Mayor Edwin M. Lee and several key officials today announced Federal approval of an agreement dedicating $942.2 million in federal funds to the Central Subway Project. The agreement finalizes the financing for extending Muni Metro's T Third Line through South of Market, Union Square and Chinatown and is the latest in a series of rigorous Federal, State and local approvals.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Peter Rogoff, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and other Federal, State and local officials joined Mayor Lee at a ceremony held today at the future site of the Central Subway's Union Square/Market Street Station to announce the approval of the New Starts funds. Read more.

While the potential earthquake hazards depend upon your location (see below), California is considered at higher risk compared to the rest of the country.

We believe that California can become much more prepared for earthquakes- and be ready to recover quickly. The ShakeOut has been created to help people and organizations get better prepared for major earthquakes, and practice how to be protected when they happen.

For more information, please visit: ShakeOut.

Today Mayor Lee and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu announced introduction of new Open Data legislation to strengthen San Francisco's landmark Open Data initiatives, including the creation of a Chief Data Officer and encouraging the use of information for more efficient government services. The legislation is a major milestone in San Francisco's Open Data initiative. 

"Making City data available to every day citizens will help government explore new solutions to old challenges," said Mayor Lee. "Changing Open Data policies can unleash the creativity of the private sector so they can help us improve City services that impact our lives, from transportation, to how we access our parks, to how we request City services, making San Francisco the leader in Gov 2.0." Read more.

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement regarding the Board of Supervisors’ 7-4 vote against sustaining charges of official misconduct against Ross Mirkarimi, which required at least nine votes to sustain the charges for removal as San Francisco’s Sheriff:
 
“I strongly disagree with the action taken by Supervisors Avalos, Campos, Kim and Olague this evening. I believe, and the Ethics Commission and a majority of the Board of Supervisors agrees with me, that the facts clearly demonstrate that Ross Mirkarimi’s actions and his domestic violence related conviction falls below the ethical conduct we expect of our elected Sheriff and constitutes official misconduct.
 
The Board’s decision returns a convicted domestic batterer to lead the Sheriff’s Office, and I am concerned about our City’s nationally-recognized domestic violence programs. I will do everything in my power to ensure that abusers continue to be held accountable and that victims and witnesses of domestic violence will not be silenced. Read more.

For more information see:
 
A) Ethics Commission Documents relating to official misconduct charges against Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi
- http://www.sfethics.org/ethics/2012/04/documents-relating-to-official-misconduct-charges-against-sheriff-ross-mirkarimi.html

B) Legal Counsel's Response to the Recommendations of the Ethics Commission
- http://www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=13522

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced San Francisco has achieved 80 percent landfill diversion rates, setting national recycling and compost rate records as the highest of any city in North America.

“Recycling and composting is not only good for our environment, it is also good for our economy,” said Mayor Lee. ”Recycling alone creates 10 times more jobs than simply sending refuse to the landfill, and I applaud Recology, the Department of Environment and San Franciscans for reaching this record milestone of 80 percent diversion.”

San Francisco now diverts 80 percent of all waste generated in the City away from landfill disposal through source reduction, reuse, and recycling and composting programs. The City’s partnership with Recology and its advanced waste reduction programs have helped San Francisco become the Greenest City in North America and receive a perfect score for resource recovery and recycling category in the 2011 Siemens Green City Index. Read more.