work we have done in preparation. all of the city departments have been working on this planning for a couple of years before h1n1 came. the city departments and within our own staff, we just had amazing -- we all came together around h1n1, and we did a really fabulous job as a city, so i think everyone deserves great things for how we handled h1n1. i also want to give thanks for my daughter and my husband. a lot of late nights i worked and phone calls during dinner and i want to thank them for their support. thanks to all of you, and we are a really great city, and we are ready for our next unknown disease. [applause]

>> [inaudible] management team. having been nominated by trent rohr, head of the human services agency. [applause] >> thank you. i guess i have been in the work force development team for 43 years, and it has taken me that long to get to the oscars. [laughter] thanks to my fellow managers, i would like to say that in these 42 years, this has been the most successful collaborative effort

that i have ever participated on. our director tim w. years ago made a presentation where he said what san francisco needs is a subsidized employment program, where here we are. 4227 families were put to work. over $60 million was brought into the city. [applause] we could not have done this without support from the entire city and the business sector. this collaborative included personnel, contracts, all different levels of management, the chamber of commerce, private business, and, of course, the

job seekers. thank you very much. it is an honor for us. [applause] [applause] demo what a wonderful group of award winners of the 2011 good government award. we heart city government. thank you all for being here. stay as long as you want, and be

sure to come up and congratulate the winners. thank you. [horns honking]

announcer: the first step to getting into college is finding someone who can help. for the next steps, >> we feel with ff park works as well as scombect it to, it will be a powerful example for cities around the world that's an effective solution that is easily replicated. this new approach to managing parking includes realtime information on parking availability via the web, handheld devices and soon the meant transportation commission

511 service. we will also be able to extend our parking meter time limits. we're installing new meters that have technology that makes it much more easier to pay and demand responsive pricing to charge the lowest price possible to make it easier to find parking here in the city. your presence today is greatly appreciated and it's reflective of our partnership with the federal government, our regional and local government, as well as support from the academic world. accordingly, i would like to especially recognize some special guests who are with us here today -- mayor edwin -- our mayor here as well as a very special welcome to the deputy administrative of the federal highway administration, greg nato, who has traveled across the nation from d.c. to be with us here today, our president of the board of supervisors, supervisor david chu. tom nolan, chairman of the board and also dr. donald shupe, our

professor of urban planning at the university of irving-los angeles and worldwide expert claim on parking. we're also joined by m.t.a. director cheryl brinkman. and we're also joined by supervisor scott wiener as well as chairman of the transportation authority ross mercuriami. we're glad you're all able to be here with us. we're also joined by leslie rogers, regional administrator of the federal transit administration. we also have jose luis moss covitts of the transportation authority, jim lazarus of our san francisco chamber of commerce is here, along with red rifkin of the san francisco city of public works and melanie from the department of environment. we had a strong partnership. there was no way we could do this work without a strong partnership here within the city planning and the port of san francisco that had a strong

partnership with us at s.f. park and agreed to participate in the pilot program. we have a great team of individuals at the m.t.a. who worked on this project for the past couple of years and i need to make sure we especially thank them and jape primus and steve lee. -- jay primus and steve lee. [applause] and i think you saw earlier on we had some of our team that works out in the field, our parking meter shops, those individuals also deserve recognition. they've done a great job to get us here today. they're tireless efforts have gotten us to a point on behalf of this agency, we need to make sure they get recognized and thank you for that. to begin, it's my privilege to introduce san francisco mayor edwin lee, who as everyone knows is a stall wart and abiding champion of sustainable streets and all transportation initiatives that enhance the quality of life in san francisco

for residents, businesses and visitors alike. mayor lee avidly supports the employment of technology throughout the city and he encourages us to look for an innovative solution that reduces congestion and allow our economy to grow and prosper. he wants our streets to be safer and more attractive and efficient for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit customers and automobile users. so i would like to call up at this time our mayor, mayor lee. >> thank you, nat. once again thank you for the leadership at sf-mta and your board's leadership at launching this program. how many of you have been dumb in your past? how many you have acted dumb? i have. when you're driving around looking for a parking space and you're double parking and you're running around trying to see

whether or not something will open, you're dumb. because the reality of it is you're increasing the carbon emissions, you're blocking traffic, you're doing all the dumb things we all hate but we've all been there. i've been there. i have to admit, i've donna. and i want to get smarter at it. and i know working the city, being a resident of the city, we're a much more enlightened city for the rest of the world to look at, we want to be less dumb about it. that's why i'm so grateful to launch our pilot frahm of s.f. park. that's going to be our san francisco version of congestion pricing. right to the meter. right to the parking spaces. and for some time now i've been absorbing what are all of these little markers going around and being placed in all of these parking spaces.

oh, they're going to try to do something smarter. maybe it will come back to us in a smart way. with the help of our federal highway administration, thank you very much for doing this, with the help of leader pelosi and her advocacy and her policy, guidance souun port, federal highway administration, department of transportation, all of froirneds there, we got some very serious funding for our m.t.a. we put them to work and through their leadership and through the collaboration with departments like public works and our other departments and environment department and others and our traffic divisions we come up with i think one of the best pilot programs i have ever seen. we will make a few mistakes, i'm sure. but to open up this intelligent way of parking on-time information, dwrate that's going to be supplied to your very phone, your handheld phone, the ability to text information back and forth and find the best

space, the best timing for that space, we're going to be able to plan our days a little bit better and be in less -- less in each other's way, let's put it that way, so we can comfortably find more park willing it's in our garages with the intelligent signage we have there, digital signages or with your own application on on your computer or in the very near future but in this year being able to calm 5501 and finding out where the patterns are. this pilot project will be focused on the most congested area of the city to start right off with. those areas where you're already seeing the dumb action, running around, running around, where can i get a parking space? to have an intelligent system speak to us right at the parking meter, you know, i don't know if all of you know this, you probably don't, in chinese the parking meter that's name is lofu gay, which means a lion machine, and in the chinese

culture when you're confronted with a lion, the lion eats you. that's what a parking meter does, it eats you. it eats your hand, it eats your arm, eats coins, it eats every dollar in your pocket until we become smarter where we can use credit cards. we started all of that. it's become less the beast and watch around and ask anybody in chinatown, it's a lion machine that eats you because that's all it's been about. today i think we're trying to change that picture. it's less the beast and more the helpful ability because it's a smarter and more intelligent machine out there and it's got the sensors and it's going to provide the public and in particular, it's going to provide the dozens of new technology companies that are coming into the city with a stream of data. i wouldn't be surprised if you're going to be able to tweet

some things even more very quickly. where you're at because you found a parking space. you will be so happy, you will tweet it out w that stream of data that is now going to be available through s.f. park in this launch will allow other types of applications to be developed in the very, very near future t will allow even more intelligence to be out there for free so that other companies can come in and help us. and that's what dr. shuber had in mind when you helped us with this. that's where our applicant developers, i met him this morning are developing. we have it on iphone starting today. but we'll have it for other handheld depee vices to make -- devices to make it easier. this kind of intelligence will bring us from the dumb actions we had in the past to the ability to have people know where parking is and to have the prices adjusted accordingly. when in the high-demand times, of course, prices will be a little higher whcht it's lower, it's got to be lower.

and where it ought to be free, it should be free. or it should be left alone like it will be in the mill moore area. so -- fillmore area. a lot of this will be our congestion pricing program for the city of frake but it will be something neighborhoods aren't fighting over. all of the local businesses and in particular the small businesses along all of these corridors will also be able to benefit. i can probably tell you it won't be too long for now that where some of our feck companies will team up with some of the small businesses in these congested areas and offer up even more applications so you can visit the areas and get the best pricing for parking as possible and went to eat your hand up, it won't eat your household funds up as we always feared parking is done. parking wars in this town have been historic and now we have, i

think, the beginning of a solution. so i want to thank all of the collaborative organizations that are working together. i want to make sure that this becomes part of the way we do business here, part of the way people visit, part of the way people think and plan their day out. ultimately, it will reduce carbon emissions. it will make our society even better. that's what i'm in it for. that's why this whole week, a lot of it has been about quality of life, it's been about our environment. this will contribute to that. i want to thank the m.t.a. for your leadership on this. this launch is a pilot but it's going to be a meaningful one. we've already started, i think, adjusting those prices and they may not adjust right away on an every day or every hour basis. i think we will be adjusting prices maybe on a 30-day basis just so we can begin starting. but to get smarter and more intelligent as time goes on. as a pilot, we get to make a few mistake so live with those as we can improve it, our professor

says we can make a few mistakes. because that's ok too. we're a city of inovation and we allow ourselves to get better and better. with that, thank you very much. congratulations nat on a wonderful project. i'm going to be able to demonstrate this after the other speak sore i'm staying here for -- speaker so i'm staying here for that. >> thank you, mayor lee. it is most appropriate he is with us today, federal highway administrator, because the federal government was generous in a $20 million funding for thrandmark project. deputy administrator nato heads up the shwt everyday counts initiative which is designed to employ innovation to shorten project delivery time, enhance safety on the nation's roadways

and protect our environment. innovation is certainly the key element in the essex park pilot -- s.f. park pilot project we're launching today. please come up deputy director nato. >> thank you. appreciate it. good morning. it is indeed a pleasure to be here in the great city of san francisco. apparently, mr. mayor, home of the friendly parking meter. i will do my best to spread that word across the nation. mr. mayor, president chu, honored guests, thanks very much for inviting me to be part of this wonderful event. it's a pleasure to be here representing not only u.s. secretary ray lahood but my administrator victor mendez. secretary lahood's shop and in the obama administration, innovation isn't only expected

of their agency, it's demanded. and this really is a terrific example of innovation addressing a number of challenges that major cities across the country face. so congratulations. it really speaks directly and help solves the dilemma that motorists really have faced since the invention of the automobile, where in the world do i park? so i'm very excited to see how you're addressing that firsthand. s.f. park creates a perfect marriage of technology, realtime information and pricing to make it easier for people to park here in downtown san francisco. those strategies are at the heart of the department's urban partnership program, which includes a handful of cities that made aggressive and creative plans to reduce congestion. san francisco is one of our

urban partners and federal highway administration was pleased and proud to award that grant of $20 million that was mentioned for this project. but this is not just about technology or pricing. it's about making it easier to park in a major city and all of the benefits that flow from addressing that one issue. it starts with reducing traffic by having fewer cars, double parking or burning fuel or essentially being dumb as the mayor so eloquently put it, as you're looking for a parking space. by giving the same motorists -- and i have to confess, i have been dumb -- by giving those same motorists realtime parking information. we help keep traffic moving, reduce congestion, improve air quality and make even a beautiful city like san francisco more liveable. we also make it easier for people to shop at local businesses, help buses and trolleys more effectively and make streets generally safe are

for everyone, including pedestrians and people on bicycles. by reducing congestion and having fewer drivers circling the block. these are all goals we strongly support at the department of transportation, safety, growing the economy, creating more liveable communities and improving air quality. so we're advancing a number of major priorities with this one unique new and innovative program you're launching here in san francisco. president obama talks often about winning the future, by out-educating, out building and out-innovating the rest of the world. s.f. park is a great example of how innovation can be put to use and mow its benefits can -- how its benefits can ripple through the community and the economy. so well done san francisco. you are leading one against by utilizing innovation and i'm sure big cities across the

nation will learn from your example from the pilot you're launching here today and emulate the kind of creativity and innovation that you're utilizing to address what is to say the least a very common flob big cities across the country. thank you for your leadership, your application and innovation and your partnership with u.s. d.o.t. and the federal highway administration. [applause] >> thank you, mr. deputy director. it is now my pleasure to introduce the president of the san francisco board of supervisors, david chew, who has been a strong supporter of parking reform in the city and look at it as a means of encouraging economic growth for local communities and merchants. of course, of course, is a major element of the s.f. park program and most appropriate at this time when it appears the local economy is finally rebounding of the great recession the past few years. president chu?

>> thank you, everyone. the mayor referred to today's announcement as the announcement of taming a beast. i think today's announcement is about a four-letter word -- p-a-r-k. this is a word that engendered often four-letter other words. and what we're trying to do is turn this four-letter word from a word we have learned to hate into a word that we love or at least a word that we like. i am someone who stands in front of you as a supervisor who doesn't own a car, who usually bikes to city hall. one little known fact about myself is that 11 years ago, for a six-month period, i actually owned a car. and during that six-month time period, i spent countless hours every week circling my very crowded neighborhood for

parking. i think i personally helped to fund the deficit of the m.t.a. during the mini meltdown in 1989 and i got rid of my car for reasons that many folks have gotten rid of their car. fortunately, we know in this day and age, despite all of the things we're trying to do for bicycles, for city car share, for taxis, pedestrians and for muni, cars absolutely need to be a part of the fabric of how we build a 21st century transportation system. this is why today's announcement is so incredibly exciting. for any of you on the streets yesterday, i think you saw a vision of the future that could be. when president obama was here, we had some of the worst congestion on our streets that anyone has seen in recent months. this is the daily experience of residents in los angeles, in mexico city, in bangkok, in many cities around the world. from my perspective i think the

future of a great city has to be a city that deals and tames the lion beast of congestion, that figures out how to manage our parking, and i think this is exactly the way to do it. this announcement is now incredibly exciting because today we are entering the 21st century technological world of bringing data and open applications and iphones and online crowded source developers to help us figure out how we're going to do this in a smart way, how we're going to do this in a fresh way, how we're going do this in a way that saves us time and makes us official and makes san francisco the most liveable city we can be. on behalf of the board of supervisor and i know supervisor weemer is here, i want to thank the chair of our t.a. and the mayor and all of the city staffers who have been working four years to make this happen, we look forward to the day when

we can drive around the streets, spend less than three minutes looking for parking and get on with our lives. thank you for being part of this wonderful announcement. >> i mefpksed we could not do -- mentioned we could not do something of this magnitude with a strong partner and one is the department of transportation authority. i would like to call up the vice chairman, who is a strong champion of improved transportation modes in the city and choice of modes in the city. >> good morning. today is my 2-year-old's birthday and we are looking for parking all morning just to drop him off to childcare, and i was just -- why is this the case? we didn't even have a white zone to drop him off.

it's wonderful to be here. i want to say congratulations to san francisco, mayor lee, president chiu, my colleagues, thank you 0 to the m.t.a. i'm wearing the hat as chairman of the transportation authority and i have to say as we introduce and celebrate the commemoration of s.f. park, i'm so glad we're also welcoming your not ordinary smart meter into san francisco, finally we have a smart meter that doesn't cause headaches t. actually helps them. and this is i think based on the knowledge we have 24,000 parking meters in san francisco, coming downtown there are over 200,000 vehicles that enter san francisco's borders every single day. it is incumbent upon us to do everything we can to try to alleviate that congestion. when parkway project formally known as doyle drive was being instigated by the deposition authority and working closely with the t.a. and m.t.a., what

was born out of that was a congestion pricing program. it was then the transportation authority began negotiations with the federal government, with the urban partnership agreement that would seek that $20 million that stemmed from that particular project and that was then assigned to the m.t.a. so we would be able to give birth to the s.f. park program. that's critical that has now put san francisco on the map nationally. and us being able to rise to the frofey standard of us being one of the most environmentally green conscious cities in this country and we would like to believe on this planet and at the same time alleviate and answer the large question about what are we going to do about congestion and about parking? we like very much the overtures that are being made about the -- certainly the complication, the challenge of congestion pricing. we really are very, very i think revved up by the federal government's gestures towards helping local governments like ours. we believe we have a great

bookend strategy here about what we're starting on addressing congestion and congestion pricing and looking forward to the future leadership of the federal government and answering this in other cities around the country. and for us to expand our congestion pricing strategies here in san francisco. thank you very much. [applause] >> you now have the opportunity to introduce my chairman, man who served on the m.t.a. board of directors since 2006 and elected chairman in 2009. chairman tom nolan's background in policy making and leadership in the transportation arena, to put it mildly, is extensive and well known. chairman nolan, can you please come on up. [applause] >> perhaps you would like to take a few minutes first to remind people who don't ow