a couple of things i wanted to add -- we have been operating 205,000 hours. i did the mileage the other day. we did about 475,000 miles on segways in san francisco. we have maintained in excellent safety record. segways are 10 years old now. this is not a new thing.we have- we have been out in said francisco for seven years. we have a great business experience on paths, trails, skills, all sorts of things. one of the other things on our regular tours we operate, and we have five different routes in san francisco, we go through 100 intersections a day. that is thousands of times that we come across the public on foot, in addition to them jumping out between cars. anyway, my staff is going to talk about some different points. we know we have a lot of speakers here.

we shut down our entire company today to come to this hearing. we employ a lot of folks. they all look like smirched like -- look like smurfs today. i apologize. that is our winter uniform. anyway, we are here to answer -- [bell rings] thank you. >> thank you for the opportunity to speak today. i live in the nob hill area. in one of the two managers in the golden gate park. tour electric company -- electric tour company runs a safe tour. i'm in favor of the existing five-year contract being allowed to operate on this route and know that in the company will continue to run a safe and informative tour.

i will look to go over a few highlights and majority answers for a couple questions on the survey. the second question was did you feel the park pathways and trails were a safe way to visit locations on the tour? the fourth question was whether interactions between tourists and park visitors were safe on both parties. the overwhelming answer on these was yes or a positive version. responses include the golden gate park is a large segway park larges -- is a large part and -- is a large park and segways allow more people to see more of

it. it allows for closer connections with the plants then if we have been restricted to formal paved roads. supervisor mar: do you know off the top of your head with the demographics of the users of the segways are? i think it cost about $70 for several hours, including the training. people with limited mobility or maybe people are older that might not be able to walk or bike. >> a huge demographic of people come between the ages of 40 to 60. a lot of these people could walk with canes or something like that, so we get a lot of people who are not as active as i am or someone else who goes on the tour and a perfectly fine for two and a half hours on a segway, which they could not do walking. supervisor mar: you are one of

the several managers for the company? >> correct. the majority of the answers to question 7, followed by the ones i gave you, were also absolutely and yes, which were positive answers, given to all the people and the e-mails. i also have the survey for you. supervisor mar: thank you. if people could keep coming forward one after the other. thank you. >> good morning, supervisors. i would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak before you. i lived in richmond neighborhood, and i have been a segway tour guide for several years now. i used to do tours in philadelphia, and our route was similar in scope to our route in golden gate park.

in philadelphia, we also had mixed use trails and it included about half a mile bicycle trails, and also, the area of around both house road, which is a congested pedestrian area, and i'm not sure exactly how many tours i gave, but i would estimate of around 500, and we never had any incidents with collisions with pedestrians or anything like that. having come out here and started working with these guys, i can say that the people who go out here are much better prepared to use the segway. they have a higher degree of competency after the training they go through, which is very formal and standardized. also, i want to point out that i believe the no bike signs are actually surrounding an area that has bite jumps and stuffed

-- bike jumps and stuff that i think were built surreptitiously. also, my time in working in the park, it has been about 40 days, and i have had several employees and staff -- they have all really enjoyed it and express their thanks that we are sort of giving people a way to have easier access to their work because they are out there taking care of these beautiful areas that are often sort of missed by visitors to the city because they are less accessible on foot and people do not know they are there. we all use the park a lot -- [buildings] thank you -- [bell rings] thank you. >> i have been a manager at the fisherman's wharf location for almost a year. i was born in and and a current resident of san francisco.

a lot to talk to you briefly about the way we train our guests with a focus on courtesy and safety. we use a scale to check the minimal way. it is very important. every guest must review and sign a waiver and wear a helmet and bright reflective vests. we start by training our guests on the basics of safety and gives us a chance to meet the one on one and is -- assess how comfortable they are which is important so that throughout the rest of the training, we can pay special attention to guessed that may need additional support. we send them through a small obstacle course of collapsible cones to make sure they are provision -- proficient with the crucial emergency stock, which takes some time to learn and care to teach. they also need to experience the speed limit, which feels a bit like the segways pushing back against you. it is an unusual sensation, and we want to make sure guests are

totally comfortable with it before they leave. will discuss how we are passed and passed by guest on the trails. guests practiced on inclines and navigating trails properly. we practice with the alert bells on each unit for reviewing all points once again, silent, in- year radio receivers for navigation and safety issues -- in-ear radio receivers. we have had guests with limited range of motion take the tour who appreciate the limited freedom. not everyone ride -- not everyone can ride safely, so sometimes, our job includes denying people permission. we are not comfortable sending someone out, they will not go. we find in training to accommodate a wide range of riders --

[bell rings] >> good morning. i have a very nice letter written by an enthusiast, and she writes, "as you know, i feel passionate that your company is doing a wonderful service for the park, san francisco, and the people lucky enough to get a reservation on your segway tour. if i could have spoken at the hearing, i would emphasize that your safety training is not only very thorough but as a fun and memorable part of the experience. every minute spent on safety was important and was done extremely well. each of your trainers that individual attention to insure that everyone had requisite safety skills and to make sure everyone felt comfortable individually and as a group. as i mentioned, the city was responsible for implementation of many miles of bicycle trails on the streets in the area. i'm also familiar with the

importance of share the road rules related to buy cigarettes, cars, and pedestrians. the segway tour and safety rules and raise the necessary ingredients for successful and safe sharing of the golden gate park assets available to all who visit. good more -- good luck this morning at the hearing. there is no doubt in my mind that the visitors all benefit greatly from the segway experience. i have driven through the park for 20 years and not until i took your tour did i realize the significance of the plants, structures, pathways, and activities that are there. the duty of every turn was amazing, and without your tour introducing me to the parks so intimately, i probably would not have discovered many of the things i will come back to experience in the future. i now feel that i will return to san francisco and the park much more often, and i have expanded my wish list of things to do greatly. i will also be a much better tour guide for friends and

family visiting the area, and i have even discover that i have a new-found and better understanding of what it might be like to be handicapped and not have the use of -- [buildings -- [bell rings] thank you. >> i want to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. the park is right outside my front door. i am the other assistant manager, and today, i am sharing with you the list of etiquette rules we make sure every single guest has heard before they leave our training area. first of all, your tour guide will set the speed for your tour. if you disregard your guide's instructions, you will be removed without a refund. second, everyone has the right of way over a segway --

pedestrians, bicyclists, baby strollers, dog walkers, scooters, skaters. crosswalks can be busy, and we wait for everyone, which we really do stress, on foot or bicycle, to safely cross before entering. with may not stop for us, which we are aware of, so we do not proceed into a crosswalk until signaled by the guide. do not startle anyone. segways are very quiet. we slowed down and announce our presence by voice. we tell other users we are behind them and call out which side we will be entering on. many visitors to not have phones and to not hear us coming, so we greet everyone. head-on with a segway can be confusing, so we slowed to a stop and tell the other group what side we are going to pass on, give them time to figure out

we are not an alien riding on a magical hovercraft through the part -- debate park -- through the park. the guard and volunteers work hard to keep the park looking as beautiful as it does, so we do our part as well. just like life, there are bumps in all of our roads. your guide will use a radio narration system to point out most of the hazards along the roads, and this is not -- [buildings -- [bell rings] supervisor mar: what do you do if someone violates the etiquette? >> we do let them know that if they are not listening to their guide at any point, they will be taken off their torpor -- there -- their tour, and the guide will call one of us, and we will come them -- come pick them up,

so they do not have a chance to read the -- to ride the segway back, either. >> i am one of the managers of the company at fisherman's wharf. i visit golden gate park regularly to go to the museum or just have to index and walk around. i'm here to talk to you today about who licenses and regulates us and the outreach program that we did win starting golden gate park. segways have been regulated by the state and city since 2002. they outline the specific equipment designs classifications and rules and penalties for not complying. to operate in san francisco and in sausalito, we have folks looking up what we do. the national park service permit with annual review, and guest

experience recap. we are one of only three national park permits in the country. the national park service permit, and we all have cpr and medical training requirements for all the guides. we have a sausalito business license, and we have a five-year contract with the city recreation and park department to operate a guided tour, and any deviation from the route changes must be approved in advance. we operate in the transportation task force and public realm committees for fisherman's wharf, and we belong to and the anticipate with numerous traffic, business -- travel, business, and civic organizations here we had three public hearings in front of the board. we have done months of public outrage and toys for numerous groups, individuals, and neighborhood associations. we have done 45 days of test, training without incident or complete. when we started the golden gate park office, part of our

outreach was to walk sf, and we invited them on our fisherman's wharf and golden gate park tours. we also offered the segways for staff and board members to learn more about, and they declined both invitations, saying it would not be appropriate. >> good morning, supervisors. thank you for the opportunity to speak in front of you. i live in san francisco's nob hill district, and i have been a guide for several years now. i'm just going to read parts of the letter that was provided to us on behalf of a local resident, and i will give this to you when i'm done. "dear supervisors, i'm writing in reference to a hearing scheduled march 14 in reference to a contract the city has entered with the electric tour

company. my understanding is certain groups are opposing these out of a concern for safety for other uses where they are proposed to operate. it is my belief based on my experience as a segway owner and operator that these complaints are groundless and should not prevent them from proceeding with this contract did tour services. i'm a resident of district 7 and an employee of salesforce.com i am an owner of model i2. i have operated it nearly 1,500 miles, many of which have been navigated in san francisco. opponents to the operation include a group that supported san francisco ordinance 241-02,

which banned operations of epa md's on public transit. walk sf is one such group, and their web page includes a list of arguments that were largely speeches including speculative and groundless claims, which have been proven false over the years on the use in other cities in california and the united states. these assertions should not be used in any assertion a committee may make with respect to the operation of electric" -- [bell rings] thank you. >> good morning, supervisors. i am -- i live in the haight- ashburty district. i am an electric bike tour guide. i have firsthand knowledge of bicycles and pedestrians and

segways and bike lanes of san francisco, and i use the golden gate park, myself, quite a lot. navigating segways and bicycles and pedestrians is not only doable, but it is an everyday occurrence. it is easy and fun to do. thank you. >> good morning. i'm one of the tour guides -- i am a senior tour guide. i have been doing to was for over 500 years, both in san francisco, fisherman's wharf area, and in sausalito. probably got in sausalito, we do a lot of the group areas -- multi-use areas, sidewalks, boardwalks. that sort of thing. it is very fun and safe.

the people in blue behind me, first and foremost, we are instructors, and then tour guides after that. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. >> good morning, supervisors. my name is maria o'donnell. i am a segway tour guide with the electric for company. this is what we use so people can hear our instructions on the tour. it is a radio. we have individual earbuds which we have new for each customer, which they are welcome to keep after. throughout the entire store, we are talking to them, giving them instructions, i am telling them about safety things, alerting them to pedestrians, cars, pot holes, bumps. i am always in constant contact with them. just so we are visible, we also

where our jackets. you can really see. there is no way to miss us. the most thing is safety. i always make sure that everyone knows what they are doing. before we go on the tour, the training is so thorough, if i ever feel someone does not understand or if there is a problem, or will not be safe on the tour, we ask that they do not go on the door and we give them a refund. the main thing that we stress, besides safety and informing, is safety. supervisor mar: i think you were my trainer. >> i was. i hope i trained you well. my name is tracy roberts, a resident of the haight-ashbury district. i often visit the park, not only for taurus, but walking

through with my dog, and experiencing as a pedestrian. i have experienced firsthand, working with a lot of people with disabilities. like mary said, if they do not passed training, if they are not comfortable, they are happy not to do so. we are happy to invite everyone with disabilities if they're able to before the scheduled tour to try it out to see if they are comfortable with it. four instances really stand out to me in my experience as a tour guide. one woman had polio, another with ms, two men -- one elderly man i took out 88 years old. another man who had one leg. all four of them were not able to walk on their own, but were able to stand up on their own they needed help on and off, but when they were there, they

describe the time of their life, they had not felt that confident in years. i felt honored to share that experience with them. i really feel great that we can offer and provide tours to tourists and locals alike who suffer from disabilities and are not able to enjoy the park on foot or bike. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. i am going to start calling other names. charles allen quist. daniel himer. jim helperg. stephen steindery. one other part, catherine howard, golden gate preservation alliance. >> good morning, my name is pam.

i am the operations manager of the city segways. i am pleased to to stand in support of the san francisco electric car company and their safe operating practices. we also employed a lot of the same practices that the sf electric or company has. i can tell you, this operate safely in other cities as well and parks. we are in the olympic park in atlanta, grant park in chicago. we are also gton, d.c., where we operate on the national mall. we employ many of the same safety practices, operating at a lower speed, when encountering pedestrians, and in parks in other cities. here, we are only at the

fisherman wharf, so we are not moving through parks. but we also encounter people at the walkways every day. since 2008, we have had taken out over 9000 people. also, we have an excellent safety record. i really think these guys are doing an excellent job. they had set a high standard for safety and we are pleased to stand with them in solidarity today. thank you. >> thank you, supervisors. jeff sears, blazing saddles. i have run a company similar to the electric power co. and have witnessed since their first day of operation, it was obvious they had been highly trained in safety and controlling the etiquette in which there groups

operated. i have personally observed, as a pedestrian and psychologist, that electric tore company has consistently kept the same high standards i always giving the right away to pedestrians and cyclists. it is clear their guides understand it is critical to operate in this manner for the company to continue to operate. there was an earlier speaker that was mistaken when he said segways did not operate on pads for pedestrians and cyclists. we share those same paths and there had never been a problem because the segways travel single file and are courteous. please let them continue to use the paths they arkin -- currently using, as they have proven their dedication to safety. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. >> good morning, supervisors.

thank you for your thoughtful consideration on matters before you today. my name is todd barbie, i was raised in san francisco. i spent 45 years in join the wonder of golden gate park. i am a development and marketing consultant and i co-authored the electric car company's proposal in response to the rfp from the rec and parks department. the agency responsible for administering the park and the safety of the guests you visit -- who visit has been working on this innovative fund to bring a green and low impact immunity to the park. the goals and objectives, as outlined in the rfp, are to safely make -- and hence the user experience, amenities, and provide jobs for city coffers. rec and parks did exceptional due diligence on this matter,

studying in the context of golden gate park operations, and then commissioning others to operate the said wait for trial for over a year. and then conducting a rigorous rfp and public hearing process. a host of professionals, agencies, and city staffers were involved in the process, as well as the city attorney's office. i can assure you the issue of public safety has always been a primary consideration for all parties involved. in the months since the elector for company was selected, and contract signed, there has not been some new discovery about the inherent dangers of writing a segway that should be a cause for any special hearing on the matter. any discussion of segway safety must be based on the actual safety record of the device, not unsubstantiated allegations of a special interest group that has a clear bias toward any means of locomotion other than

foot traffic. this 11th hour effort to, in effect, expand a 2002 ordinance banning segways on sidewalks to include the palace of golden gate park is based on a policy. supervisor mar: thank you. -- fallacy. >> good morning, supervisors. daniel oppenheimer. thank you for hearing my testimony. i want to speak specifically to one aspect of safety that has to do with differential speed between pedestrians and segways. in the same way that that is a concern for one of the proponents of this venture, i want to say, we operate trucks that move a different speeds. part of our responsibility is to understand the difference in speeds and make appropriate accommodations thereof. we have been on the