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TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

October 2000
Shining Stars
24th Annual Transportation Awards

DORIS W. KAHN ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION AWARD
MIRIAM L. GHOLIKELY

Miriam Gholikely
Photo: Catalina Alvarado
It is appropriate that the word "go" is phonetically present in Miriam Gholikely's last name. This year's recipient of the Doris W. Kahn Accessible Transportation Award is always on the go on behalf of those not able to get around themselves.

Gholikely, known for her gentle persistence, has been at the forefront of transit advocacy for nearly three decades.

"We haven't always had the convenience of public transit that we currently enjoy," she reminds us.

She is a past member of the San Mateo County Transit District board of directors, and served as chair in 1985. In 1987, she was instrumental in the initiation of a $25 million trust fund for paratransit services; the trust fund was created in conjunction with a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in San Mateo County.

In 1994, she was elected to the American Public Transit Association Hall of Fame, a national honor reserved for a select few transit professionals.

Despite improvements, Gholikely says, "We still have people who need public transportation. And they need it not only from the crack of dawn until sunset: They need it 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
-- Catalina Alvarado

The Doris W. Kahn Accessible Transportation Award honors former MTC Chair Doris Kahn, particularly her lifelong commitment to public transit and her tireless devotion to providing equal access for all the citizens of the San Francisco Bay Area. The award, created in 1991, goes to the person or organization whose efforts have resulted in significant improvement in transportation services for the elderly and for persons with disabilities.

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