couple of themes we've heard there's a crisis that requires an emergency and work together but you've heard that is a soluble problem and something that san francisco, california quickly establish itself as a leader. one of the ways we're doing this to focus our enforcement resources and our education resources and our engineering effort you hear data driven we're using date as a model of for the city in terms of how we use our resources so who is driving that data i want to acknowledge ben rosenfeld and barbara garcia and her staff and tilly chang at the county of transportation authority and the

planning department. we've had a lot of which the smarter mind but last but not least the staff of the mta the sustainable street staff a lot of the bright minds in the city working together to analyze this data that will help us use our resources enforcement and education and when it comes time to pitting things in the ground the department of public works and mayor's office on disability and carmen johnson and tom from our building inspector we're working he together to put this stuff in the ground and that finally at the sfmta we're led had by a board of directors they've identified safety as the number one priority so i want to

acknowledge sheryl bringing man here strongest voice advocating for bicycle and pedestrian safety and all the road users with all the folks standing behind me and all the staff work and everybody in san francisco a taking on the challenge and responsibility to slow down and be aware and get around the city safer we can make this a great place so thanks to the folks behind me >> all of you looking forward to marking this a safer city. thank

>> welcome everyone. looks like we have a big crowd here with my board of trustees

standing behind me. this is a celebration of the completion of our new chinese hospital. during the last week, we had asked staff and dpoornz and decreases to sign their name on the last beam that will be installed. i want to congratulate your hospital happily and dp r on hair achievement we can see today. and now i'd like to invite the mayor who is the most excited about this hospital who wants to say a few words (clapping.) well, first of all, it's existing to be here among those vigorous men (laughter) >> you know, a long time ago

we're reminded our community had a lot of barriers and chinese hospital was one of those institution that were create by people themselves making sure that they came back can take care of each other. today is it's the same story chinese hospital teaspoons to be that symbol we take care of each other. it's no surprise that as a result felt people around and behind me and another popcorn who's in china trying to collect someone else we're continuing to raise money for inform institution that we honor the entire staff who work here everyday to make sure that they take care of the health of people and that they are now in

the morning no longer an swloitd is o isolated hospital they define our city that has the highest level of health care facilities in the country. a 5 hospitals currently are under seismic construction and this is one of them. if you talk to anyone this is unprecedented. i join with former carman chow and the rest of the board come on up carmen. she's still shy (laughter) you, you know, leaders like kindergart cindy i didn't wu and david deserves to be up here.

and michelle the chamber of commerce, the benevolent organization that have time been asked by politically to give up some money and individuals who have left their family legacies to be at this hospital and individuals like james and others who have joined me on things like the night of a banquet flings and a golf and other go things and contractors every year who come together to join us at the gulf tournament. there are so many people contributing to them volunteer wise and we honor them today by the fast pace and 2k5ek9d staff

we want this up as soon as possible because the services are vital. we want this to be the whole network of the health services. so i congratulate everyone here today and produced of our community for being so supportive and our international community. i'm sure you're aware of we're located by officials in china and along with private investmentors this is for our chinese hospital and the chinese community in san francisco but it's a part of the great history of this city. i think it's something everyone in the city is proud of i'm proud of it as well. thank you voerdz and the chinese hospital your administration and your board of trustees and the

community organizations that are doing height right now and brenda please take this opportunity to feel really, really good, i know it's a challenge every day you're dealing with crisis but this is the moment we all share a community wide success and the topping of is going to be not only celebrated today but i can't wait to step into a seismically safe hospital that's called chinese hospital. thank you very much (clapping.) and now carmen chu from the office. >> thank you thank you very much mayor ed lee and brenda our terror also effort.

this project is so special it - when its complete this will be generates and generates of folks who are able to benefit from the chinese hospital pr it's so important it's not only a hospital for the community but also has exempt if i had a project by the community and all the people you see on a day to day and many more around us and all made this project possible mayor ed lee spoke = quantity he is a tireless champion but he was a champion before being a mayor going to the fundraiser so i want to thank all the people who have made this project possible. this is a community effo for the community i'm so extremely powder to be here

congratulations (clapping) >> finally your president of our board mr. tommy. >> thank you brenda. and now i want to thank our mayor mayor ed lee you've been a great supporter of this building of this new chinese hospital. and all the dig towards ladies and gentlemen, it's and a long journey to reach this major million stone in building our new hospital. as the hospitals president and the community leader it brings me great achievement this is a finally happening. we thank all those who donated

it in support of this project and especially to recognize our donors this is the merchant association and the state folks for fundraising we still need 25 million to reach our $660 million goal. i unusual you're going you to continue to support our fundraising efforts. thank you (clapping.) thanks tommy now the final signatures of the last beam. why don't we all spread out so

the mayor - (inaudible)

[music] paratransit is specialized transportation for seniors and people with disabilities who are unable to use the muni system. in san francisco, we're proud that we've had a paratransit program since 1978 long before it was mandated by the americans with disabilities act in 1990. san francisco is a unique city and our paratransit program reflects this. we have a network of services, including sf access van service, paratransit taxi, including wheelchair accessible ramp taxi and group van which serves groups of individuals going to a single location like a senior center.

[music] >> i'm elsa scott and i'm a retired federal employee and i'm a native of san francisco. i use paratransit because, i've been using it for about six years because six years ago i had to start dialysis treatments at cpmc. so i'm very dependent on paratransit three times a week, coming and going.. my current driver is brian berquist.; he's just such a friendly, sort of a teddy bear kind of a guy. i don't know what it is about brian, but all of us old ladies want to feed brian. [music]

>> hi, my name is fred lein. i'm most proud of driving a ramp taxi since the beginning of the program in 1994. [music] >> fred, you are the absolute best! thank you fred for providing transportation for me and opening up my social life, and taking care of medical appointments, taking care of my mother [music] >> hi, my name is ann bailey and i've driven for luxor for almost five years now. i drove for desoto cab for 10 years prior to that. i drove in 1976 for the old, old yellow cab.

this is frances mecchi and i've been driving her for about 11 or 12 years to her alzheimer's day program, which we call the memory club. every day when we drive through the presidio she'll say, "oh goody, you're taking me through the enchanted forest." [music] >> my name amr a.mahmoud. i am like 49 years old. i have been driving cab more than 13 year in general. then i drove a ramp more than 3 years. this is my fourth now. i have been enjoying doing the job.

i like every moment of it. >> thank you amr. [music} >> hi, my name is peter and i'm a paratransit driver for medsam, and this is north and south of market where i pick up my group and drop them off at home. >> thank you , peter! [singing] you are my sunshine. very good driver. she says driver is very good. number 1. [music] larry mingo, mobility plus driver, san francisco paratransit. >> thank you, mingo.

>> you're welcome. >> hi, mingo. >> thank you, mingo. >> thank you, mingo. thank you. [music] >> thank you, larry mingo. >> hey larry mingo, you are awesome. thanks for a great, great job you do for us. appreciate it. >> thank you, mingo. [music] >> hello, my name is james fells i've been working with paratransit for 13 years now. i get a kick out of the job; i like helping people you know when they need help to go shopping or getting picked up at the medical building. i really like helping people and that's why i've been working so long. >> hi, my name is kalani. i'm a driver with mobility plus. i love my job! and i've been working, i've been a driver since may and i'm pretty

satisfied with the company. so, two thumbs up, hope you guys have a nice day. >> sandra johnson and i've been working for mobility plus for about 4 and a half years. i love it. this is my job and i love it. it's very rewarding for me. one of my proudest moments is one of my clients left his cane on the bus and i've been picking him up now for about three years so i know that that cane was important to him. and i had dropped him off and i noticed the cane later on that day so i kept it with me and when i went back down to la play, when i worked my way back down there on a break to give it to him, he kissed my hand, 'cuz he can't talk. so he grabbed my hand and he kissed my hand. it just made me know that that was an important thing for him. so that was my proudest moment.

[music] >> one couple who were riding with us, morning and afternoon, mr. and mrs. lee. mr. lee was the dialysis patient and he's probably in his 80's and every time we would drive up to buchanan street, the hospital, mr. lee would say, "good job, fine driver, number one driver" and he would go like this [thumbs up gesture]. and then as brian would be helping him off the van, mr. lee, i heard him so often say, "brian, if anybody gives you any trouble you send them to me and i'll take care of them." and here great big old brian would say, "henry, you're the first one i would try to get help from." and he says, "the second one is elsa." [laugh] so we knew that we were being relied on by brian. a few weeks back, mrs. lee called brian early in the morning to tell him not to bother picking them up because they were already at the hospital. mr. lee was ill and she had taken

him to the er. the next day or so, brian, on his lunchtime, found out that mr. lee had been admitted to the hospital and he went up to mr. lee's room and just stuck his head in just to say hello. and the minute mr. lee saw him he went [gesture thumb up in the air] like that. and mrs. lee said, "he's telling you again you're number one driver. so brian really appreciated that; he thought that was really sweet. but he could see mr. lee wasn't doing so well so he left really quickly. and unfortunately, mr. lee passed away that evening. that had a great impact on brian and me. it was very sad, but it was so touching that he had seen mr. lee and mr. lee had confirmed that brian was "number one driver." >> this is san francisco

paratransit. it's not perfect; we have our ups and downs: late trips, frustrated customers, stressed out drivers. but at our best, we get our riders where they need to go on time and with a smile. and when we pay attention real carefully and notice what's happening on the van, taxi, or at the senior center, we notice that our drivers make a difference in the rider's lives and the riders make a difference in the drivers lives.