96,000 during the first year of the pandemic. and now has come down to about

65,000. so it seems to represent, you know, a modest or slight reduction of 9% in the total number of park destined users using j.f.k. by all modes. this slide simply illustrates the same trend. there is a huge spike, 130% spike in bicycle users. you can see that around the line. the black line is the estimate of all users. again, that eliminates cut-through traffic. that does not count people who are driving to commute or whatever. to the right of the chart, you can see that all of users and bike users are one and the same. there was a huge spike in use. it comes down as mostly above it by the second half of the second year of the pandemic, it seemed to fall a little bit below prior use, but seems to be recovering in the most recent months. so here's a summary. one of your additional requests.

this illustrates weekly trends. this is for bike and pedestrian users. the three lines represent the three different years. the first line, the yellow line is the year pre-pandemic. you can see bike and pedestrian users were about 40-60k. the second year, the green line, huge increase. that's the huge spike. and that's pretty much the same throughout that year. in the second year of the pandemic, the blue line, we see the numbers start off a bit higher toward the end of the year. in fact, they stay above prior pedestrian-bicycle use pre-pandemic, and, you know, throughout the whole year, although it has come back down to something close to what it was pre-pandemic. here's the same information, but now presented for all users, including the auto users, not cutting through, they were using the park, but not cutting through. the green line shows a huge increase. that's the huge increase in bike

and pedestrian users. the blue line represents the second year over the pandemic and you can see the levels for the first half of the second year of the pandemic were about where they were pre-pandemic. they dipped a little bit below in the second half of the year and that's why we have overall decline of 9%. but in the most recent months and weeks it's recovering back to pre-pandemic levels. this chart illustrates the mode shares before and in the year. about 30% of the users on j.f.k. prior to the pandemic who are using the park were driving. of course, with the closure of the facility to vehicles, that mode shift is now entirely bike and walk. and the ratio of bike to walk is about two to one. there is about twice as many pedestrians using it versus bicyclists. that's both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. that's our last slide.

i'll be happy to take any questions. >> looks like commissioner chan is still going. >> commissioner chan: one last question. i think in your memo, which i really should have shared with my colleagues, realizing that there is specific number drop of visitorship in d3 and d10. >> well, so, yes, we did include some additional information in the memo. one of the things that had been stated was that the city -- data, this data source showed there had been no meaningful change in visits to the park before and after the closure from every supervisor district. and we did -- we found that the city dash data could not support that statement. for three reasons. one is definition. >> president walton: my apologies. we need to take a brief recess

because of technical difficulties. hopefully, this only takes like two minutes.

[please stand by] [please stand by]

reconvene this joint committee

of the whole. back to you, chair mandelman. >> chair mandelman: i believe staff was trying to respond to -- yes, was responding to a question from commissioner chan. >> i'm the deputy director for technology data and analysis at the san francisco transportation authority. would you like to restate your question, or should i jump in. okay. so the final third request in your letter to us was to identify if there were any discrepancies between the stated findings and any of the findings from our study. and there was a statement that the city dash data which we had just illustrated some of our own multimodal analysis of, showed there had been no meaningful change in the visit to the park before and after the closure from every supervisor district in the city.

we found that the data did not support that for a few reasons. one is definitional. the city dash data is trips on j.f.k. it doesn't speak to trips to the park overall. the second is that the data unequivocally shows lower volumes. so the pie got smaller for sure. the other limitation, the data includes the total of the cut-through traffic, so you can't net that out. not only is it not park, it's not just j.f.k. users using the park. even if you acknowledged all of that in the smaller pie and so on, what we did find was there were changes that were very much aligned with our findings from our study that the relative share of that smaller pie grew for the districts that are most proximate. i think district 4 went up by

19%. and those more distant got smaller. >> thank you. i believe our president and commissioner walton had a comment or question. >> commissioner walton: thank you so much, chair mandelman. a few brief comments about the equity study. one, it's clear from the equity study that we had a certain population of folks who visited the park prior to j.f.k. closure and pretty much stayed similar during the closure. so what is 100% clear is that access to the park has never been equitable for certain populations here in san francisco. and while there are other narratives that have been created by so many during the

past year and a half plus, as a black man, i can make my own opinions. i have to have somebody tell me what equity looks like, like i haven't experienced it my whole life. but the bottom line, the closure has done nothing to make golden gate park more diverse. that's always been the concern of the community and mine. i feel golden gate park should be reflective of the diversity that we brag about here in san francisco and it is not the case right now. and the study demonstrates that. so the big thing for me is to close down portions of the park says to a certain geography, says to a certain class of people, says to a certain race of people here in san francisco that you weren't welcome before and you're still not welcome. and that this space is reserved for certain classes of people, certain races, certain people

with means. i know this conversation has been a back-and-forth battle. and some people want to make this strictly about cars versus no cars, but the conversation has always been much bigger than that. and i just want to state for the record and just respond to the c.t.a. study. thank you, chair mandelman. [applause] >> thank you, president walton. i am not seeing any more folks on the roster. so i will hand this back to you, president walton. >> president walton: thank you so much, chair mandelman. colleagues, for item number 3, i believe we have sarah and beverly with rec and park and shieva for sfmta to present. and after the staff presentation, we will call on supervisor chan to make any opening remarks on item number 4.

>> good morning. president walton, chair mandelman, i'm beverly on behalf of the rec and park department. i'm here in partnership with sfmta. we're glad to present the golden gate access to safety program. whether you're a local resident or visiting from out of town, visiting a park is many things to many people. today you're going to hear policy recommendations on improving safety, mobility and equity in golden gate park. there are two questions that bring us here today. it is a balance of engaging with the public while considering data analysis.

first, should rec and park continue to restrict some streets to vehicles? if so, what policies are needed to ensure equitable access and features? since 1967, the eastern portion of j.f.k. drive is car-free on sundays. in 2008, this extended to saturdays for six months out of the year. and during the pandemic, under an emergency health order, the city provided a car-free bay to beach option to golden gate park to allow safe and socially distant recreation. in october, 2020, the district 1 commissioner's office convened the golden gate park working group to address concerns raised during the pandemic. the working group focused on developing an action framework that provided guidance for the policy areas in our proposal here today. so that we can see how everyday

people use golden gate park. let's start by talking about golden gate a little bit and fun facts. the park is over 1,000 acres with over 31 million visitors each year. there are 6,000 parking spots within the 15 miles of roadway in this park. the original design of the park focused on active use on the eastern side and less intensive use on the western side. i do want to highlight the east side of the park as you're going to hear more about the five attractions on or near the concourse. the conservatory flowers and botanical gardens and the japanese teagarden are directly on the concourse. it was informed by city policy and technical analysis. there has been over 50 years of city policy, ballot measures and legislation pointing to the following few items. reducing car traffic in the

park, encouraging sustainable modes and making the concourse a pedestrian oasis. this started with a transit-first policy adopted by the board of supervisors and recently was affirmed in fall, 2021. i previously mentioned the sfcta working group. their process highlighted in the sfcta report before you. they formed the foundation of policies focused on areas that you will see in the proposal here today, around safety, accessibility, mobility and equity. department staff mapped out over 12 different road configurations before starting the outreach process. they were evaluated for safety, accessibility and equity against the program goals you see here. ultimately, the three configurations that best met the goals and criteria as laid out here. the three proposed

configurations are, one, car-free proposal. two, no project option proposal. and the third proposal in this next slide which focuses on private vehicles access proposal, which you a lows private -- allows private cars on 8th avenue to go west where they could then exit the park and we will talk about this more in the presentation later on. these three proposals were included in our public outreach process. in addition to design option, staff use the sfcta working recommendations to propose other mobility options to provide access to and within golden gate park. our staff worked in ensure the depth of our outreach always up held our goals of meeting people where they are. this meant having meaningful engagements with community

groups in the neighborhood. developing workshops to provide activities to everyday people. in addition to reaching out to everyday people, we knew early on our priority focus was key groups that have different experiences within our parks. this robust process allowed us to each over 10,000 people, but there were far more people engaged that we were unable to account because they were on the social media post, writing to their local newspapers, lerdz to editors and various other city officials and departments. this has had substantive media coverage. we understand how important it is to hear from those who do not usually participate. we provided in-language surveys online, as well as in-person translation. in the end, we heard loudly and clearly that over 7% of san

francisco residents support car-free j.f.k. we range from providing family friendly interactions in calm community spaces, more park access for some people with disabilities to new methods to getting around the city. as you can see across the city in nearly all zip codes we had a majority of support for car-free streets in golden gate park. now, let's dig deeper. what we heard and later you'll hear more on how we reflected that feedback. during the outreach process we collected feedback on all three configuration proposals. we had people tell us they love car-free streets and people who hated car-free streets. we had -- we heard that it was undesirable. now we focus on policy and

initiatives. on the topic of equity, the bipoc community we heard that golden gate park is more welcoming with events, but for many, parks are a respite. people value parks in their communities. we heard feedback from the disability community which is not a monolith and we heard from people to found freedom and calm through more open spaces. and we heard from others who had less access due to parking, shuttles and other mobility barriers. around the topic of mobility we heard from everyday people who value car-free streets for recreational use as well as a means for alternative travel. as we heard concerns about congestions and longer commutes, we also heard from neighbors around the golden gate park area. i'm certain almost everyone here today listening at home will have an opinion on how the last six months of public outreach have been.

we had people tell us the process was rushed and not sufficient. we also heard from people who felt the process took too long and had extended the public process way longer than the outreach. but in the end, i will say that our department staff has worked incredibly hard to collect data and provide analysis and provide guide. to talk about the data analysis, i would like to introduce my colleague from sfmta. >> thank you, beverly. again, i'm from sfmta. i'm the project manager. i'm going to speak about our technical analysis which i think we talked about earlier this morning. our analysis focuses on the same themes we've heard in outreach. safety, equity, accessibility and mobility. this program has had 24 months to evaluate and learn from the current implementation.

so, again, we've already presented some of this data earlier, but overall, the number of people walking and biking on j.f.k. drive has increased comparing 2019 to 2021 data. 29% increase in walking. and 76% in biking. and, again, while there was a significant spike in people walking and biking just as the pandemic started, that upward trend has been retained even as we returned back to our pre-covid lives. and without significant events and programs that typically bring people walking and biking to the park. just as important, there has been no significant change of percentage of visit from each district. our survey, which is not a poll, the majority of people within each self-reported race or ethnic race supported car-free j.f.k. again, to speak to my colleagues

at the t.a., they did robust engagement with equity priority communities in their study as presented and in the inner study they found that many use the facility than ever before as a result of the closure. it also identified policy interventions we heard as well. things like better muni, a better shuttle. making it safer to get to the park by bike. as early as next month there will be 90 blue zones available, a net increase to the pre-pandemic condition. these blue zone spaces are closer than ever before to the academy of sciences, the botanical garden and the de jonge and the cal academy has not changed which 30 blue zone spaces in the garage. there are new marked drop-off and pickup zones at the cal academy and the de jonge.

a concern we heard was about an increase of traffic. as many of you remember, pre-pandemic there were winter days when there was access allowed on saturday. we looked at travel times before the pandemic, comparing 2019 winter saturdays to winter sundays, so no travel time changes to typical trips. a trip from the richmond to the bayview was 25 minutes shorter. pre-pandemic, the majority of drivers on eighth avenue, a northern entrance, originated from the richmond district and we wanted to look at the travel time impacts to this neighborhood during the closure. post pandemic there has been additional congestion on chain of lakes drive and other intersections like fulton and stanyan can be congested at key

hours. however, similar to the findings pre-pandemic, there was no changes on weekdays. in most cases there was a reduction in travel time for the key adjacent neighborhoods. we absolutely understand that there are uses in the parks that necessitate driving and that is why 80% of the roads in golden gate park remain open with 5,000 parking spaces available. 83% of parking in the park remains available with 2500 spaces on the eastern side. one-third of those spaces are in the garage directly under the museum. and importantly to me and many of you, for those who choose not to drive, muni is an affordable and available option. the majority of san franciscans live within a 15-minute walk of transit. this doesn't need to be a choice for everyone, but it's an excellent choice for many.

this map will serve even more people, especially fillmore and western edition residents when the lines are restored this summer. my colleague is going to present on how this data and our outreach findings shaped the proposal in front of you today. >> good morning, supervisors. sarah, director of policy and public affairs for the parks department. you've heard about our outreach, the feedback, data and technical work. i'm now going to take you through the program proposal which is informed and directed by that work. golden gate park safety and access program is not just a road configuration. it contains more than 43 policy program and other interventions to address safety, equity, accessibility and mobility. as you are aware, we are recommending that we retain the current car-free condition with

minor modifications. the car-free areas are represented by the thick green line on this map and as noted, it's important to remember that this leaves 80% of the roadways and 83% of the available parking in golden gate park. the east side has been the primary focus of our conversations with community. and this proposal reflects the unique needs of the institutions in the park. the departments are committed to full access to the museum, whose loading dock is 1200 feet on j.f.k. drive. you'll see a rendering on the slide that includes paint. and that this is a shared stretch of roadway. for all of j.f.k. drive, we have heard loud and clear we need to create separate spaces for people who are moving slower, walking, and people who are moving faster like biking.

central park has done this and we're examining treatments to make this happen. -- should this proposal be finalized. further west in the park, we are proposing to restore the connection from chain of lakes to sunset boulevard for drivers heading south from the richmond and to improve access to the polo fields by clarifying the circulation route. both of these changes involve one-way traffic and a separated promenade on the other. we would use traffic-calming tools as the promenade interacts with these. there is a separate ordinance that is a slightly modified version of the proposal we've been discussing. this modified version requires further design and thorough

technical analysis to understand its full impact. the proposal today contains a series of policy changes and programs to make it easier for equity priority communities to get to the park. it also focuses on expanding culturally relevant programs that will make people want to travel to the park and feel welcome when they do so. one of these programs is a community shuttle program which we launched on february 25th with the rafiky coalition, a community-based organization. building on our successful -- excuse me -- junior guides program which brings summer campers from equity priority communities to the park, the program includes a free shuttle, a welcome by park staff, a tour and lunch, we're grateful to supervisor preston for attending our last outing with momagic and

b magic. we are continuing this program throughout the summer. and look forward to hopefully seeing some of the others of you out there. i will now take you through an overview of the accessibility elements of the proposal. as tom sent everyone this majority, this plan contains 43 different projects and programs. 60% of those initiatives are intended to improve accessibility. the beginning of february this year, we began construction on the parking lot behind the bandshell directly across from the japanese teagarden. these blue zones have a shorter distance from the parking lot to the booth than the previous ones on j.f.k. additionally, we recently launched and improved golden

gate shuttle which now runs on weekdays, has an improved route based on significant community feedback, increased frequency, better signage and clearer maps. additionally, we want to make it easy for people to travel to the park by all modes of transportation. and get around easily when they're here. our mobility proposal provides clear directions and enabling people to get around the park. while they are there, include with petty cabs or other fun ways of getting around and clarifying the use of ride hail services. a key element to this mobility is direct access to the park from fulton and 10th avenue through the music concourse garage, which as you know lies directly under the de jonge. the garage allows drivers to park, but also to drop off and pick up.

as well as the loading zones in front of the de young and the academy. we also know we need to address the rates. thanks to the flexible pricing resolution passed by the board, we can now implement lower rates and achieve the policy goals stated in the bay to beach resolution. by lowering rates at certain times, formalizing special event rates for high demand times including three hours of free parking in the garage for those who participate in the museums for all program, the discover and go program and who reserve the spot because they have an ada placard. we're increasing the free drop-off time from 15 minutes to

30 minutes as we heard loud and clear this will make it easier to access the elevators. we're also looking at the non-profit who runs the garage and reduce the overhead of the garage. here on our final slide is a list of policy initiatives that have either been accomplished or are currently in process to help address safety, accessibility, mobility and equity in golden gate park. we thank you for sticking with us as we presented our robust outreach, in-depth analysis and key elements of this proposal. we started with the question, should we continue the pandemic closure and if we do, what are the changes we need to make to address the real and important concerns that we have heard? we feel we have done that. our commissions, the m.t.a.

board and the recreation and park commission feel we've done that, which is why they recommend this proposal to you today. we thank you for listening and are here for your questions. >> president walton: thank you so much and thank you to rec and park and m.t.a. for the presentation. i don't see anyone in the queue. supervisor melgar? >> commissioner melgar: thank you, president walton. i guess i'll go. i do have several questions for ms. madeleine if that's okay. so there is a few things in your presentation that surprised me that were sort of new information. i'm hoping you can talk through a little bit. >> i'll do my best. >> commissioner melgar: one of the slides you showed, showed car access through ace avenue as a one-way to transverse. did i get that wrong? >> correct. that was one of the proposals we took as part of our public outreach. we took three proposals.

>> commissioner melgar: that's not a proposal that you are currently supporting, you're just -- you studied it? >> correct. we wanted to acknowledge that we took it out to the public for feedback and also to the extent that it mirrors the proposal that supervisor chan has put forward, let you know we have done -- we have collected some feedback and done some analysis on it. there are pieces that are different. the conservatory drive piece that we have not unfortunately been able to conduct a robust analysis of that or collect public feedback. >> commissioner melgar: thank you for your clarification. you also had on your slides some of -- some issues that have been brought up by the disability and senior community which i'm grateful that you looked at. but have not, you know, like it's in your timeline for implementation perhaps, but there is no, you know, firm commitment or plan and i'm

wondering if you could talk about a little bit, pedestrian cabs. i know you did a pilot day where you had tribunalings and things. so i'm wondering if you could speak about specifics. there was communication we good from community living campaign and seniors about a request for seating at shelter bus stops which seems pretty basic while we implement a more robust system that needs -- that meets senior and disabled needs. so i'm wondering if you could speak about that, too. how quickly that could be done, if it be could done? or any interim steps we can take

to make it easier for folks to get around. just in personal experience, i love the car-free park. my husband was hospitalized at kaiser for a good chunk of time last year and i get around on my bike. and having access, you know, on my bike through the park was a god send because otherwise the alternative would have been lincoln and, you know, it's pretty dangerous. at the same time, because, you know, he's now disabled, i'm acutely aware of how difficult it is for somebody who cannot move around so much to take public transportation to the park. or to do anything, you know, to access the amenities in a way that we did before. so my personal experience has been both ways. so i want to know how this is going to become real to address those needs that folks have brought up which i think are legit and real? >> yeah, thank you, supervisor. we 100% agree.

we worked with the dinlt community. the question is around tlooin for us as you noted. as you know on city time, it's relatively quickly. many of them are in progress or there are interim steps in place. you mentioned making sure there are benches, making sure there are trash cans, good signage. we currently have a temporary signage for the new stops as well as benches at the locations. the time lapse, if you will, is

that in some of these locations we actually need to pour concrete pads, fix benches properly, make sure that the curb cut in a few locations there, with we need to make sure the curb cuts are done, that type of work. there are steps in place, but to have it completed, there is a little more work that we're referring to as light capital work, that does just take a bit of time in planning, contracting and then executing. >> commissioner melgar: thank you. what about the option of pedestriany cabs. right now, they're permitted. on the embarcadero they work well. we could subsidize their use to make them free and provide jobs.

>> that is something we've talked about and i'm glad to see you're interested in it. as it has not risen to something that we talked about a lot in these proposals, but it is -- we stand at the ready to implement that and have worked with the city attorney. pedi cab is regulated in the police code and we've worked to extend that to golden gate park. so if that is the desire of this body, we can absolutely execute on that quickly. >> president walton: thank you, supervisor melgar. i don't see any other colleagues with questions. real quick, just a couple. how does this shuttle program improve access to the park for s.f. residents miles away? >> the shuttle program for

equity priority communities, mr. president? >> president walton: correct. >> what we've done with that program is worked with community-based organizations to have folks who are interested to join us on those trips. we've now done three of them and our hope -- the goal is a couple of things. one, to introduce folks to the park who might not have been there. and if they like it, they may be interested in returning. we also share with them information. everybody who participates gets a little swag bag and there are two key things in that. one is a wrist band that allows people to return to any of the institutions for free with that wrist band and bring their family members. that is modelled off the summer camp program where the kids enjoyed being leaders and tour guides for their families. and then the other pieces, there is information on how to get to

the park whether you bike, walk, drive or take the bus, to make that easier for people and make it feel like less of a barrier. >> president walton: and thank you for bringing up just the different options to get to the park. how long would it take to get someone to the park by bus from the southeast sector of san francisco? >> i believe it's about 40 minutes on the 44. is that right? about 40 minutes on the 44. >> president walton: thank you. also, what is the price for these pedi cabs? >> well, we don't have a pedi cab program currently in golden gate park. i'm not sure on the embarcadero. but the thought and what i heard supervisor melgar echo, this would be an initiative that the department would work to subsidize a portion of and that

would be worked out with the pedi cab operators, so i don't have a direct answer for you right now. i apologize. >> president walton: we talk about the flex pricing for the parking. what is the cost during peak times? what are we looking at? >> sure, so we have worked closely the non-profit who works on the garage. i'm going to ask tom to outline the parameters of that legislation. >> through the chair, currently the parking -- hourly parking rates at the garage are $5.50 per hour. we believe there are opportunities through the flex pricing model that others have suggested to lower that rate, so it is a lower rate per hour than

$5.50 and to build in validations and use the rec park museum for all validated by the museum within the garage. we've explored those options with the community partnership. the m.t.a. is ready to take an active management and administration role in the garage that would require a partnership between the m.t.a. and the mcpp. but we think we can reduce the weekday rates. the weekday rates, there is very few in the garage using the flexible pricing model we use. >> president walton: so right now we don't have specifics? >> so, we have drafted a flexible pricing model that would allow the rates to drop as low as $1 an hour. i don't think $1 an hour would be the likely price, but we might start the price something closer to $4 an hour and let it float up or down from there

based on demand. >> and what do you think the average low-income family in san francisco could pay for parking? you think $4 is reasonable? >> the $4 price is not aimed at equity drivers. we believe that the right choice for people who are price sensitive, low-income families might be to use the museums for all program that sara mentioned that would provide three hours of free parking in the garage for those travelers. >> president walton: and mr. maguire, just for my -- forgive me -- what is an equity driver? >> i'm sorry, that was not an artful term. >> president walton: that's what equity driver is? >> i prefer not to use the term equity driver. >> when we talk about equity drivers and we talk about pricing, it seems like what you say will be realistic. equity driver couldn't afford.

so we're saying we're not trying to keep people away from the park, but from your statements, mr. maguire, an equity driver would not be able to pay for parking in this particular garage? >> if i may, supervisor, just to clarify, the museums for all -- >> president walton: just real quick. i'm not concerned about the museums. i'm concerned about access to the park as a whole. this has nothing to do with museums. i care about the park. i don't care about the museums. >> over 2000 free parking spaces remain on m.l.k., nancy pelosi drive and other streets in the eastern part of the park close to the concourse. those are free for all drivers. that is the majority of parking in the eastern part of the park. >> president walton: thank you. i think, you know, the point is really just being made as to what we're attempting to do with public space here in san francisco. and it's just really a travesty. i mean, listening to responses

of staff and mr. maguire and i have a great relationship, but you heard his response. and so i just want people to realize what is happening here as we talk about the issues and concerns of today. supervisor safai? >> commissioner safai: thank you. just a few more questions through the chair to mr. maguire. how realistic do you think it is that the mccp will agree to working with the m.t.a. to adjust the rates? my understanding is a lot of -- it's a revenue-capture because there is debt on the structure itself and it's intended to pay off the bond and that bond is around $30 million, outstanding. so do you think it's realistic that the board would agree to lowering rates without significant subsidy from the city? >> i can take this. supervisor, as our department has worked closely with the

mccp, they are absolutely aware of and, in fact, encouraged us to introduce the flex pricing legislation that you all passed. they have -- we've had multiple conversations with them and they have expressed interest in three things. one instituting the flex pricing to lower the prices to meet the policy goals of the bay to beach resolution. and to adjust to demand in order to perhaps increase revenue at the garage. they have also expressed an interest in lowering their operating costs. they currently have a contract with reef which is the same group that the m.t.a. has a large contract with. we believe there are some efficiencies and economies of scale that would garner making them a party to the contract. they have expressed deep interest in that. they're also looking at and we are working with them through the leadership of the mayor's office and the controller's

office of public finance on what are the options on that debt that you mentioned, supervisor, which i believe is about $24 million and related to the construction of the garage. so there are actions that would need to be taken by both the m.t.a. board and the mccp to finalize that. but those conversations are progressing nicely. >> so i guess what i would say, if we were thinking about this, we would think about creating that prior to moving this conversation forward in an aggressive manner, it seems to me one of the things that people are hanging their hat on is that one of the proposed solutions is that you'll have more forum access, but that access doesn't exist. i hear a lot of plans, i hear a lot of conversations. we've had those conversations over the past year, but it doesn't seem to have any movement. but i appreciate that update to the information. >> sure, if -- >> my question with to you with regard to the survey, i haven't

been able to see this, how is the survey done? was there any door-to-door done in the survey? >> no, sir. >> commissioner safai: was your survey done in language? >> yes. >> commissioner safai: did you do it in spanish, cantonese -- >> spanish, cantonese and russian i believe. >> commissioner safai: okay. and were you able to capture the age of respondents? >> yes. >> commissioner safai: and what percentage of the respondents were over the age of 65 and had disability issues? >> 38%. -- were over the age of 55. and identified as people with mobility disabilities, correct, supervisor? >> commissioner safai: yes. >> and that separate and distinct from those who

identified as over a 5:005 is -- 55 is -- i'm going to read it, because she doesn't need reading glasses -- >> believe it was something like 10-11% of survey respondents told us he had a -- they had a disability. that's a self-reported. >> commissioner safai: got it. seems a little -- okay. that's all my questions. >> president walton: thank you. supervisor preston? >> commissioner preston: thank you, president walton. and thank you president walton and chair mandelman for holding the joint hearing today. i did have some just -- maybe just clarifications based on the conversation that i'm hearing. and let me just start with i think there is impression painted like that there is

nowhere to park in the park if there is car-free j.f.k. i think mr. mcguire addressed some piece of this, but i'm just wondering if for the record we can know how many parking spaces there are from staff in golden gate park overall? in total even with car-free j.f.k.? and it let's exclude the garage. >> excluding the garage and excluding the current streets that are restricted in its current configuration, i believe there are 3900 spaces remaining. actually it's a little bit more, because i subtracted kezar as well. 3900 spaces. that doesn't include lincoln, fulton or stanyan. >> and these are all free? >> yes. >> i think one of the things this whole discussion and frankly the months of

discussions really highlighted is the need to really solve some of these issues through the shuttle program that you talked about, through a robust public transit. i agree 100% with the observations and criticism that if you are -- as you move out geographically from golden gate park, it becomes harder and harder to get to golden gate park and the way that is solved consistent with our climate goals, the way that is solved is with robust public transportation to get to the park and i just want to say on the shuttles that we discussed -- and i do have a question on those -- there are really two issues around public transit. there is making public transportation reliable way to get to golden gate park. and that is everything from -- from shuttles your talking about to more frequent service on lines. it's also restoring the lines

that serve golden gate park. and i want to thank you for elevating the 6 and the 21 that my constituents rely on to get to golden gate park. part of this discussion has to include restoring those lines and building out better service. there is also the issue of once folks get to the park. so in this period of time when public transit is quite clearly inadequate to serve the needs of my colleagues' constituents and many people watching this closely. there are going to be some people that drive to the park and that's the way they get to the park. they need to be able to park in one of those free spots and have a shuttle service in the park that is coming all the time. i want to commend the rec park for launching the shuttle service. it's one of the most significant changes in the discussion to move us forward, but it's not enough. we need to be challenged as a board and as a city to step up with the funds needed to

increase. i did want to get clarification on the record if you could describe where the shuttle goes. one thing i know, some of my colleagues on the west side have pointed out in our private discussions, has been the fact that the shuttle, while it's dramatically increased in terms of serving the east side, does not go out to the west side. so, you know, one thing that i think is a significant issue for people who do drive to the park and want to park and get on a shuttle would be possible expansion of the shuttle program to serve the entire park. so if you could describe where it goes now and what the vision is for the future on the shuttle program. >> sure. thank you, supervisor, for the question. when the road became closed during covid, we modified the shuttle. the shuttle would run on saturdays and sundays during the closure and it ran the full length of the park from the lodge which is at stanyan all

the way down to the beach. there was a decision made with the closure of the east end to run the shuttle just from the lodge to tran verse and some of the stops in between, including a new stop at shoal lake based on feedback. that decision was made to increase the frequency of the shuttle. so we added additional weekday service and another on the weekend so that people are only waiting. there is a shuttle running every 15 minutes. we have heard that feedback. we have spoken with supervisor mar about the possibility of extending to the west side of the park. again, the original intention was to make sure the shuttle served the areas where the roads were closed, but have heard the feedback about accessing parking. it's a budget issue that we need

to address because it increases the runtime of the shuttle and increases the frequency, we need to up the number of shuttles. that is in the future plans, something we would like to explore, but that's a budget question for us. >> commissioner preston: thank you. i just want to underscore that i think there is -- wherever we end up on this, there is the will and i would imagine the support from this body to make sure the funding there is to dramatically ramp up the shuttle service as well as other public transit to the park. and i think it's an essential part of the conversation. frankly -- >> president walton: supervisor preston, another technical difficulty. we're going to have to take another -- oh. we're saved by the bell. >> commissioner preston: thank you. i was going to say, was it something i said? >> president walton: no, definitely not. >> commissioner preston: i think we can do this, keep car-free

j.f.k. -- or j.f.k. car-free and accommodate everyone, but the public transit and the shuttle piece is absolutely essential part of that. and in terms of city planning, i want to give huge credit to rec park, m.t.a. and others and pushing forward on things that usually take years to happen in months. but i want to add to the urgency and make the asks we need. if we need to double the shuttle service, let's double the shuttle service, it's an essential part of this. from what i heard from the equity analysis that was done, i think the bottom line is there persists inequities. based on class and race. -- in access to our parks. i don't think that's news to any of us. i think it's also clear that

car-free j.f.k. has not exacerbated or caused any of those. i think we need to tackle the access issues to the park, but would push back on making this stretch car-free has -- has exacerbated any of the issues that have been raised. so i think this is an absolutely essential part of a green mobility network in a climate crisis and i just want to really appreciate all the work that's gone into this. as i mentioned, both from t.a. staff, m.t.a., rec park, a lot of folks have worked hard to get us this far and i want to appreciate president walton for elevating a lot of the access issues and supervisor chan pushing us forward through the resolution to push our discussions towards resolution here. so i'll leave it at that for now. thank you.

>> president walton: thank you, supervisor preston. supervisor mar? >> commissioner mar: thank you, president walton. actually i wanted to first thing the recreation and parks department, sfmta and the mayor's office for all their work on this proposal. not just to maintain car-free j.f.k. drive, but to really address the equity and access impacts that this would have if we do keep car-free j.f.k. drive permanent. and, you know, i appreciate all the accessibility and equity improvements that have already been made, including improving the shuttle service and starting to add a net increase in ada, blue zone parking spaces, in the area. but for me, you know -- especially in communication with stakeholders in the disability and senior community and equity

communities, you know, it's been clear there needs to be more commitments from the city to really adequately address access and equity impacts of this. so i appreciate the ongoing dialogue, particularly with the disability and senior community that even extended through yesterday and the additional commitments to address the equity and accessibility impacts in the future. i -- you know, i think for the shuttle service, i know there is a pretty good framework and timeline to make further improvement to the shuttle service that i think would address most of the -- what's been requested in the disability community, including moving to a low entry shuttle buses, making improvements to the shuttle stops and improving the way finding and signage in the park for the free shuttle service. and i also appreciate the commitment to continuing the discussion about restoring

shuttle service to the western side of golden gate park and those destinations because that's really important. especially to, you know, to my constituents. i did want to add one other thing we talked about regarding the free shuttle, i appreciate that it now connects to stanyan and haight and public transit outside of the park right there and it's important to -- and i raised this already with m.t.a. about extending to judah so the free shuttle can connect to that line. i think that would help also to address equity access impacts. i did have questions about the parking garage. for me, that's been central to solutions to address equity impacts. i appreciate the, you know, the general idea that have been presented so far by director mcguire and ms. madeleine, but it still seems like it's a

half-baked plan for us to be able to offer free or reduced rates to people in the parking garage, particularly seniors and people with disabilities and folks who can't pay the $5 to $6 parking rate. see if you could state what the timeline and process is for us to achieve that goal. >> absolutely. thank you, supervisor, for the question. so, when the flex pricing legislation changes to the park passed by this board, there was an amendment that required a resolution to come back to you that laid out the methodology and how we would implement it. that resolution has been drafted, is pretty much ready for introduction as long as we have, you know, we've been trying to socialize it with the

amendment's author and we're ready to go on that. once that passes, we have the ability to implement the flex pricing in the garage. so that should be a relatively short timeline. in terms of the question around the management, that requires the m.t.a. board approval and the mcpp board meeting. which is june 1st. this is tentatively scheduled for then. as well as the next board meeting that you're targeting for this at the m.t.a. is in may? >> the second meeting in may, may 17th i believe. >> does that answer the question? >> commissioner mar: yes, that's helpful. i had one follow-up question. so it sounds like we're going to be -- you know, with this resolution that will be brought forward to the board we'll be able to move ahead with the flex pricing in the garage. that would allow lower parking

rates during the weekdays it sounds like. so that's positive. and then it sounds like there is also a plan to add parking, free parking to the museums for all tt program. so that's folks that qualify for the free admission to the museums based on -- is it medi-cal? >> yes, exactly. and that is allowed as well under the flex pricing legislation and is included in the legislation. it also includes the library's discover and "go!" program, if you check out access to those museums, you'll get access to three hours of free parking. >> commissioner mar: that sounds positive for the equity impacts. what about for seniors and people with disabilities? and i think -- well, we've had a little bit of discussion about that, but is there a plan to offer free or reduced parking,

particularly for people with blue handicapped ada placard? >> yes, as we mentioned in the presentation, there is the addition of 20 free blue zones directly across from the japanese teagarden and as part of the flex pricing resolution that will come before you soon, includes reservable ada parking in the garage that also has three hours free. >> commissioner mar: great. thanks for all that further clarification. thanks, president walton. >> president walton: thank you. supervisor stefani? >> commissioner stefani: thank you, president walton. and thank you for the presentation. i did want to follow up on some of the same concerns that supervisor melgar mentioned around mobility issues and access. as i've been clear from all this, this is something that is important to me and little concerned about the timeline on the implementation in the golden gate access and safety program.

wondering whether or not anything can be done to expedite some of these issues? but, first of all, i want to point out the disability access coordinator and the completion timeline is winter 2023. i think, of course, this is something you and i discussed is long overdue for our parks. and i'm wondering if it's a position that needs to be budgeted for and we need to add it to make it happen? >> yes, we have included in our budget -- i believe it's in the m.t.a. budget and then rec park is going to work-order half the cost. it's included in this year's budget submission. our timeline includes getting budget approval, moving through the hiring process and that's actually when we would have a physical person doing the job. i should note rec park has the programmatic coordinator now, but this is half of someone

else's job, so this is adding another fte to that team. >> commissioner stefani: the other thing that stands out to me in terms of expediting, is improve and optimize blue zones in golden gate park and it says that is a winter 2023 timeline and also the accessible map? i'm wondering if those two -- and the bench issue that supervisor melgar brought up. that could be expedited? >> i know things take a long time here, but some things stand out to me. >> i think that's fair, supervisor. what i would say, we gave ourselves that -- that timeline you see is to complete all of the pieces of that. there are many -- there are many pieces of, say the benches and shuttle stops that will be able to be implemented in a shorter time. that is for the entirety of it.

so, i hear your desire to move as quickly as we can on that. as i said, we do in certain situations have to contract for, say, a concrete pad and those types of things. >> commissioner stefani: okay. thank you very much. >> president walton: thank you, supervisor stefani. and i do not see any other colleagues that wish to speak. we're going to item 4. supervisor chan, any comments or statements before we take on this item? >> commissioner chan: sorry. thank you. thank you, president walton. colleagues, i first want to thank you, thank you for being here, thank you for being on this journey of especially last year our office introduced the beach to bay resolution. thanks to your support, you unanimously passed the resolution. and i just want to thank all the -- this is a full house since we

reopened city hall. we have all the folks out here. and it's really good to be a new supervisor and seeing that people return to this chamber, to this house. because it is the people's house. so with that, i wanted to report back to you that thanks to the resolution that you have supported, some of the stuff that you saw, some of the results that you saw from the presentation from city departments really comes from that -- came from that resolution, including the parking that was at one point $15 per slot, now became an ada parking. and that we now also start to really have a productive conversation around the parking garage. i do want to flag for you colleagues that i have been seeking advice of our city attorney to really try to problem-solve the garage and thinking it through knowing that there are challenges with what

the voters have formally approved which is known as prop j, preventing public dollars going in the garage. i wanted to let you know that in my opinion receiving advice and will continue to seek the city attorney's advice, it's a bit more complicated than we think to problem-solve the garage. i think that supervisor mar mentioned that this is a baked idea. i think in my opinion, not quite. there is a lot of work to be done and because so many people are involved that are not even a city entity that the result is not guaranteed. so i just want us to be mindful of that. here kind of leads to what i'm going to talk about. it's really my proposal. and i'm really grateful that this proposal is really after

beach to bay tt, i have heard many feedback, not just from constituents in my district, but really constituents city-wide. and i'm grateful for their feedback. and it kind of also looking at what the city departments have done which is really, too, am grateful to t.a. staff, sfmta and rec and park staff for working together. it is one of the solutions that i actually zoom into and looked at. if it is -- if i may start the slide that is the compromised version. you've seen this before and the people taking the survey have seen this before as well. it's the compromised version that allows eighth avenue access going in. and this was, by the way, in beach to bay resolution, we had

the discussion about the eighth avenue access. how can we make sure with the beach to bay allowing car-free from highway to j.f.k. and m.l.k. and out to stanyan but at the same time how do we make sure that people with disabilities and mobility challenges can still access the park? and so the proposal i have is coming in from eighth avenue on the richmond side and being able to turn -- you see the little yellow lines there -- you get to turn right, or westbound, and you're coming out from the transfer drive. i heard from the garden for those who don't visit often, there are plenty of volunteers at the dahlia garden. it's that little green circle on the east end. and just thinking about not just

the volunteers that could access that space, but those who want to enjoy the green space. there are many green space besides the institution. there are peacock meadows, dahlia garden, rainbow fall. i want to take a step back and let you see those that people can enjoy without paying admission. conservatory of flowers is probably another way to go to it, but there is stairs. there are steps. that's the only way you can actually get to dahlia garden if that's where you're going to go. so having that closure at conservatory drive east was hard for a lot of volunteers and people who want to go to that green space. it's also why i am proposing to open that space. as you can see, it's purple.

i am going to urge the city department to start thinking about how we can mirror the design that is currently exists on conservatory drive east which allows car parking, private vehicle, coming in, turn right, turn on to conservatory drive east, being able to park and have access. now i'm asking that we could do the same on conservatory drive west. but, colleagues, i think that you heard a lot about technical solutions. i want to bring to you that what i am thinking about today is really a policy -- policy goal that -- and really what are we doing here? let me try to tell you that -- let me see if i can, because i think that president walton has already spoken on this so eloquently and i'm going to try to add to that with data and to

sort of help us think about how this proposal, especially item number 3, the full closure, the permanent full closure came about. the next slide will show you that what i'm proposing has been done. it's, you know, separating cars from cyclists and pedestrians in mclaren park which is great. and you can see -- you cannot quite see, but there is a car actually on the other side of the median where people can bike and walk. we know this has been successfully done in a park, mclaren park. now the next one is great highway. it's even something that our t.a. staff has suggested and think about. it's just a great highway, it's an option, too. and in this one, also, too, it's

acceptable to have great highway alternative which is cars, but safely divided between a promenade between cars and a promenade where people can recreate, bike and walk. last but not vleets, i want -- least, i want to point to all you colleagues, the next slide, i believe rec and park already pointed out in their presentation. in the park, golden gate park, there is an option already that is showing m.l.k. drive and chain of lake drive where half of it is for cyclists and pedestrians and the other half is for private vehicle traffic. same park. very same park. so this very same design is allowed in this park, then why is it not okay on j.f.k. drive?

now here's the question. is the reason why it's not okay in my opinion is because -- let me tell you what happened at the survey. in october -- on october 15, we receive an update from rec and park mentioning about this strong support, 71.9% from the survey. a survey of 5,900 survey responses and there are 71.9% of support that we should just close j.f.k. drive. you ask who filled out the survey? at least i asked that. and according to rec and park data in october, 60.6% white. and then separately, 62.9% no disability. so these are the people that support closure of j.f.k. drive.

[please stand by] [please stand by]

2 districts i served as a legislator and one of them i grew up in which is a concentration ofcommunities of color . so again , there visitor ship has decreased. i'm asking for closure of jfk drive, who are we prioritizing and who are we willing to leave behind ? who we are willing to prioritize, who we're willing to leave behind not just for the last two years during pandemic also where more than willing to continue toleave them behind i don't know, because 2023 comesreally fast . so people can wait .

people can wait for passive green spacebecause they worked there in the first place. people can wait because we're working on it . people can wait when we tried to take out dollars,can we budget it ? are they worth our resources and time? sure but later. so that is what the proposal before you today and i have come to this is also the reason why i'mproposing this compromise . the compromise itself tells you that not only that we're valuing everybody, everybody having access to the park and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that it's equitable and that does include the garage and i'm not giving up on that but i'm also being truthful about the fact that it's not readyright now and today , i'm also being truthful about who's advocating for the full closure and who is not and

i think that we need to think deep and hard within this chamber that we have seen generations of inequity and racism and classism and that has been proposed by our own city . we have rejected them but let's be truthful. there were decades this chapte chamber has also accepted them . let me just say when it comes to land use and transit for people of color we know who will be making those decisions for us for too long and today, why is this 1.5 mile stretch so controversial? lipstick deep. it's not whether it's a protected bike laneor cars only or not . it is because it is fundamentally about race and class in this city. who gets to have asay in this space and it's very simple .

my proposal, let me also remind you half of it is car free. the other half of it is not even allowing all the cars back, only half of it. it's allowing one direction while the other half is bike lanes. that's all i have for my proposal today and i think you have seen a lot of solutions coming through but that's enough and can we wait some more and should we tell people that they should wait some mor . >> thank you supervisor chan. [applause] colleagues, any questions? on this item?

madam clerk, we are now going to go to public comment and i do want to remind everyone this is a high volume of colors. we are on one minute for public comments this morning. madam clerk i'm sorry. my apologies to the public. supervisorstefani . >> thank you president walton. i'll wait on my comments and i've been toldi need to introduce an amendment i have to the mayor's proposal before we go to public comment . i know it's been handed out to everybody and i just want to move that before wego to public comment . >> president: motion to amend

item number three is on page 14, lines 11 through 20 and it has to do with annual reporting. ifyou'd like to read it i will . >> can you do that for the record? >> on page 14 lines 11 through 12 beginning january 1, sorry july 1, 2023 and each july 1 thereafter until 2033 the san francisco municipal transportation agency and recreation and park department cells submit to the board of supervisors joint report on impacts of the jfk closure and implementation status of the golden gate parkaccess . the report shall include but not limited to annual presentation data on the young museum and golden gate park, relevant analysis of parts presentation data including access from equitypriority

communities, feedback from the disability community , summary of safety collisions, data and analysis on the music concourse garage and implementation that is of the policy initiatives included in thegolden gate park access . >> president: yourmotion to amend was seconded by supervisormandelman . >> thank you . >>president: i don'tsee anyone wishing to comment . can we do a rollcall on the amendment ? >> we have to go to public comment. >>. >> president: my apologies, beforewe go to public comment, supervisor chan . >> i have to do this because i see by our city attorney i must. i intend to move on my, to amend my legislation to make some minor corrections. specifically i intend to correct an error that is

listing to say eastbound. actually we really meant to say westbound. andmake some minor changes to the finding and others . like i think we're clarifying technical process and cost specifically for the loading dock to make sure that we're clear. as the clerk of the board has advised and my department has not yet completed its cqua for these. i want to make sure the environmental analysis is correct and the policy i intend to propose. in making these amendments i am not asking you to make a commitment to the policy choices since we will be taking no final action today it will be my amendment to continue

this to the call of the board president committee as a whole. pending ceqa determination. today i ask that you approve the amendment so that the planning department can analyze the project as i intended to propose and so that the environmental review can make the eventual decision as to whether to revise or approve theproposal and again , those are the two motions i'm making and i understand we need to return, but the first motion is to make amendments to the legislation and the second is that i am asking for us to continue my item to the chair pending ceqa determination. >> president: dowe have a second . and a second on the motion to

continue made by supervisor mark. seeing other, yes. >> the continuation needs to be a datecertain. we don't do continues to the calls of the president . >> let me, supervisor chan. one has been the conversation? >> we've yet to have a conversation from planning department on the timeline but let's give it a month. >> why don't we say to continu . let me make sure that's not till our may 24 meeting. >> so noted. >> you so much and that motion

was made by supervisorchan and seconded by supervisor mar . and now madam clerk we will go topublic comment . >> at this time the board of supervisors welcomes your testimony on joint committee as a whole for the county transportation equity study. the board of supervisors park code ordinance on the golden gate park access safety program and second ordinance on the park code for the golden gate access and safety program was with a modified configuration. we will hear comments from those presentin the chamber and take those joining us remotely as stated by the president . each speaker will beallotted one minute . if you're interested in providing public comment and you are here in person we ask you begin lining up to your right, my left against the window.for those joining us

you must be connected to the remote call in by dialing the telephone number streaming on your television and computer screen, it is 1-415-655-0001 . when you hear the prompt enter the meeting id 2486 137-0759. press the pound symbol twice and you will join the meeting. you'll hear the discussions and in listening mode only. if we can ask everybody to please tempered down your conversations. >> president: everyone, if you could still keep the noise down please. we're trying to give instructions and we want everyone to remember this is a hybrid meeting we also have folks youare calling in and online . please let us finish the instructions. madam clerk . >> for those online if you have already connected to the remote color system please pass áthree and the system will indicate you have raised your hand.

please continue to wait until we call for publiccomments remotely and the system indicates you have been an muted and that will be your cue to begin comment . as stated we are joined by interpreters from lando associates agency as we welcome each interpreter i will ask them to introduce themselves and provide their instructions in their language on how to connect to remote systems and how the public can provide their testimony. first we have martydickinson for spanish and can lost in for chinese. will the interpreter provide instructions? >> this is marty dickinson . when rusty us. [speaking spanish]

>>. [speaking spanish] >>. [speaking spanish] >> thank you marty dickinson. >>.

[speaking spanish] >> do we have chan laufer chinese? >> hello president walton and the board of supervisors. i ama cantonese translator .

[speaking cantonese] >> thank you for being here with us today and iappreciate your support . for those in person please come forward. every commentor will have one minute today. >> good morning board members. my name is kurt cornell. i live in supervisor preston's district in the inner sunset and i work in the inner richmond in supervisor chance and the small business owner of small san francisco. i frequent the park every day with my dog and i wanted tomake a couple of comments . although programs though

well-intentioned this morning did not show any results when it comes to mondaythrough friday usage . that's what i thought this discussion was about today so they did not show any difference . and the usage is during the week i feel does not warrant the closure because it really primarily benefits the cyclists you use the roadway while the pedestrians are on the street or on the sidewalks whereit's safer for them and more pleasant for them along the greenery . this is primarily for the cyclists to close the main roadway and during the week when the other attractions need the access itshould stay open . >> sorry to cut you off but we areproviding everybody one more minute . >> my name is mary jean robertson and i live on the corner of lyon and hayes. first of all i want to thank

supervisor walton for doing the equity analysis because it was so important and i really feel bad closing jfk park right now before we get the processes in place to help the elders and the other able people is wrong. thank you for your time. >> you for your comments. may we have the next speaker please. >> speaker: ilive at 1638 18 avenue in district 7 . i recommend keeping everything open, opening all the streets. access from inner sunset hill where i live there's a 2 and a half block that makes biking dangerous. there were 6000 total parking places in golden gate park and mta said the configuration was

3900 parking spaces, that means 2100 cars have been dealt on the neighborhoods and park presidio has reduced lane now to so that's going to affect transportation through the park and that has not been studied. >> thank you for your comments. canwe have the next speaker ? >>. [speaking cantonese]

>>. [speaking cantonese] >> thank you for your comment. >> thank you for your comments, maywe have the interpretation ? >> thank you. >> the interpreter.

>> i forgot to unmute it. i am 85 years old in visitation valley. i would like to keep the golden gate park open for all the car companies because of there's a need for everyone to access the place. i've been in the city for many years and i'm personally love the golden gate park. they have many activities such as the museum and other places ican visit so please , keep it open for all the cars. >> thank you somuch. it may we have the next speaker please ? >> good morning, i'm the director of the museum in san francisco. i'd like to remind everyone

that the closure and weekday opening was compromised in 2007 to serve the constituents. if the change has to be made, the narrative that has been created strongly invites the compromised solution and closure of jfk has had an impact on the final museums. my colleagues will comment on that but it's accessibility and it's financial. this city museum that belongs to the citizens of san francisco is one of the great museums in the country. putting it crassly you own billions ofdollars of works of art and it should be accessible to all . >> thank you for your comments. next speaker. >> my name is carolyn. i've lived in the haight-ashbury from 1967 where

we bought our home and its proximity to the east entrance of the golden gate park the grand and beautiful entrance into our park . we have felt locked out and restricted and crowded around the side streets for too long. i'm here on behalf of friends and relatives, ages 8203 years old. i would like you to expedite these plans so that some of them can see the dahlias again before they die. thank you supervisor for saying what you said about the dahlias are easy because it's very important to the elderly people . also the museum and conservatory have been very difficult to get to. it could mean for me, i could take a bus and a shuttle or i could take two buses and hobble into the museums. thank you verymuch, please open

jfk . >> can we have the next caller please?>> good morning supervisors. i work at the loaner museum and amend i'm here to speak on behalf ofmy colleagues . jfk drive is the only point of access used by our staff and others there's no other road that can access the loading dock . although this gives unimpeded access to our museums the characterization of jfk as car free has and continues to put staff in thepublic. staff also lost . i'm on a nearly basic daily basis city employees and fda affiliates have an subject to harassment. board president walton, supervises chan, melgar and watson your staff has experienced this harassment and

first-hand accounts yourself. you've heard from them directly or indirectly. unfortunately only two of our staff can be here because of the timing of this meeting . i would staff to have moreflex ability as some will be joining my phone . >> thank you, next speaker. >> good morning.i'm the chief of staff at the young museum and i'm here to speak about the economic impact of the closure and whether the board is considering that. we understood the need for closure during the height of the pandemic and during that period we were closed for nine months before we reopened in june 2021 during that period are revenues declined by $20 million . thanks to government relief we weathered. that's not on the horizon looking forward and since reopening at full capacity we're down by 48 percent whereas at the league we were

only down eight percent compared to pre-pandemic. so they the young museum is a regional international destination at golden gate park. we have a key role to play in the city's recovery. the city's invested considerable resources in the safety and access program and we welcome the quality improvements thatthey are proposing . >> thank you for your comments. sorry for cutting you off but we aresetting the timer at one minute . please proceed. >> speaker: my name is sheila presley and i'mclose to jfk road closure . as such i oversee the museums three programs that serve on average 250,000 participants each year. this number includes k-12 school groups, families with young children, people with disabilities and frail elderly

individuals . as a city-owned institution the deyoung is entitled to support from the city leaders to help fulfill its mission. free public parking and ada parking in close proximity to the museum is critical to ensure access for all. the deyoung offers free general admission to people with disabilities. one for us adults have some sort of disability. the 1788 parking spaces that are removed from jfk are within one 10th of a mile to the day young. we've heard a lot of numbers about parking spaces. >> next speaker please. >> my name is betty traynor, i'm senior disabilityaction . we've submitted a letterto the board about our position . we state that there's a substantial improvement needed before jfk and golden gate park

is accessible to seniors and people with disabilities. we've heard from our seniors and our people with disabilities through our various meetings, through survey we did and just to formally talk to them particularly this shuttle has are not accessible.i won't go into the details and the shuttle stops. we did our own survey and 64 percent of the people said closure of jfk has had a negative effect on people's ability to visit the park so we say that the park is not accessible for seniors and people with disabilities to justify closing jfk drive to cars at this time. we asked for some type of compromise, acompromise is possible . one of the people earlier said today it was a spike in use. >> thank you. may we have thenext speaker please . >> speaker: i'm here on behalf of eight wheels and friday

night skate. i want to mention they cannot golden gate park. it's a part. you've got everybody for two years basically using park and suddenly when you have the cars you're looking for casualties to happen because when you look at the beginning of jfk people drive real fast so even now you can see that in the second, racism, come on. we're in 2020. we don't needracism, where humans . we like and enjoy ourselves rather than our budget at the end of the day. we're all stuck looking. we need our freedom there's a lot more rules around san francisco . that's it and i think we should all realizethat . >> thank you for your comments, next speaker please. >>. >> speaker: i'm known as the

godfather of skating. i skated san francisco to la 18 different times. that's putting my foot on the ground andinteracting with people . i spent 43 years in golden gate park. i've never seen him there and you guys are making statements about what it's like and i'm in touch with the people themselves. each and every sunday. i'm not talking about once in while. i'm talking about every sunday . i'm my wife there, raise my kidsthere. let me tell you the people that come out there what they think. they think the closure of jfk drive is the most fantastic experience in san francisco and that's the truth . i know it. i knowit because i'm there. i'minteracting with the people . your taxpayers, your constituents andlet me tell you what the real deal is . closure changes everything .

>> thank you for your comments. the one that it has expired. for members of the public there are no audible expressions of support or opposition. if you could pleaseuse your supported fingers that would be great . >> my name is louis t from new york city and i'm recently been living out here. i can see whether it's in the big city i can understand exactly how i see people who can be able to do that. i understand how it's hard for people who have disabilities but i think sometimes you have to go to the park, see the park, understand before you decide to judge because everything else is talking about being inside thehouse instead of outside. you . >> thank you for your comments, next speaker. >> speaker: my name is stephen, i'm an emergencyphysician .

i geta little emotional about this . i'm a clinical professor and i've been hearing over 70 healthcare professionals to keep jfk car free and i have seen too many injuries on jfk. injuries that are preventable. and since jfk closed i've seen a substantial decrease in their injuries. thank you for your commitment to zero vision zero. that's wonderful but it does not capture the disability that injuries from cars cost. take my 38-year-old restaurant worker patient, broke her arm from an erratic driver on jfk. twomonths off work, you is probably of chronic pain . that is not captured in the statistics. as healthcare workers worked hard duringthe pandemic . i urge you to invest in the health and safety of our city. jfk was a high injury corridor let's make it safe for people

incarcerated . >> thank you for your comments. may we have the next speaker please? >> my name is susan george, i'm a physician. >> if you could speak up a little. >> my name is susan george, i'm a senior. i live in district 9. i do not own a car and i get to the golden gate park by writing my bike or public transportation. i've even walked over there from d9 but i'm just very much in support of this legislation. i too have a physician have seen many people under the radar in terms of injury that don't get recorded by police reports or the trauma center because their injuries have caused disabilitybut not death or traumatic experience .

i hope that you consider that and i appreciate your time. >> may we have the next speake ? >> speaker: this is mary eliza and i'm speaking on behalfof the people who cannot make it here . i have sent anumber of letters and i'm going to add you to i sent in this week . i'm speaking on behalf of the coalition for our neighborhoods and the east mission improvement association. i'm wonderingwhy district 9 was not included in the survey . on behalf of the people of the mission and we would like to see all the streets reopened as soon aspossible . we would like to see the businesses resume where they had been cut off because of the lack of transportation parking in the mission and other corridors. thank you. >> somebody come grab this for

me, thankyou. next speaker please . >>. >> speaker: i am a registered voter and taxpayer and i understand mayorbreed and the supervisors haney , carson and mandelman want to close jfk permanently to cars. i do notsupport that decision . i believe motorists have the right to commute on the paved streets of golden gate parkthat before the pandemic were helpful convenient and beautiful scenic route transportation . board of supervisors chan has a proposal to open one section of jfk drive to motorists but her proposal allowsonly for one way car traffic on one side of the road and two-way bike traffic on the other side . before the pandemic cars and bikes have remained on both directions on jfk drive and i do not support the proposal.

i do not appreciate the extra pollution and traffic congestion caused by the slowed streets so please hear my voice. >> speaker: i'm also a taxpayer and voter in san francisco and a student at berkeley. i want to restate that car free jfk is the compromise position. it gives us a sliver of golden gate park for safe and sustainable travel and recreation. the city has ambitious pedestrian safety air pollution and carbon emission goals and this supports each of these. the remainder of golden gate park is open to cars including 3900 parking spots which are completely different. please removethis street from san francisco's high injury network . >> may we have the next speaker please? >> happy belated birthday.

my name is greg bar and i volunteer in golden gate park every day. car free jfk should be a no-brainer for the board of supervisors if you abide by the existing city policy. we are a transit first city. the board has declared an emergency on climate change and pedestrian deaths. the golden gate park master plan states reduce the impact of motor vehicles on the park experience. it is my feeling if you bring cars back to jfk you will have to shoulder the responsibility for injured or killed people in golden gate park. thank you. >> good morning, zach clifton. i'm a san francisco native in district 66 in support of the access plan for 100 percent car free. it's beyond productive to

protect accessibility and equity are just about allowing cars on one mile. rather staff has programmatic solutions to invite new communities to the park. it is inequitable for the city to allocate 100 percent of its streets to cars even though a third of households and in the city. for anyone needs to drive to the park 91 percent of the roadways of thepark , 16 vehicle entry points, 80 percent of the parking, more ada spaces than ever before and the shuttles are all there. we've been talking about and studyingthis for far too long and i hope you don't want to continue it so you frankly never wantto hear from meabout jfk drive again . it's time to live up to our values . vision zero, transit first and our climate goals without further delay . >> thank you for your comments. my name is maury davis, i live in the mission.

wherein climate emergency and we need to act like it . the panels recently said we have three years to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions what are we doing ? we're swallowing over one road and the park when we need to do everything we can to coax people out of their cars whenever and wherever we can. that's only going to happen if people feel safe doing so and that's only going to happen if we create a citywide network of low and no car streets to separate bike use . we are depending on you supervisors in this critical moment in human history to be bold and brave and creative an have some perspective . we are talking about whether or not our earth remains habitable. thereis nothing more important . >> thank you for your comments, next speaker. >> my name is michael, i'm a resident ofdistrict 5 across the street from the park . i'm pretty lucky to use jfk

drive every day. obviously i'm here in support of the mayor's proposal to keep the current configuration. i've spent countless hours the last few months volunteering on jfk drive to promote outreach and gather signatures. in doing so i've met people from all walks of life. i've met families who can't believe this would ever go away. a lot of people didn't know it could go away. people with disabilities who are grateful for the space to breathe. and that people with disabilities would blame me personally for taking away their parking spots. none of these communities are model but i urge you to listen tothe professional work of city staff that are appearing the proposal and vote on this so as someone said youdon't have to hear from us on this ever again . >> next speaker, thank you for yourcomment . >> good morning.

i am don wilkes for and i live in district 3. many of my friends are over 65 . i think everyone for their support. we have over 1000 miles of streets in the city and were only asking to keep this one car free that's less than 1/10 of one percent . we can do that. for anyone who's opposed to this, go and see what it's like. it is joy on that street. there are people

. >>. [speaking cantonese]

>>. >> speaker: my name is leo. hi. is that okay? can you wait for me? [speaking chinese] i just asked the next person to wait let me finish the translation and then he or she can continue. earlier my name is lee so. i'm 17 years old and i need to access the golden gate park so please don't close it. your mobility isvery difficult

for me to get to the park . so keep the park open. keep theroad open . >>. [speaking chinese] >> thank you. >> speaker: hi everyone. i like to request to keep the road open because i need to go to work and thank you.

>> speaker: hi. [speaking cantonese] >> i also am against the close of the road because it's hard for me to get there without having the roadopen . >> take you for your comments, thank you to the interpreter. >> speaker: [speaking cantonese]

>> i also again to have the road closed because it makes it very difficult for me to visit a park as well as having the right children to go with me. >> speaker: [speaking cantonese] >> i'm 83 years old.

again i'm also against to have the road closed because it makes it difficult for me to visit aswell as having my children to go with me . >> speaker: [speaking cantonese] >> i also want to have the road open because we also sometimes go there having a party. to have the road closed his every very inconvenient.

>> speaker: [speaking chinese]

>> my name is percy lee, i live in visitation valley and i again the proposal to close the road because it makes it very inconvenient for us to visit there without a car getting to the park. also we also have visitors from out of state so when we go there we need to use the road and drive there. thank you. >> thank you for your comments andthank you to the interpreter . >>. >> speaker: [speaking chinese]

>> may we havethe interpretation please ? >> i believe that closing the road in golden gate park is not fair for the outer person and handicapped person.we need to access the road so that we can go to work and also to close the road is a betrayal especially elderly and

handicapped people.that means we would no longer be able to get to the park and have funding in the park. >> thank you. >>.

>> my surname is tam. i live in visitation valley i'm currently 89 years old . there was a time i walked to golden gate park and also enjoy in the park with friends. closing the road would be very inconvenient for us so i beg you the board of supervisors, president walton please reconsider because that is the place where we really enjoy. closing it makes it hard for us to get there.

>> i am a resident of d4 and i'm here in support of mayor breeds proposal fora car free jfk promenade . i've been car free for 15 years and am a seasoned bike commuter but myhusband has only recently learned how to bite and it was all because of safe open and car free spaces like jfk promenade . he grow up in the sunset and is now seeing his city and in an entirely new and exciting light and jfk has been a lifeline of the city for 99 percent of our commutes. we also drive to the pike park fromtime to time with my 75-year-old mother-in-law who has mobility issues due to a stroke and has never had an issue finding parking 88 or otherwise . in themiddle of the climate crisis and a safe streets crisis that presents

pedestrians and cycling debts are steadily on the rise , 70 percentof all munitions are from personalvehicles and that's unacceptable . san francisco can lead the nation inclimate action but only if we allow it . i can't wait for a permanent space .>> thank you for your comments. i apologize for cutting you off buteverybody is receiving one minute today . >> speaker: i'm a resident of d4 and i'm terribly nervous. all the full spoken way more eloquentlythan i ever could . i want to give a shout to the board of supervisors. prior to the pandemic i was in my own personal lockdown as i was suffering from a rather serious injury and i couldn't walk for months and when i finally could again it was shameful but strangely i could cycle before i went into our lockdown. i was emboldened. we had our great highways and car free jfk and i could get to

myhouse in the car with errands on my bike . also i helped collect signatures for walk sf and the joy you experienced out there might have been dated and selfish i'm getting joy from seeing other people's joint . families from here and elsewhere, visitors from all over are having a great time out there. they're feeling safe and confident as and i can walkagain . i think that's it cause i'm flushed because of nerves. please pass london breeds legislation, thank you. >> may we havethe next speaker ? >> speaker: i'm kyle peacock and i live on the corner of overdose and van hill. i'd like you all to see a tap to since the pandemic that

represents the hope and joy that car free jfk has brought me. it's hope because as a millennial i spent my life wanting to take action on climatechange and we haven't seen much of that in my entire life . this small bid means abetter world is possible to me . my joy at seeingthe people walking, biking, learning to cycle, rollerskate , just enjoy thepark . safe fromtraffic, free from violence . let's get it done today. thank you. >> next speaker please. >> speaker: hi everyone, my name is gentryhiggins . i live in the haight and i'm here to ask you to voteyes on

mayor breeds legislation for a car free jfk . the northumberland should be free andaccessible . access to cars does not solve our problems. we have an opportunity here to build a better san francisco and making this car free my life half is a step we can take. we don't need to go back andgo forward. we can walk into government the same time . our free jfk is a sustainable piece of respite and it'sworth making better from where we stand now and i appreciate your service to the city . >> thank you foryour comments. next speaker . >> good morning supervisors. i think i've met most of you today. i'm executive director of san francisco bicycle coalition and i was prepared to do this lovely public comment and the only thing i'm going to start with is our membership are in full support of the mayors for

the k car free and keep them from golden gate park but i want to address supervisor chance question. who is this for?candidly every day i put my leg over my bike and rolloff. it's my life and is about all our members lives every time you ride a bike. this is not about recreation which i love all the joy and our organization is all about that but the reality is every single day is about our lives and protecting it and keeping it safe so thank you. >> thank you for your comments, speakerplease . >> speaker: i live in the castro and simply put car free jfk is a magical place. the joint is palpable as you walk, bike or settle down the car free street. friends catch up, to explore andeveryone enjoys the world

that is only possible when we make our parks carfree. part three jfk is a final part of working towards vision zero . the city continues to prioritize cars the 2024 vision zero deadline is approaching and car free jfk is a part of our network of safe streets . >>.[please stand by]

>> so, my name is cito. i live in district 3. i against the closure of j.f.k. because it's not fair to the outer people and also not fair to the handicap people. -- elder people. so we elder people and handicap people need to be -- so we can have good access to the golden gate park. thank you. >> thank you to the speaker and interpreter. next speaker. >> hello, supervisors. my name is lope.

i'm here today to deliver paper copies of the over 5,000 letters of the members of the community opposed to the closure of j.f.k. drive, including people with disabilities, seniors, families, those who live far away from the park and many others. i'm here to highlight the groups that have opposed -- [interjections] -- do i have more time? >> church women united s.f., coalition for san francisco neighborhoods, concerned residents of the sunset, district 11 council. district 11 democratic club. east mission improvement association. excelsior action group. golden gate heights neighborhood association. great panthers of san francisco. latin american advancement. >> thank you for your comments.

>> my name is steve summers and i live in district 1, supervisor chan's area. very much support her efforts for a compromise. i'm a professional photographer and i only use my automobile for getting around the city and the park. it's the only practical transportation that i have. i'm not interested in using disneyland-like shuttles taking me around the park which is impractical for my life and work. i feel that the park should be open to automobiles as well as bicycles and people. it's set up that way, it's a very practical. and it should be maintained that way. i don't find that the numbers of parking spaces that the city is giving of 3900 is practical as

it's the number of parking spaces that are available within walking distance, not the total number of parking spaces. be practical. make it function and make it work. >> thank you for your comments. >> next. >> hello, my name is heather. thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. i live in district 1. i'm here to voice my support for mayor breed and car-free j.f.k. we're asking for a small 1.5 mile stretch of road. i've had the opportunity to meet with many in the communities, volunteering to collect post cards for walk s.f. i want to let you know how important it is to have a space to not worry about cars. as a cyclist that has been hit by a car, it is horrifying. and just to have one moment

where you don't have to worry about a car coming up behind you and not paying attention. and then also just to see the families and other people out there utilizing the space in whatever way they want. it's just good for my physical and mental health just to be part of that. thank you very much. >> thank you for your comments. >> thank you. good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for letting us speak at this meeting. my name is nicky. i'm a native san franciscan and lived in district 11 since eisenhower was president. an injury to one is an injury to all where i live a life where quality of life issues to working class members matter. i'm a member of the san francisco wage coalition. i'm a member of the latin american advancement, church

women united and the district 11 democratic club. we have all submitted letters of support for supervisor chan's proposal. we strongly urge you to pass that as soon as possible. this is a quality of life issue and we really am very extremely pleased that supervisor chan and supervisor walton have recognized this as a class equity and class issue. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. >> hello, my name is nancy arbuckle. i'm a senior. i live in supervisor stefani's district. i do not have a car. i'm a full-time pedestrian and muni rider. i totally support a car-free j.f.k. drive. please vote yes today. i go to golden gate park a lot, including the de young museum, the conservatory and the dahlia

garden. i love being out there without the fear of being hit by a car. it's truly a relief to be safe. it feels great to share the j.f.k. car-free experience with everyone out there, skaters, cyclists, babies in strollers, dogs. i want to express what a unifying car-free j.f.k. is. please don't take car-free j.f.k. away from us. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> my name is carol. i'm 81 years old. i can no longer walk or drive. but i get around san francisco very well on my mobility scooter. and so i treasure car-free j.f.k. because it's one place in

san francisco that i don't fear being hit by a car. but i want to tell you just a little story. it's not just that. it's the noise of the cars. now that the noise is gone, i can hear the tiny birds and they led me up a hill where i found a bench dedicated to jean. and he said in his obituary, she worked against a freeway going through golden gate park and she liked to work behind the scenes. so how wonderful that bench hidden on an unnamed hill with this -- >> thank you for your comments. apologies for having to cut you off. we're setting the timer for one minute. next speaker, please.

>> hello, supervisors. my name is echo. years ago on 14th street in the mission i was hit by a car commuting to work via bicycle and woke up in a hospital paralyzed. my recovery took two years but thankfully i'm here to talk to you today. golden gate park has been a sanctuary for safety for myself and more. like mayor breed, i strongly support a permanent car-free j.f.k. drive and implore you to do the same today. on a personal level i've been out at golden gate park with the walk s.f. team meeting thousands of citizens in support of a car-free j.f.k. walkers, cyclers, and those who learned to skate there safely. the planet and our city deserve

a car-free j.f.k. please make this happen. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is lynn and i living in the haight and i'm a car owner. when our only options were to stay at home or take a walk, j.f.k. was critical to our health. fought against expansion of the freeway and the supervisors that supported them, instead of trees and playgrounds, it could have been a polluting overpass. the fight back then was to keep freeways from destroying our city. the fight now is to take the street back from cars and give it back to people. i want to know i chose the side of a health, safety and greener environment. my question to the supervisors is this. which side do you want to be on? thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, i live in the outer sunset with my husband, five-year-old son and

74-year-old mother. we're on the car-free portion of j.f.k. almost every day and i urge to you vote yes on the mayor's ordinance. it's the one place i feel safe cycling with my mom and son. and it's the one place in my commute where i don't have to worry about getting home to my son. i know i'll be safe. that safe passage through the park allowed my family to eliminate all car trips and we sold our car last fall. i urge you to vote yes on the ordinance so that others who are able have a choice to go car-free and have a safe alternate to cars. >> hi, my name is john. i'm opposed to closing j.f.k. to cars because i'm retired recently and i recently had two knee replacements. i cannot walk far distances and

need to park close when i go to the park. this proposal is selfish on behalf of the bicycle coalition because they do not care with senior citizens or handicapped as evidenced by the seniors that have presented. the park needs to be easily accessible to everyone. not just the young and the healthy. not just people who like riding bicycles. but in particular like the conservatory of flowers and that area there, i really miss not being able to get there while i had my handicap. i can now walk and i'm recovering, but i do miss that during the lockdown. this bill is an effort to extend the pandemic policies for political reasons without regard to the elderly or handicapped. >> thank you for your comment. next speaker, please. >> hi. my name is cindy. and i'm here to request that you

reject permanently the closing of j.f.k. drive. and restore it back to how it was prior to the lockdown. people have gone back to work. the kids are back to school. so during the week it's not necessary to not have that road closed. i can see on the weekends which is fine, families can go there and everything like that, but i go to the park frequently and majority of the people that i see have cars. and in the past i was able to access a conservatory of flowers and the dahlia garden and i haven't been able to for the last two years because it's too far to walk over there. and if i parked on fulton i wouldn't feel safe walking from fulton in the park by myself.

>> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> linda chapman. opposes closing the road in the part of the park where it will be difficult or impossible for a huge swath of the population to be able to enjoy the concentration of special gardens and institutions that are all right there in the east end of the park. i'm car-free and a lifetime muni rider. except now i can't walk all the way to those muni stops, so i have to take taxis. you know, shuttles are going to be no help at all for people who have limited -- can walk limited distances because of pain or impairment. the whole west part of the park could satisfy the needs for the people who want car-free areas. that's the wild part of the park. it's where you were supposed to be able to recreate in a natural setting and it would not stop

people from getting to the institutions and the special places in the east end of the park. you know, um you don't -- [bell ringing]. >> thank you, ms. chapman for your comments. may have we have the next speaker, please. >> hi. echoing a previous speaker. car-free j.f.k. is the most fantastic thing that happened to san francisco. i'm in support. i'm a working mom in inner sunset. i bring my daughter to preschool every day on car-free j.f.k. we have a cute walking pool with another family that we treasure. the park isn't just about going to a destination. we interact with one another. more than than anywhere else. not having cars on the road isn't just about the road, but how it positively transforms all

the green space nearby. in the fall and soon again with the longer days we have a picnic on fridays and sit and play with other families in front of the conservatory of flowers. there are valid concerns. i love mclaren and i'm excited about the continuing investments. i'm 100% on board for more green spaces -- >> thank you for your comment. next speaker, please. >> hello. my name is katie werner and i'm a longtime resident of san francisco and i live out at the beach. i have a sister who is immuno-compromised, she doesn't have a handicap placard or wheelchair, but it's very difficult for her to walk for long distances. she used to love to go to the museum, the conservatory, the

arboretum. but she can't go. when i drive, it park on fulton street, but it's difficult walking from fulton street in and it's sometimes dangerous. i would like you to consider the compromise of going back to the pre-pandemic and also to look at supervisor chan's compromise. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, i'm kathy jarvis. i'm in the over 65 group. the people in the gallery saying look at all these provisions, you can park in the blue zone. i don't qualify fort blue zone, i'm happy to report that, but i have episodic issues that make it hard to walk even part of a block. how do i take the bus? i would like to advocate to return to pre-pandemic. this was supposed to be a temporary closure. i'm not sure if areas in the other end of the park consider full closure and recreating.

why is it in the concentrated area as the prior lady described with the sfwleems and all of the lovely gardens. thank you. >> i was born and raised in san francisco. i learned how to ride a bike on car-free j.f.k. if i didn't have that car-free space, i don't know where or how i would have been able to learn how to ride a bike. as a kid, i never would have thought that biking would be such a big part of my life. now it's how i get everywhere in the city and how i spend time with family and friends. and this was made possible because of that car-free space as a kid. when i go to car-free j.f.k. and see kids learning how to bike like i did years ago, i'm full of joy and gratitude. i ask you to vote yes to keep j.f.k. car-free.

it changed my life and will change the lives of so many others if allowed to stay. >> i'm the medical director of the pediatric emergency department at van ness. this is my e.r. dog. i received cases and i can tell you that the number of pediatric auto versus pedestrian cases are much greater. we have auto versus peds. and this is a safe space for people to use. if you have an area where children can play safely, they lose weight. overall health of the community goes up. there is research and data to support all of this. i know there are challenges about mobility and elderly and i'm sure we can meet the challenges. but the overall health issue and the benefits are clear to me. thank you. >> thank you for your comments.

next speaker, please. >> my name is frank. i live in district 7. i'm here to speak for the golden gate heights neighborhood association, 584 members. we support reopening the park to cars. i worked on the board of supervisors when milk was assassinated. for my generation, it feels like this is sort of a mini war against the elderly and the disabled. sure, there is some older folks who support reopening. there are many young who also support reopening. but most of our members are 65 or disabled. at least half of them. if you need to ban people with cars on a street, close nose drive west.

i support supervisor chan's compromise. it would make sense. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hello. >> [speaking chinese] >> speak into the mic. >> [speaking chinese]

>> interpreter: so my name is -- and i live in chinatown. and closing the doors make it difficult for me to access the golden gate park. thank you. -- closing the road. >> [speaking chinese] >> interpreter: so, my name is yi. i live in district 3 and i would like to have the road open so easy for us to visit and also for other people from different states come to visit the park. thank you. >> >> [speaking chinese]

>> interpreter: my name is ho. i'm 72 years old. i live in chinatown. i have issue with mobility so if closing road will make it very inconvenient and difficult for me to get to the park. i like to use the park as a place that i can take a walk. >> [speaking chinese]

>> interpreter: so my name is wan, i'm 78 years old, i live in chinatown, i also against the proposal to close the j.f.k. road because it make very difficult for me as well as my peer, the people about my age, to meet at the golden gate park. thank you. >> [speaking chinese]

>> interpreter: so i live in chinatown and i also against the closure of the j.f.k. road because it make it very difficult for me to get together with my friends. >> [speaking chinese]

>> interpreter: so i'm living in chinatown. i'm 82 years old. i'm also against permanently close the j.f.k. road. i would like to resume back to the pre-pandemic that during the weekday open and saturday and sunday closed road. i hope that the board of supervisors will listen to my voice and take action for that. >> [speaking chinese]

>> interpreter: so, my name is yen. i'm 71 years old. i'm also against the closure of j.f.k. road because this make it very unfair to the handicapped and also the elder people who has mobility issues. golden gate park is for everyone, so please keep it open.

>> thank you so much for your comments and thank you to the interpreter. >> thank you. >> hi, i live in forest knowles in district 7. i'm here in support of the plan for the promenade. when i drive to the music concourse, i never have a problem finding street parking or parking in the garage. i enjoy going to j.f.k. multiple times a week and it's been great for my physical and mental health in the past two years. i want to live in a san francisco where we maintain a safe healthy and thriving community without traffic and pollution. especially during this ongoing climate emergency. i urge the board to support car-free j.f.k. >> thank you for your comments. >> hello, i live in district 1

and i would like to sing a song based on the dwindling san franciscans and the 50% who rent their homes and do not own a car. ♪ keep it car-free for the kids can play ♪ ♪ car-free to scoot and skate and ride ♪ ♪ car-free so we can all have a place to safely move outside ♪ car free for 100 years car free for 100 more. for you and me, them and they, so everyone can get from a to b. from j.f.k. to the great highway keep it car-free. from j.f.k. to the great highway keep it car-free thank you.

>> thank you so much for the song. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon. my name is daniel. that's a really tough act to follow. i am a resident of district 5. i was also a resident of district 1 for nearly 10 years and i've also been a resident of district 3. so i've lived in san francisco for quite some time. i am a pedestrian, a bicyclist, public transit users and a car driver. and i support mayor breed's proposal because i don't want to die on the road. i'll say it again. i don't want to die. and that's why i support it. and the board of supervisors has an opportunity to prevent that from happening to other people

today. and this is your chance to stop somebody from being mutilated or dying on j.f.k. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi. my name is -- and i live in district 3. and i'm a transportation safety -- so i'm a strong support of j.f.k. based on my own transportation so we are seeing that the vulnerable increase, the bicycle went up like everything in j.f.k. drive recently and the report sow sees that increase 70% in the pedestrian. so it's always a trade-off in

the board of supervisors. but we need to follow safety and sustainability or not. here's the question i'm aiming that making -- j.f.k. drive car-free is just a goal to stay sustainable and see safe streets. hi my name is ruth malone, a senior who is almost 72 who rides an ebike along with my 75-year-old husband who has had two knee replacement. i could never have imagined i would be doing this and too many seniors don't realize ebikes could change their lives. i've read the ipcc policy maker summary and i don't want to compromise our kids' future.

we need the vision to do everything possible to get people out of their cars now. please lead and vote for mayor breed's ordinance for a permanent car-free j.f.k. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon. my name is danny. i'm a district 3 resident. our city has been here before and like in times past it will be up to you as supervisors to make a final decision. 1966, proposal to build two new freeways, defeated 6-5 by the board of supervisors. 1990, a proposal to demolish the embarcadero freeway passed 6-5 by vote of the supervisors. those supervisors 56 years ago and again 32 years ago made decisions that left incredible legacies. can you imagine our city with the embarcadero still covered in concrete or with more freeways? each of those was decided by just one vote. which of you today will be that

vote to have the courage to leave your own legacy? i ask you to support 100% car-free j.f.k. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> my name is ann harvey. my husband and i have lived in san francisco for over 50 years. our two sons were born and raised here. we never moved out of the city. we stayed here. it's a wonderful place. i'm upset this is even being considered. it's so exclusionary. multi-generational families and families with kids, we couldn't have lived here and go to golden gate park with their mother and experience the sciences. it's such a wonderful thing. it's not just a freeway for bikes. i'm sorry. i could not believe what the bikes were doing. no one stopped at stop signs. i was afraid of the bikes frankly. keep it open to cars. i think they should regulate the

bikes. they don't stop at stop signs. it doesn't apply to them, i don't think. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hello. my name is justin. i'm a san francisco resident. today i ask that you please support the proposal to make the current car-free space on j.f.k. drive in golden gate park permanent. car-free j.f.k. has provided a beautiful environment for people of all walks of life to enjoy. if you care about addressing issues like climate goals, improved health, kids, better quality of life, tranquility and prosperity, you should support car-free j.f.k. as it delivers on those metrics. for all of these reasons, i ask that you make history today and vote to approve the permanency of car-free j.f.k. promenade. >> first, i'd like to thank the

mayor for introducing compromised legislation that only affects a small part of golden gate park and also has allowed cars on nancy pelosi drive and conservatory drive east and west. the mayor's proposal is the appropriate compromise. i'd like to thank the supervisors for pushing the issues of equity and access and for the sfmta and rec and park for -- issues and presenting the information to you. they have found that the park is now more accessible and that equity issues have also been addressed. that's why i ask you to move forward with keeping j.f.k. drive permanently a recreation space that is safe. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is -- i work for walk s.f. i live in richmond.

i go on j.f.k. every weekend. and then look for permanent car-free at golden gate park. thank you. >> thank you so much for your comments. next speaker, please. >> big day. my name is marta. i'm a mom. and a golden gate park super fan and a car-free j.f.k. super-duper fan. and over the past six months i spent dozens of hours on car-free j.f.k. talking about this space. here are the three things i hear the most. number one, wait, this could go away? number two, this is the best thing to ever happen to our city. and the third, which i think is so important for the discussion, i didn't used to come to golden gate park but now i do because i love this space, there is nothing like it. car-free j.f.k. is bringing people to the park, a lot of

people. there are teens on dates, teens on skate boards, just hanging out. there are toddlers on field trips, on scooters, toddlers justed toling. there are more tourists there every day and so many cute dogs. 300,000 plus people are voting for car-free j.f.k. with their feet and wheels. this is just going to be keep growing in popularity as people learn about it and try it. >> thank you for your comments. apologies for cutting you off, but we're setting the timer for one minute. >> my name is simmer. i live in the mission. i agree with closing j.f.k. for cars. it seems like the opposition is against access for other neighborhoods and people feel compelled to own a car to get there in the first place. that's a big issue. we need to improve transit and bike corridors in the city. people need to feel they don't need to own a car to go to

public spaces. so opening j.f.k. will not -- issue, you know, more transit will, safer bike corridors will and closing j.f.k. seems like the beginning of the change to make it feel like you don't need to own a car in the city. >> good afternoon, board of supervisors. my name is ron. i live north of the pan handle, so relatively close to golden gate park. it takes me 10 minutes to bike there. i enjoy the park now more has j.f.k. has been made car-free. it means we walk on the weekdays. in addition to recreation, which i think is the purpose for at park, it also just gives us -- my fiance and i a much safer way to access destinations in the richmond and sunset. one of the things about moving

-- i was previously in lauren up hill, is how central you are and how close everything to the city is. i was surprised i could get to cinderella. because anything on the west side is 30 minutes away if you're used to living on the tenderloin. i can bike there now. it's safe to do it. not just on the weekends, but all day and every day and people have to transport themselves -- >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> my name is -- and i've been a resident of san francisco for the last 123 years. i live in districts 6, 9, 10 and 11. i thought walking was weird, bikers were crazy and no way you'd see me on a bike. but because of the opportunities, i love to bike, i love to walk and take transit around the city. i feel like golden gate park offers an opportunity for other people to get the same experience. i was with a mentor, he's a

black male and he says he can't wait to go out to the golden gate park and do roller skating. it's on his bucket list. i think we should open up j.f.k. and keep it open for everyone. >> hi, supervisors. my name is robin pam and i'm a mom raising my two-year-old and five-year-old. i'm a volunteer organizer with kid safe. we started a year ago to represent families who want to live in a city where kids can bike and walk to school or the park safely. when routes are safe for kids, they're safe for everyone. 6,000 people have signed our people to keep j.f.k. car free. we have a simple belief. that kids should be safe when running, playing and scooting around golden gate park and all over the city. this issue is incredibly simple. either we keep the park safe for

kids or let museum lobbyists tell us how the park should be used. if we do that, we'll have one of the most dangerous streets where our kids now play. i'm asking to you keep my kids and all of our kids safe in the park. lastly, i want to note that i had to take hours out of my day to be here. most parent are not -- >> sorry for cutting you off, but we're setting the timer for one minute. >> hi, my name is susan. i've lived in san francisco since 1975 and my dream has been a car-free golden gate park. the whole park with shuttles, of course. and when the pandemic came i renewed my membership to the de young museum and the combination has been fantastic. and riding the bike in there, walking in that area, going into the museum. but then i come to the

underpass. it's no longer car-free. and therefore, it's not carefree. it's very scared riding down j.f.k. bumper to bumper cars. a parking lot. please keep this small portion of j.f.k. safe, car-free. so we can play. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> how you doing, folks? i'm dave alexander. i'm the cofounder of richmond family. i want to thank the president and chair mandelman. i'll keep it brief. i'm definitely in support of mayor breed's ordinance. please no continuance. i also have in-laws who are supervisor melgar's district. they have two ada placard and they cross into the richmond all the time. they love golden gate park because it's safe for their grandkids. lastly, car-free j.f.k. drive provides meaningful space for

all and without the threat of dangerous traffic. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> hello, my name is jacob. i'm a random person. i live in meira loma. i believe that to wander and explore and learn from the natural resources and open spaces available to us is not just a privilege, but a fundamental human right that is often inadvertently denied to us in urban spaces. i think that by closing j.f.k. to traffic, we've created something beautiful that is worth keeping. so please support car-free j.f.k. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hello. i'm lane. i'm also random person. i don't know what district that is.

i guess i am fine biking around cars because i really enjoy the excitement of almost dying all the time and i actually find it like a roller-coaster, but i notice a lot of families enjoy using the space differently and i think they should continue to do that. i also want to note that like i can afford a car and i can afford gas and it's not going to hurt me if there is more parking spaces. it just doesn't seem like the city should be prioritizing car owners like me. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is susie. i live in the richmond district. i'm in support of voting yes on the mayor's proposal. i want to keep j.f.k. car-free and kid safe for kids and people in s.f. i'm a diabetic mom of two kids. car-free j.f.k. allows me to bike to work as a safe form of

transportation all throughout my recent pregnancy. it's a safe place for my family to walk and bike and play without worrying about cars. my two and a half said it well yesterday. when he said, i watch out because cars can hurt me. i'm a schoolteacher and in the past we have analyzed the pollution across the city. we met many of you and interviewed you. you have the opportunity today to not only keep the park a safe place for people, but also to begin and to continue to address these concerns via extended bus routes and free shuttles to the park. please -- >> thank you. thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> i'm lia. a resident of san francisco for over 25 years.

i work in golden gate park and a board member of the a of san francisco and i live in the presidio. i spend most of my life in the park. although i personally benefitted from car-free, my daughters learned to ride there, i know the constituents we represent of the arc are not able to access it. car-free j.f.k. was not designed with equity at the center. what i would support is continuing discussion around compromise and do the hard work of creating a system and program that benefits all of us. open the park and then let's have that discussion with everyone at the table. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> you're almost to lunch. i'll go quickly. chair mandelman, president walton, supervisors, staff, thank you for the this time and hearing all of us. my name is ike. i'm the chief operating officer of the california academy of scientists. as members of the community for

over a century, we have served the bay area and we wanted to highlight the importance of accessibility and equity. we want safe fair access to golden gate park for all which we believe can be achieved through a comprehensive and unbiased data-driven approach with compromise at its core. we continue to monitor how the closure of j.f.k. has impacted museum visitation. we can say difficulties is by far the most frequent complaint. one of the most important pieces missing is who is not coming to the park? what part of the community are we not serving and why? and how can we expand the accessibility to the park and institutions? thank you for your time. >> thank you for your comment. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, president walton and supervisors. i'm rachel, the campaign coordinator for the bicycle coalition and resident of d1

outer richmond. we support the mayor's legislation to support car-free j.f.k. as we've seen it in the past two years. we believe that a truly car-free j.f.k. drive needs to remain free of all cut-through traffic to achieve its goals. for the past six months, we've been spending our weekends on j.f.k. drive talking to the public about what is going on. we reached our goal of 10,000 post cards. that's 10,000 individuals who love car-free j.f.k. and want it to stay forever. the san francisco bicycle coalition urges all supervisors to vote in favor of the mayor's legislation. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. it appears that is our last public commenter for here in person. so we'll now be turning to the online queue, or the remote queue. for those who have been joining

us remotely, if you have called on earlier and you have not already done so, please press star 3 to wait and -- wait until the system indicates you've been unmuted and that will be your cue to begin your comments. today, we currently have 90 individuals listening with 62 in the queue. 61 in the queue. if you could please put the first caller forward? >> please reject the mayor's proposal and reopen j.f.k. so everyone can drive, park and use all areas of golden gate park as we were able to do before the closure. supervisor chan brought up important points about the inequity and unreliability of the surveys and data collection. vision zero is not supported by banning vehicles from one street so they idle in gridlock on the

next streak. my frail parents unable to walk distances or pay parking, may never return to the park if they can't drive and park for free close to the exhibits. and the painful reminders of suffering the pandemic, opening up j.f.k. and the great highway and other closed streets and let san francisco be again the city that welcomes everyone. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. hello, caller? perhaps that line is unattended and we can circle back. hello, caller? >> caller: hello, my name is fred. i have lived in san francisco

almost my entire life, 77 years and i've enjoyed having access to golden gate park since i was a young child. please keep j.f.k. drive open for everybody. it is very unfair to many of us to have it closed to cars. i live in the richmond district and i often have errands to run on the western side of the sunset. the most direct route has always included driving down j.f.k. drive and it's been a pleasurable experience to see that part of the park. but now with the closure, i haven't even seen that part of golden gate park for the better part of two years. please do not give in to a small group of selfish people who want to keep j.f.k. drive for themselves and exclude everybody else. please reopen j.f.k. drive. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next caller, please. >> hello. we need a ballot initiative on

this issue or a return to pandemic policy. close middle drive to cars, not j.f.k. that's where all the attractions are, where everyone should have access, including seniors and disabled. it is disequitable and cruel to close j.f.k. i'm a disabled senior. i need a private car to get to the park. i cannot use the shuttle. even if i could, i would have to get in and out of a vehicle six times to get to one attraction. that's too dangerous and exhausting. furthermore, all the surveys have been extremely small and skewed. one flawed survey about the great highway, results were ethically manipulated by collusion between the bike coalition and three city agencies. do not close j.f.k. close middle drive instead. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. may we have the next caller,

please? >> caller: -- let's go to the next -- next line. >> caller: my name is justin. and my family lives in district 9. we strongly support a permanent car-free j.f.k. drive. we visit that part of the park often several times a week for recreation and it's fantastic to have a large flat space for my child to practice biking and skateboarding. we invested de young and the academy by bike. i strongly support to provide for those who need to drive and fix the mismanagement of the

garage. as we know and something i didn't hear mentioned in supervisor chan's proposal, is that 75% of the car traffic on j.f.k. was cut-through and people not visiting the park. i also didn't hear supervisor chan talk about climate change. if we believe in climate change and believe we need to do something about it, we have to stop prioritizing car traffic. please vote yes on keeping j.f.k. drive open for recreation. >> thank you for your comments. next caller, please. >> caller: hello. my name is rick. i live in district 9. i'm a 67-year-old retired public high school teacher. and have lived in multiple parts of san francisco for the past 45 years. i'm a member of family for safe streets, walk s.f. as well as the bike coalition. and somebody who cares greatly about safety for pedestrians and

cyclists as i was run over while commuting 14 years ago and today live with chronic pain and still need surgeries as a consequence of that accident. car-free j.f.k. is a blessing. even though it's a tiny, tiny portion of the paved streets in golden gate park. any day of the week i see people of every color, gender and age walking, roller blading, dancing, pushing strollers and walkers. just this morning i cycled through with my wife after dodging cars to get to the park. this was the one place that i felt safe. i cannot walk more than a few blocks due to pain, so cycling is my main way to get around. you can call me disabled, whatever. i'm old and disabled, but i love car-free j.f.k. >> thank you for your comments. before we go -- resume the remote call-in, we have two

individuals in person who would like to come forward and please start your comments. >> hi, i'm sf resident and i use my bike to get around primarily. i've been biking in the city for several years been hit by cars multiple times. and i really appreciate the car-free j.f.k. space as a safe space for recreation and transportation. and i hope you all vote to keep it permanent so we can continue to make this city a safer place to bike, get around and also just reduce our carbon emissions and move towards a safer city for pedestrians and cyclists. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi. i'm adam. d5 resident and i'm begging you to adopt the compromise that is the mayor's plan. j.f.k. promenade made me fall in love with the city again. it helped me stay connected with

my friends and elderly relatives who finally feel safe on this route now that there aren't cars putting us at risk. where can five or more people walk or roll side by side with enough room so others can pass safely? the only thing more contagious than the omicron variant, is the joy that radiates from car-free j.f.k. it's beautiful and it will be devastating to not longer have it available. ignore thomas campbell's lies and adopt a car-free j.f.k. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is a elizabeth. i've lived in san francisco since 1994 and i strongly urge to you support a permanent car-free j.f.k. i've gone to golden gate park almost every day during the pandemic. having a car-free space continues to be essential to maintaining my physical and

mental health. i live and work in the 350-square foot studio in the mission and i often spend 20 hours a day in this small space. for those of us without private yards, this is one of the the few outdoor spaces that we can exercise without noise and pollution. in 2013, i was hit by a stretch limo that ran a stop sign. when i get to j.f.k. drive, i can feel my shoulders relax because i can walk or ride my bike without worrying about getting hit by cars. as you heard, staff has done an amazing job of crafting measures to ensure that all san franciscans can enjoy this city treasure. please keep j.f.k. drive car free. thank you. >> thank you for your comments. next speaker, please. >> hi, my name is martin. i'm a tenant in district 5. i've been following this proposal since the beginning and

i'm sure many of you have heard my talking points in favor of car-free j.f.k. j.f.k. promenade, commenters and e-mails. [please stand by] [please stand by]

>> i hope you will revisit the planand go with that . and not listen to the problem with transfers and accountability of people who like the data they want to and they don't like the data they don't like and they don't listen to the people.

they listen to postcards solicited in the park by people passing around petitions but they don'tlisten to people so that's an aegis problem . >> can we have thenext caller please ? >> speaker: my name is jean barash and i submitted a public comment onmy own behalf . today i'm speaking on behalf of see muni working to improve publictransit . save muni urges you to restore jfk to their pre-pandemic use. when jfk was closed sundays and many saturdays andopened during the week . the continued closure of the roads tobridesmaid people with equitable access to the parks . also the continued full-time closure of these roads

conflicts with the city's policy and particles which requires physical accessibility if provided throughthe closure area compliant with americans with disabilities act . you've used data-driven criteria to informthe design of theclose jfk drive . you do not have that information yet . save muni believes the roads should be open to their pre-pandemic stateuntil there is a whole data-driven process and consideration of the alternative . >> next comments are please, we are setting the timer for one minute. >> speaker: please reopened jfk drive to the three closure protocols. all the reasons given to support jfk closure applied to middle drive. middle drive west is a better alternative. it's flat, smooth and seldom.

this should be the closure space the disability organizations all agree the roads should remain open at the time . improvements to be done anyway but donot provide equal access . the road closure proposal is cruel and insensitive to the disability and elder community . please do not support this proposal, reopened the road immediately and at least approved supervisor chance proposal. thank you. >> next caller please. >> speaker: my nameis christopher walk and i live in the richmond . i'm concerned about the potential impacts of long-term closure plans for those who need their cars to get to work at special events and jobs and institutions in the park. as the parks start backup and competition for spaces increases i think those who need reliable and affordable

parking for jobs near the music concourse tobe given more consideration in future plans . >> next caller please. >> speaker: my name is chris thompson nana and opposed to the permanent closure of cars on jfk andall the other roads in old and a park .return to pre-pandemic street loads . the walk is a privilege and its allowing 20 and 30 to decide what happens in golden gate park andrelying on flawed results of their studies . closure of jfk would prevent the disabled seniors from using the park. seniors are unable to easily visit the light show, museum, conservatory and flowers. the shuttle services are not a viable replacement for seniors

and families navigating the park my car. it's wrong for the sf mta to circumvent the will of the voters voted to keep jfk open except for sundays. option to permanently close jfk drive should be put on the november ballot so sf voters can once again decide what to do aboutallowing cars full use of all the roads . >> thank you for your comments, nextcaller please . >> speaker: my name is stephen gorski and i'm speaking to you to urge you to reject the permanent closure of jfk drive. it limits access to our beloved golden gate park in san francisco institutions for people with disabilities, seniors, multigenerational families and those who live far awayfrom the park . itbelongs to everyone not just those who can afford to live near the park who can bike and walk .my in-laws are

incapable ofwalking far enough to act access any of the amenities . they do not feel safe on publi transportation . if jfk is close they may never be able to return to golden gate park. my wife and i are senior citizens with compromised issues. our son and wife live in burnoutheights without access by their own car and they too will avoid the park . we are part appreciate is who now have memberships in the science and art museums are worth it for access . please open all of the vehicles topre-pandemic. we suffered enough from what was promised to be a temporary measure during the pandemic . let them reopened jfk and other temporarily closed streets and again be the san francisco that balkans everyone. stop using skewed data, reckons

park has an agenda, so does sf mta. thank you. >> next caller please. >> speaker: hi there. my name is brooke mcewan and i live at second avenue and all the and i ask you to vote yes for mayor breeds legislation for a permit 100 percent car free jfk drive. i use the park every day of the weekwith my kids . we've got two kids ages five and three years old and their learning to ride bikes and scooters.they love to run. having one lane open to cars and one lane car free would be extremely dangerous for that road. let's do the right thing for our kids and give our families reason to thank san francisco. let'sdo the right thing for the climate >> next caller please .

>> speaker: good afternoon. i'm a san francisco resident and was born here and i've been going to golden gate parkmy entire life. i'm calling to ask you to reject the mayor's proposal . i absolutely support the creation of a safe car free biking area but it isn't right to take away the primary originally builtfor cars just as some bikers and people who live nearby can have a private road at all hours of the day . i was at an event on saturday night at the conservatory of flowers. and we obviously cannot park your and the garage is attendant walk and if you're a single person you have to walk 10 minutes in the pitch dark or wait for a ride share. this is it safe.there were no bicyclists there. i don't understand why usage hours are not part of the solution like we all voted on in 2007. i feel like thegovernment

officials feel that not providing a compromise that doesn't involve millions of dollars . >> next caller please. >> my name is josh, i'm a parent and 20 year resident of the city our sunset and falling in support of our free jfk my family uses car free jfk travel from richmond and visit the restaurants and businesses there. it's an attraction for us. we can drive anywhere there's only one route can access into town where my children can write were scooped without the constant threat the constant threat they will be killed by aggressive or distracted driver. this space is very rare for parents supervisors, you can almosttransition to a lowcarbon economy or side with the fossil fuel companies and leave the

next generation to deal with consequences of your connection . this is your chance, don't waste it . >> next caller. >> i live in the richmond district far too few places in san francisco . young teenagers on where not getting around the city on her own, last weekend i was out on jfk and it was so moving with people from all backgrounds asking them about how much they value that being a car free space. most of thepeople i spoke to were not from the sunset, they were from the mission or downtown and in addition to being amom i'm a professional planner who ensures access to open space . i believe mayor breeds plan to get this onestretch open to pedestrians and families is equitable .

thank you . >> let's have a next caller. >> my name is charles perkins with the open the great highway alliance a group that secured 16,000 signatures in support of our cause and our organization is generally aligned in the opposed to say efforts to impede and deny access to peoplewho need or must drive their vehicles to get where they need to be and appreciate the cities any offerings . the one point i want to make is parking structures that's being heralded as the cavalry that's going to ride in and cure all the many problems jfk causes is silly. the parking structure would not have allowed me tohost the many children's graduation parties , baseball team. for the youth team i coached for many years in a meadow next to the log cabin. the families simply cannot tilt all of their equipment, barbecue equipment, chairs, blankets, bikes, etc. we could

not have done it. we would have had to go elsewhere. construction would not have allowed me to take my elderly in-laws to seek near the conservatory and the meadow just east of it . itwas there last fall. if they can't park there they can't see it .>> next caller please. >> i live in district 10 and i'min support of the full closure . jfk has been the only place in the city where i feel safe to ride a bike while i appreciate the city's efforts to build like specific infrastructure if you ride a bike you know these lanes are hard to ride bikes alone. they're regularly blocked by i'll cars to dangerously merge into traffic and regularly have people running and walking regardless of the pedestrian only sidewalk . bike lanes without an adjusted attitude do not protect

cyclists. keepingjfk close would provide one spot in a city or cyclist can recreate without many of the risks . i like many cyclists have been hit by a car so i don't think it's much to want one tiny piece of the city to be safe for us. please keep jfk close tocars. >> thank you for your comments, next caller . >> speaker: my name is margie cleveland and i live in the sunnyside area and i'm advocatingfor opening jfk for cars . my question is why those particular 1.3 miles where all the museums are and turn around and create an accessibility problem? there's plenty of room in the park to have an area built where people can ride their bikes and you can expand pride

walks and in listening to the entire program, the whole idea about using the parking garage is a pass through to drop off people is just going to create a whole lot of congestion in their so they're making more problems when the solution could be quite simple. so anyway, thank you very much and i appreciate. >> let's get the next caller please. >> my name is friday. i'm calling to urge all supervisors and especially my supervisor stefani fast the car free jfk legislation. i spent much of my time telling my young son to look out for

cars thatcould kill him . the only time i don't have to do that is when we are on our free jfk. this space has enabled us to give us many of our weekly car commutes to and from afterschool activities in favor of making them like free. that means our cars off the road and not taking upparking spaces . we declared a climate emergency and that means we need to lower our vehicle emissionsby making alternatives to driving and easy . thank you. >> thank you for your comments. we have you on the line. >> my name is lindsay and i'm from the richmond and i often chaperone children from the elementary school. two golden gate park for field

trips. there is wonderfulmuseums and gardens in the park and we want to be able to visit them safely .regarding cars would have our community use golden gate park on all those facilities . i think the number of people using jfk every day. utilizes the promenade park. thank you. >> next caller please. >> my name is todd and i live in district7 . i've been a member of the caltrans for many years. and in these institutions. i'm calling to ask you to keep the park completely car free on jfk drive. we're constantly in the park and out to you two stories one is my middle school are along with many other kids from the school are on the exact route

supervisorchan wants to carve back. her plan is a direct threat to our kids . additionally my families constantly on the board because of too many cars so we have to get out andwalk faster . this is the problem and adding more cars to this route would have that radiate from the southeast and west . what the mayor has proposed is a minimal improvement thank you. >> let's get the next caller please. >> speaker: my name is hensel and i grew up in thesunset district i'm also an immigrant and a person of color . i was in mister girling's homeroom class and he was on

his bike and he spoke earlier. i hope you're doing well. please keep jfk car free permanently. giving the community is space to safely enjoy nature and exercise is an investment in the communities mental health. the park is still accessible b car through other routes . the promenade is only a small pieceof the park . they also have a large underground parking lot they can make less expensive if the want to . i know change is hard butchange is comingwhether we like it or not . we must prepare for the future . we can add out for set future generations up for failure. doing what we did in the past will not solve any of our problems let's keep them car free and safe for everyone . >> let's have the next caller please. >> i've lived in the inner sunset foryears .

i'm asking you to vote yes for mayor billy reads legislation for 100 percent carfree jfk promenade . i personally walk safely almost every day and at night for the before the pandemic i used to bike to work via jfk every day and had numerous dangerous encounters with cars. it wasbasically scary and unsafe. years ago my housemate gave up biking when she was hit by a car on jfk . jfk promenade is plagued by reckless car writers. since it became car freeuse has skyrocketed. thank you . >> let's have the nextcaller please . >> my name is alexis wallace and i'm a resident of supervisor melgar's district and emma lowell high school

class graduate and to get around our beautiful city i drive a private car, ride muni. i've used all of these methods to access golden gate park since the city did the smart and healthy decision to open jfk to people instead of cars. the improved access to the public space for all walks of life is the main reason i support a100 percent car free jfk . i think it's still available . and it would be great to see more of these spaces beingmade available to people with disabilities . there's a drop off zone and cars dohave the run of a large majority of the park . keeping this small section of road dedicated to people enjoying it without fear of injury, death, pollution from cars is a small drop in a large bucket of issues including climate change, vision zero.

you're not taking something away, you're giving something to the city . >> let's get the next caller. >> my name is claire black and i'm amember of district 5 . i do not own a car and biking is the main way i get around. car free jfk is a critical componentof vision zero . too many of myfriends have been hit by a car while riding a bike . k is a place where people of all ages and abilities and finally feel safe to enjoy our beautiful park. please keep jfk car free. thank you. >> next caller please. perhaps that lineis unattended .

>> speaker: i live in parnell heights and i'm asking you to approve the legislation for a car free jfk . i'd like in the city parks and i bike through the park many daysbefore and during the pandemic . during the pandemic, before the pandemic it was really just especially in the morning people who are either newly needed to get to work or dedicated places but during the pandemic i saw people who were biking and they've increased dramatically people who otherwise might be too vulnerable to getting hurt by cars or not comfortable enough writing with cars flying by at high speeds. so i think having this area

close is freeing and opens the park to more people that are able to spend time. >> thank you for your comments, nextcaller please . >> speaker: having been born and raised in the bay area i want to add my voice of support to keep jfk car free. in may i came back with my father who lives in oakland. he is 81 and disability impaired and the first thing he said is we want to go tosky car . we drove to golden gate park without many issues and found a place to park in the concourse lot. it was not a problem, an easy walk for him and having jfk free of cars made this possible in the sense that we were able to park in the parking lot.

i hear a lot of people talking about convenience. there's a big difference between inconveniencing people in cars and if it's just an inconvenience itshouldn't be that big of a deal . streets are public space and they just don't belong to cars. there needs to be a better use of space so i urge you to vote yes and pass this car free legislation. we have the opportunity to do the right thing. >> thank you chrisfor your comments .next speaker please. >> i live in district 5. everyone knows the park is one of san francisco's best treasures but it's been impossible until two years ago. my partner and i use the park morethan ever . and of course the park itself.

they see so manytypes of people doing the same every day . the car configuration is the compromise. there's vehicles for anyone wh needs or wants to drive off . either we welcome visitors or we don't. keep jfk car free for people of mobility so they can continue to visit the park. >> thank you for your comments let's hear from our next speaker . >> speaker: my name is tyrell, senior disability action. as mentioned in a letter to the board of supervisors fda conducted the over 230 million people who conducted the survey found jfk made successful.

by looking at the shuttle service the short survey found the improved shuttle service was inaccessible for more than 65percent of senior and disability community . the park is not successful for seniors with disabilities and it's been 200 years since we'v been able to access jfk . so we're saying open jfk for all people especially seniors and people with disabilities. >> let's hear fromour next speaker . >> my name is jason henderson and i'm with the transportation

planning committee. we wholeheartedly endorse a complete car free jfk. a lot of the housing over here in the valley, we desperately need this kind of open space. we need a silent respite from the traffic noise thatinundate the valley and this is close by and it works for us . the science tells us that you need a showcase example to inspire people for decarbonization. decarbonization means deep gone. >> thank you for yourcomments . let's hear from our next caller please.welcome, caller. all right, perhaps that's an unattended line. let's go to our next caller . welcome caller.

>> i'm an employee of the fine arts museums of san francisco. i called him today to share an excerpt from a march 29 email sent by a colleague whose handler for the museum. in his drawl he isresponsible for the transportation of the city's art collection in our building . and in between our two buildings. this colleague is one of many employees and vendors who been harassed consistently while driving on jfk over the past two years. this he declined to join the museum because he was being targeted. this is a disturbing byproduct of theclosures that are not often heard . the email made this morning while driving the department struckwas assaulted by a bicyclist on jfk . tf k suffered two women in the

bicyclist. the flashers as well as the. [inaudible] ... >> thank you for your comments. apologies to cutyou off, we ar setting the timer for one minute . let's hear from our next caller . welcome caller. >> speaker: i made my comment about two or three comments before. >> pressáthree and that will put you back in thequeue or you canhang up . let's hear from our next caller please . welcome caller. >> speaker: my name is alice studebaker. i'm in support of mayor breen's proposal to keep jfk as a car free promenade.i'm excited

about this proposal and i'm glad the city is meeting its transit first goal and vision zero goals . i hope this is the beginning of a citywide network ofcar free spaces where people canwalk , bike , roll and play and be safe without worrying about being hit by a car or be killed by a car.thank you and i'd like to request to see how many people are on the queue currently. >> thank you for your comments. i requested that when i sat in the chair and their counting colors right now as we speak. i will report that as soon as receive . >> thank you. >> let's hearfrom our next caller please . welcome, caller. >> speaker: my name is lindsay,

i live in the sunset and i'm asking you to vote yes today for mayor breeds legislation for a permanent car free jfk drive. i was born in san francisco and i'm raising two young sons here and walking to jfkevery day. i've been hit by cars twice in san francisco and i'mterrified of what's happening . we need a place for families to use our street safely . >> thank you. i see here we have 70people in the queue ready to make their comments . and 93 who are listeningso let's hear from our next caller . welcome caller. >> i'm the executive director at the san francisco. i won't repeat what many other representatives from the disability community have said but i'd like to add that many individuals with disabilities are employed in our parks and

our arts and sciences institution and disclosure of jfk drive has significantly impacted their ability to access their jobs and do so in a way that is sustainable. we also have many job seekers can for jobs in the park and disclosure would have been problematic. i urge our supervisors and want to thank the supervisor for his work. there's a great solution we can come to but i don't think the mayor's proposal is therequite yet . >> thank you kristinpeterson for your comments . let'shear from our next caller please . >> my here? on a district 4 resident calling to close car free jfk.

i'm a senior and i feel like we've been alienatedsince the pandemic . i regularly drove through jfk and enjoy the beauty of it and feel like because i drive a car i'm not allowed to join golden gate park which should be open to everybody. i'm a person to.they still say open to all people, motorists arepeople too and you take it away decades of car insurance . i've lived in san francisco the last 50 years and thejoint training is gone . you diver traffic into the local streets, away the flow of traffic and i you'll both vote onkeeping jfk car free . >> thank you for your comments, let'shear from our next speaker

. >> speaker: hello, i'm the one resident and i'm calling in to support mayorbreeds legislation . i am a father first and foremost a father of two young daughters and every day i am faced with a decision about how to help them and the future of the planet they live on and we that means we choose to bust and bite and when we face a protected space notonly their community but also exploitable . andjfk is taken away , it's one step backwards. i would love for them to grow up in a place where they can choose to ride a bus and ride a bike or to be safe and not fear for theirlives every day .

>> before we go to the next caller i want to invite the speaker who is prepared to make his comments, welcome. >> my name is brian kim and i'm a new resident of san francisco. i live in district 8 and i'm here to fight for a car free jfk.i'm a cyclist and all my life i've been shoulder to shoulder with carsand come to san francisco which is truly a cycling paradise which filled me with the deepest ofgratitude . have you been to jfk west and mark haveyou seen the smiles ? a car free jfk is not a policy of exclusion . cars are themselvesexcluding . the noise, fear, the anxiety, the rage, violence. there's room for transportatio alternatives and it starts with a car free jfk . support mayor breeds proposal or risk barak of the most mobile constituent you have. >> thank you for your comments forjoining us this afternoon .

to ms. parkinson, is there anothercaller on the line ? >> yes there is, mister joe atkins. >> welcome caller. >> i gave my comment earlier. >> then just pressáthree. that will get you backinto the queue . let's hear from ournext caller . welcome caller. >> my name is charlie watson and i live in sunset. i heard the supervisor to support the mayor's proposal to keep jfk car free. i feel the work done by

reckoned bar over the past year there will still be multiple ways to access the parks and to access the attractions if you're disabled. car free jfk is a safe place to walk and bike or as the previous commenters and just tool around and it should remain that way in perpetuity so the city can run a successful to greener modes of transportation . >> let's hear from our next callerplease . >> speaker: thank you supervisors who decided to remain for public comment. safety as a baseline is what makes car free jfk so importan . the cities covered in streets with zero consideration for alternative modesof transport . supervisors being forced to own a private car a dense city

that'sabsolutely unnecessary as a public policy failure . having to access this is a public policy failure. we ask all low income residents can afford four dollars an hour and pay six dollars a gallon. these words keep getting thrown around alternative transport methods were given any equity anywhere in the city unlike today's equity discussion , the failures of this transport equity get paid for in the lives of san franciscans. that is why as a baseline jfk has become such a haven for people who just want a place to notworry about getting maimed or killed . that is what the book should be about. saving and protecting lives first. >> thank you to your comments i'll say a point of information to the public . the full board and transportation authority members are present. they are here. this is 4 and a half hour meeting on this topic.

they're stretching their legs just in theanteroom. they'rehaving a quick bite to eat but we do have a screen and they are listening to all public comment . let's hear from our next caller please . >>speaker: hello . my name is connie arnold and i live in sacramento county and i am opposed to the permanent closure of jfk drive because two vehicles, because it affectsthe ability of persons with disabilities and seniors with disability to access the golden gate park program services and activities and events . and the proposal for alternative means of access do not offer equivalent facilitation . i find that the goldengate park is a gem of a place that should

be open to all people and has been in its history. open to vehicles which provides access directly to those park features that people with disabilities and seniors want to access in order toaccess that . as a driver of a van is problematic to not be able to drive in excess of thepark features . and i'm asking you to vote no. >> let's hear from our next caller please . >> sir i have not started your timeyet . can you speak directly into a microphone and i'll start your time . >> can you hear me now? >> not so much, can you try again. i'm really trying to get acces . can you hear me now.

>> speak as loud as you can talk slowlyand i'll start time . >> can you hear me now? okay. i'm advocating people access and protection for all parties including seniors and disabled and bicyclists. jfk drive belongs to the city and its taxpayers .to quote the drive to deny access to motorists who also pay taxis, supervisors must find a balance solution that benefits everyon . no one should be denied access to any part of the san francisco treasures. how would bicyclistsfeel jfk drive was closed to them ? rather the same reaction the motor staff and the golden rule is do unto others as you would have them do unto you. and in other words, jfk drive has to be made safe for everybody at bicycles can also

put people at risk so basically jfk drive has to be open to all withprovisions for safety . this is what the board has to consider. >> before we go to the next caller we have a person who has joined us in the chamber and will let this individual's the now. >> everybody for your time. looking at it so closely. my name is kate bloomberg and i live in potrero hill and in district 10. i use jfk quite regularly. i do believethat this is one of the easier decisions the board of supervisors has to make . we are a transit first city. this prioritizes transit and transit users. we are a visionzero city . thiskeeps people safe .bikers , children and everyone.

we are a planet focused city and this is transportation is the largest source of climate conditions in our city. i do believe that making car free spaces available to all to the city will increase the use of bicycles in the city and i think car free jfk is a wonderful, joyous change for our city and really making our city great. >> thank you for your comments and joining us. we do have three other members of the public in thechamber and 20 from the next . >> thank you for allowing me to speak to the board of supervisors. my name is nancy lane and i live in 20 southern california street. for 25 years. my daughter a graduate from public schools in san

francisco. his attorney fromhastings . and my daughter and her husband live at 18th and sanchez. so jfk promenade has become the place where we meet for my five and seven-year-old grandson to ride their bikes. we meet together. it's safe. i completely i know i speak for my husband and my family but we completely support mayor reed's proposal without delay. this is one of the most beautiful things that has ever come to san francisco for the people who live here. i think i just can't express to you join my family and my grandsons are experiencing. when we realized the climate action plans. thank you very much. >> let's hear from our next speaker

we're setting the timer for one minute . great. that will let you know what time you have left. >> thank you for the opportunity. i could not be more excited to be here today to speak in favor of the mayor's proposal on jfk. i would add the outer sunset and rely on the car free route to get my kid to a doctor's appointment, to get myself to work etc. and so we go to that place as a way to get from a to b. but what we love about the place is so much more than being a place where we get from a to b. we rely on it and we love it with our entire community. there are very few spaces where everybody shares a space together with the whole community and that's the type of place i want my kids to grow up inan place i want every kid in the city to grow up in . a safe place where they can be

together with neighbors and a city that can be an equitable place so thank you for the opportunity. >> thank you for the your comment tothe board and the authority . >> thank you for allowing me t speak . i haven't been month old infant and i've been commuting from the outer sunset across the city for the last eight years. and the progression jfk has gotten progressively better over those years. but i still think that the route through the park should not be a higher court from a safety perspective. we rely on that as a way to get through the city and i now briefly wanted to say that not just in jfk but all the enclosed public streets ihave met more of my neighbors in the last few years and the pandemic that i had in the last eight

years . these are vitalcommunity spaces soi urge you to accept mayor breeds plan . >> thank you for your comments . >> my name is mario pallone. i'm amember of the san francisco bicycle coalition and a california licensed attorney . we have a responsibility to build resilience communities that progressively save climate action. sea level rise is a part of pollution. we can build a community. >> is all the space. as the sun with a father with alzheimer's who does not have access to a vehicle anymore jfk has been an active healthy time in nature. you today. have a nice day. >> mario pallone with the board of the authority are there other divisions in the chamber that would like to address the

board ? seeing none we will go back to theproposed system let's hear from our next caller please . >> speaker: is this a landline? hello? hi. i'm 73 years old and against the permanent closure of jfk. i urge you to return jfk to the pre- covid situation of being car free on some days and maybe even making a change with respect to all saturdays. fortunately i can't afford the expensive car costs. but i know many others cannot afford this. even with invested improvements assuming these suggestions can berealized . i am not disabled so i cannot

park in blue zones but like many seniors i have joint issues which makes it hard to walk long distances. there are other ways to address our climate crisis and traffic accident problems and to shut out seniors and many low income people from enjoying the treasures of goldengate park . i thank you. >> before there's another color put on the line i want to say we have 92 members of the public listening and 60 are ready in line to provide their comments let's hear from our next caller. welcome . >> hello caller. you may have yes, welcome. >> my name is rinaldo and i

live in the haight-ashbury district and i've been part of the effort to for a car free jfk. i think a lot of people have made awesome points and i've talked to a lot of folks in the park every day and i think it's such a great space to meet all my neighbors and also it's super nice not to have to worry about getting to ride cars and just skating down the streets into the rink. it's super great to dance on the street. it's just super awesome and i think it shouldstay forever so please vote yes . >> thank youwalking and although for your comments . next: please. welcome. you may have heardthat you have been under muted . it's your turn to speak. that's an unattended line let's move on to the next

caller . welcome caller. >> my name is melinda. i support a car free jfk. i appreciate the thoughtful work that nonprofit agencies have doneto review and address acceptability concerns . i'm a husband and my three-year-oldchild recently took advantage of car free jfk for recreation as well as getting from point a to point b . i also visited the park this past friday by a car with a dear friend who suffers from a major stroke in 2020 and had mobilityimpairments i've impressed with how easily we were able to access the conservatory by a drop-off zones . and the parking garage. urged supervisors mandelman to take into consideration the analysis and requests thathave been made from thousands of other sf residents like myself . >> let's hear from our next caller .

>> hello supervisors, i'm the third-generation san franciscan i'm 71 so if i qualify as a senior. but i'm on jfk walking during my family walk. i'm here sixor seven days aweek . it is the best . it's the best thing to come out of thepandemic . walkers, runners so please keep the car free. everybody close their eyesand picture it. no cars . beautiful park. now open your eyes.cars. >> were askingcallers address their comments to the board as a whole . let's hear from our next caller please. welcome caller.

>> speaker: my name is karen and i live in the mission district 8 and i strongly urge the board of supervisors to vote yes on the decision to make permanent 100 percent car free jfk drive. as a lifelong environmentalist and now a senior i do not own a car.i rely on walking in publictransportation . and i value car free jfk because i can walk there safely without risk of injury and walk in the most beautiful parks in the city and one of the third most visited parts in the worldi'm urging the board of supervisors to vote yes . this is 1.5 miles of our free space in a city that has more than 1000 miles of streets dedicated to cars. we as pedestrians as seniors and as people who love the outdoors and environmentalists deserve 1.5 miles without automobiles. thank you so much.

>> thank you karen for your comments. let's hear fromour next caller . let's knew that line. >> i'm over 30 years as the san francisco resident in d9 and have over 40 years as an advocate for equity and public contracting . i'm here to support supervisors chance proposal but i'm also in agreementwith supervisor walton . comments on racial equity. and listening to the hearing it doesn't seem to reflect the diversity and incomes of the city. what i hear is single families and people but i don't hear from any comments from this

valley bayview and the mission whichhas an extended family . so i'm here to support this racial equity and income equity to have access to the parks and i believe that the supervisor chance proposal meets that. thank you. >> thank you. let's hear from our nextcaller please . >> this issue for me is really contentious because the people that were in power during the pandemic and now broke the law. during a law that represents special interests makes us all less safe and everyone at the meeting should feelthat . this is more than just about cars. it's about all of us following the law and with so many activists we are not all represented. all the data particularly by sfmta is dangerous and falls.

we need people to govern the law rather than officials to push their agendas forward. our roads are being closed illegally. open the street and follow more democratic processes and in the words of parents you should listen to those ofus who stuck around and slugged it out and raise theirchildren into adulthood . no more giving up the car access . why is nobody holding sfmta accountable for that crappy public transit we have ? do your jobs. >> we apologize for interrupting. we are setting thetimer for on minute . let's hear from our next caller . welcome. >> can you hear me. >> welcome. >> speaker: i am 56 years old and i'm liking in the city is

1994 before there were any bike lanes. i have moved and cycled from a young adult into a senior citizen and i am speaking from the perspective of someone who attends intends to bike for the rest of her life. car free spaces are necessary for our future, for my health and the only controversial thing about keeping jfk car free is the fact that we have not invested enough in public transit to make accessibility a real option for people who cannot bite. i fully see them, i fully embrace them and i believe we can serve them but we will not do so by returning carsto jfk drive . please keep it carfree . >> thank you for your comments. we have61 callers ready to make their commentsand 125 listening

on the line . welcome . >> speaker: good afternoon supervisors, myname is e melissa and i work for community living campaign . we work for older adults. we submitted our letter that outlines the accessibility improvements that would have to be made for our organization to support the permanent closure of jfk drive which hasn't been that. we don't support people closer right now. i'm not going to restate those improvements but i want to highlight one and that is power transit taxis. 40 percent of writers in san francisco use taxis none of the city's plans include allowing access to these taxis. paratransit vans will have access but that means only half of the users in the city will not have door-to-door access because it's adefining feature of paratransit . if you make any amendment make sure taxis have access to any

segments ofjfk that are close . >> thank you for your comments, kathy deluca. before we go to the next caller house a if there are any members of the public in that neighborhood like to provide comments line up to your right and we will take the next caller. let's welcome our next comment. welcome caller. [please stand by]