Transit Times Volume 7, Number 12

8/9/2019 Transit Times Volume 7, Number 12

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Vol. 7 No. 12 OAKLAND, APRIL 1965

Bay Transit Coordination Study BeginsEast Bay and San Francisco Join Rapid TransitIn $792,500 Federal Study; Director Appointed

How existing hus and street carfacilities will tie-in with the futurerapid transit network became a matterof detailed and complex planningthis month with the launching of ajoint $792,500 study.

Named as project director was E.Sam Davis, who took a leave of absence as AC Transit director of research and planning to head up theprogram on coordinating East Bay andSan Francisco service with Bay AreaRapid Transit.Appointment of Davis was announced by the project's board of control, made up of the general managersof the three agencies directly involved:K. F. Hensel of AC Transit, B.R. Stokesof BARTD and James K. Carr, repre-

senting the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.Cost of the study will be paid by thelocal agencies and by the U.S. Hous

ing and Home Finance Agency, whichapproved demonstration grants totaling $528,332 to help in establishing apractical and efficient method of coordinating existing surface transportation with the rail system.

The year-long study is expected todevelop a pattern that will affect millions of riders and taxpayers in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties.The project also will serve as ashowcase for other metropolitanareas throughout the nation engagedin similar concepts of how to effective-

(Continued on Page 2)

STUDY LAUNCHED-E.Sam Davis, left, projectdirector of a joint studyinto how present transitsystems can be coordinated with the futurerapid transit network,discusses complexitieswith general managers ofthree agencies involved;left to right, James K.Carr, San Francisco Pub-lic Utilities Commission;K. F. Hensel, AC Transit;B. R. Stokes, BARTD.


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Federal Grant Helps Finance Proiect(Continued from Page 1)ly coordinate surface an d rapid transitoperations.Davis, who has over a half-centuryof experience in transportation management and operations, is a recognized expert within th e industry an dwa s a unanimous choice of the threeagencies for director.He said th e project would includeplanning of local service routing thatwould "feed" passengers to rapidtransit stops, the setting up of farean d transfer structures, expediency inhandling transferring passengers, an deffects of the coordination an d meansof promoting use of the service.Davis has a background of practicalexperience covering all phases ofurban and interurban movement ofpeople, including an actual workingknowledge of problems involved inmeshing the operations of differentsystems.He entered th e transit field in EastSt. Louis, Ill., in 1914 "o n foot" afterwalking through rain to apply for ajob with th e local street car company.

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Davis, who lives with his wife,Bids Advertised fo rMore 'Transit Liners'To Improve Service

Bids were advertised this month for another 25 to 30 new buses, which will allowth e district to replace most of th e oldercoaches now in use on neighborhood hillroutes.Specifications call for buses seating 45passengers and 51 passengers. Total costis estimated at about $850,000.Th e coaches will bring th e district'sHeet of new equipment up to 370 to 375,well over half of the total line-up of 637buses. They will permit retirement of someof the 1200 type buses used on hilly linesand school runs, and also add new coachesto basic cross-town operations, as well asfree additional late models for peak-hourcommute service.Half of the order is to be delivered bySept. 30 and the remainder by Dec. 31.

Ruth, at 17849 Carmel Dr., CastroValley, figures he probably got hisjob because he used the time waitingfor his interview by pressing his we tsuit on a work bench.He won his first post as transportation super intendent a number ofdecades ago, sticking to hard work,long hours an d "figuring better waysto do things."After directing local an d intercitytransportation in the vicinity of EastSt. Louis, Davis became transportation

superintendent fo r National CityLines, supervising transit companiesin various states an d setting up operations for newly acquired systems.Later, he spent nine years as a pri vate consultant, working in citiesthroughout the country. In 1953,Davis returned to Key System TransitLines as superintendent of schedules,taking the post of traffic engineer twoyears later.He was named director of researchand planning after AC Transit wentinto operation in 1960.Engineering firms selected to workon the project include, as primary con

sultants, Simpson & Curtin of Philadelphia. Working as sub-contractors willbe Kaiser Engineers of Oakland; De Leuw, Cather & Co., of San Francisco,and FMC Corp . of Santa Clara.A green light on th e project wasgiven earlier in the month by RobertC. Weaver, HH FA administrator, wh oapproved th e federal grant followingextensive discussions between th ethree local agencies and John C . Kohlof th e HHFA Office of Transportation.Th e federal grants include $195,866for a joint AC Transit an d BARTDstudy, an d $332,466 for a concurrentjoint S.F. Muni an d BARTD studywhich will include a proposed modernization program for San Francisco'spresent system.

OperatorWins 'Golden Wheel'

Award for AprilBus driver James O. Perdue, 63,who at one time ha d trouble gettingalong with passengers - until somepointed advice from his superintenden t pu t him "back on th e track" - hasbeen named "Golden Wheel" awardwinner for April.Perdue was chosen for th e award fordistinguished service by an independen t panel of judges, on basis of lettersreceived from passengers on his 23rdSt.-San Jose Ave. line.Frequently he has been commendedby riders for cogrtesy, for looking ou tfor elderly people and those with difficulties, for being friendly and cheerful .an d for calling ou t each stop so

passengers know exactly where theyare.A driver for 20 years, Perdue admits he once "had a problem" withhis work. at a time when he had a lotof personal worries an d sickness inhis family.He credits T . V. McLean, superintendent of th e Seminary division,for "putting me straight.""H e me t me at th e en d of the line,on e morning before daylight. He toldme if I couldn't say something with asmile, not to say it at all."The last thing he said was: 'Remember now, keep smiling!' Boy, Iwas as ma d as a we t hen!"

Courtesy pays for James O. Perdue,whose consideration of passengerswins award for distinguished service.

But Perdue took the advice.' 'I'm proud of my job an d I ge t alongswell. I f somebody gives me a ba dtime, I remember they'll be gettingoff in a few minutes, so why get up set."

Although it wasn't considered bythe judges in recognizing Perdue'scontributions to th e district's success,the operator is a champion of studentriders and conducts his own programof recognizing their "good behavior."Perdue, who lives with his wife at2437 67th Ave., Oakland, is a graduateminister, bu t has no plans for preaching until after he retires .Th e award includes a $50 U.S. Savings Bond, a "Golden Wheel Distinguished Service" lapel pin and awardcertificate.Perdue, who likes to "tinker," isparticularly proud of his latest accomplishment, making himself a tooth ou tof a bi t of an old airplane propeller.As he admits, this makes him one operator who can "take-off," as well asdrive off!

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TRANSIT FUTURE - How Richmond Police Department keeps "tabs" onpolice and fire equipment through electronic tracking system serves as study-model for district communicationplans. H. M. Watson, left, el ectronics engineer,and Police Capt. Earl Fitch, center, discuss details of panel with H. D. White,AC Transit operations executive.IAII-Systems-G0 1 for New Bus Track PlanAC Transit moved into th e electronics field this month with plansfor a two-way radio communicationsan d tracking system which wouldspeed up service, while preventing

disturbances an d hold-ups.To help finance th e system, neverbefore used by a transit property inthis country, th e district made preliminary application to the u.s. Housingan d Home Finance Agency fo r acapital grant.With the grant, th e district wouldequip 40 0 coaches with two-wayradios, install an electronic trackingboard, and "trigger" operator's moneyboxes with an automatic signallingdevice.Costs were estimated at $436,853,with AC Transit to pay one-third ofth e cost. Th e program initially isplanned over a two-year period, withhalf of the units to be installed in th ecoming fiscal year an d the remainderin the following year.Th e grant would permit the districtto connect its basic fleet with a tele-4

phone-type radio system, which wouldallow two-way conversations betweena central dispatcher an d on e operator,a group of operators or all operators.A seperate circuit also would permitoperators to talk to supervisors or toeach other.Th e tracking panel, similar to advanced models used by police departments, would keep an accurate checkas to location of all transit vehicles .Th e emergency signal device oncash boxes would send a coded signal

to headquarters, giving bus numberan d location in event th e box is liftedor moved-an added deterent to robberies .In operating situations, includingthose involved in providing feeder busservice to rapid transit stations, thesystem would make it possible to immediately turn back equipment, ad dmore buses to a line, reroute coachesan d make th e best, most effective us eof district equipment, the applicationstated.

Retirement Pins Presented to DistrictVeterans in Appreciation of Service

First official presentation of I"etirement pins was made this month whenth e district initiated a program of honoring longtime employees for theirvalued and dedicated efforts in behalfof the industry.Mrs. Virginia Gamble of 2014-AClinton Ave., Alameda, wh o ha dworked in the accounting an d treasurydepartments since Aug. 1943-and

who wanted to leave quietly withoutany plaudits - was presented with thepin by General Manager K. F. Hensel.As assistant to Mrs. MargaretDesmond, chief revenue clerk, Mrs.Gamble issued the passenger revenuereports -converting amount of revenue into number of passengers carried on the district's fleet of 637 buses.A beaming John J. Jacoby, of 980Mountain Blvd., Oakland, a bus driverfor 39 years, also received his pinfrom the general manager, with D. J.Potter, transportation manager, addinghis congratulations.Jacoby started as a street car operator in 1925. Bu t tw o an d a half yearslater he became a steady bus driver.For 33 of hi s driving years, Alamedahas been on on e en d of the line - most-

First official retirement pin presentationis maai to Mrs. Virginia Gamble, left, byGeneral Manager K. F. Hensel. Looking onare]. F. Larson, center, treasurer-controller,and W. G. Skilling, assistant treasurer.

ly Line 51-58 and, for th e past 13years, Line 42.Jacoby first drove across the oldWebster St. bridge on the AlamedaOakland bus line in October, 1928,then through th e Posey Tube when itopened the same month.But the city has changed so much,according to Jacoby, that when hetook a "busman's holiday" to th e easten d of Alameda recently he "got lost"until he found High St.Born in Bidwell Bar, Butte County,where his grandfather was a pioneersettler, Jacoby plans to spend hisfree time redecorating his home an dgetting back to "taking pictures."Missing the presentation was Benjamin F. Rawles, who started as astreet ca r operator in 1944 an dswitched to driving a bu s in 1948.Rawles, who moved from 1711 MinerAve., San Pablo, to return to Mississippi, retired because of il l health.The pin has the AC Transit emblemin yellow gold, with three diamondson a white gold plaque.

Bus Operator John 1- Jacoby proudly displays hisv into K. F. Hensel an d D. j.Potter, transportation manager.5


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Operators OR and Rolling in AnnualBus-O-Rama Contest to Pick Top Driver

Wheels started turning - in practice- this month, as district operatorswent to th e starting line for th e BusO-Rama of 1965, a driving skill contestto again pick th e top "Driver of theYear."April 1 was se t as beginning date forthe contest, the deadline for entriesfrom an accident point of view. Operators are eligible to try th e obstaclecourse and demonstrate their skillprovided they do no t have a "fivepoint" or more accident after the Apr. 1date.Eliminations will begin shortlyafter schools close for summer vacation an d finals are tentatively scheduled for July.As in th e first Bus-O-Rama contestlast year, the test on a laidout course

will simulate the same driving problems that exist in regular operationson streets.

Top honors last year went to B.R.McCaslin of Seminary division, wh ocarried off th e first place trophy because he drove "carefully, just likeon th e streets."

He was awarded a personal trophy,while a perpetual trophy wa s presented to his division.

Drivers wheeling through the coursewere scored on skill in avoiding obstacles, smoothness of operation an drunning time.

The contest was se t up by SafetyEngineer G. G. Wadsworth to givethe drivers a chance to prove for themselves "who is the best?"

New Employees Welcomed to AC TransitNew employees hired in February

an d March included:General Offices

Treasury: Byron Kunisawa, 1840Carleton St., Berkeley, part-time vaultclerk an d Kathryn Kero, 510 LincolnAve ., Alameda.

Emeryville DivisionMaintenance: William Finkbonner,1595 Dr y Creek Rd., San Jose.Bus Operators: W. P. Damato, 4609

Nevin Ave., Richmond; F. T. Heaton,2835 Canterbury Dr., Richmond; M. N.Reed, 140 Forest Side Ave., San Francisco; R. F. Root, 833 Pine St., Martinez; L. W. Davis, 225 Cary Circle,Vallejo; R. J. Shereck, 2240 StoneAve., San Pablo; A. S. Bell, 531 ValleVista Ave., Oakland; M. C. McCormick,307 Lake Ave., Rodeo; H. J. Lauterkorn, 520 Castro St., San Francisco;M. Z. McMillan, 5675 Gaskill St.,Oakland and C. E. Rowe, 3010 Pacheco Blvd., Martinez.8

Seminary DivisionMaintenance: Melvin Roberts, 806

Carolina St., Vallejo.Bus Operators: P. B. Clark, 2023-BVicksburg Ave., Oakland; B. Moncado, Jr., 33639 12th St., Union City;F. D. Bankston, 6249 Cotton Ave.,Newark; D. E. Williams, 1725-H Seminary Ave., Oakland; D. O. Miller,27467 Manon Ave., Hayward; J . C.Limtiaco, 5370 Nordica Ave., Fremont;J. c. Arriola, 5370 Nordica Ave., Fre- .mont; M. J. Sharpe, 431 Lloyd Ave.,San Leandro; J. L. Reading, 683 Memorial Way, Hayward; G. L. Baker,416 Smalley Ave., Hayward; N. E.Cobb, 3478 Baumbery Ave., Hayward; J. Kelii, 9314 Plymouth St.,Oakland; R. G. Glasenapp, 2060 96thAve., Oakland; M. H. Duke. 8061Greenridge Dr., Oakland; D. W.Matthews, 365 Smalley Ave., Hayward; C. Amato, 1342 Seminary Ave.,Oakland; E. B. Milburn, 1548 GreenValley Rd., Danville and J. Sawtell,2255 Courtland Ave., Oakland.

AC Transit is proud to reprint below a few of he many letters of commenda-tion received during the month -letters unsolicited from residents of the EastBay who are owners of the transit system. Letters were selected at random torepresent the quality of courtesy, service and safety demonstrated by AC per-sonnel in their most important relationship with our customers.

. . . we believe you are deservingof commendation for your service, an dmore particularly for your courtesyexemplified in your bu s drivers .. .only once have I seen a discourteousdriver an d I figure he wasn't well orha d a ba d day otherwise .. . It is th eusual case that your employees are ofthe highest type - willing to help thehandicapped or to wait for a latecomer - giving th e pedestrian andmotorist th e right-of wa y alwayskeep up the high standard . . .Mrs. E. V. McHenry

Oakland"" "" ""

Having been a bus commuter to SanFrancisco daily for many years . . . foronce it is a pleasure to write something complimentary . . . Bus operatorJ. M. Williams . . . is in my estimationth e finest, most cheerful an d courteousman you have in your company whodaily meets the public . .. Mr. Williams' unfailing helpfulness to th e"grumpy" type passengers on up tothe so-called normal type passengers,ne ver fails to amaze me . . . that hecan roll so readily with th e dailytribulations of traffic, weather conditions and the like. Sometimes he evenmakes me feel glad that I'm going towork, via his bus. Other passengersthat I have talked to have stated theylet other buses go by so that they couldride on his . . .

Richard D. MooreAlameda

Recently I spent some time at ahotel in downtown Oakland . Whilethere I went by bus to . . . sanitarium,Alameda ... these drivers were themost courteous an d helpful driversI've ever seen . An d I've seen many ofthem in different cities. It was heartwarming to see their sincere interestin the elderly women with children,the blind an d to strangers . . .

Miss Bertha CoxPasadena

"" "" "".. . I wish to commend on e of your"motormen" for courtesy an d thoughtfulness . . . I go t off . . . the bus startedup and then stopped immediately . Th emotorman called to me. He said I ha ddropped a package. He pointed ou tit had fallen in the gutter. It was a verysmall package an d I wonder that heeven noticed it. I think it was verynice an d kind of him to stop an d callmy attention to it an d I wish to thankhim . . . Mrs . L. C. Stewart

Berkeley

"" "" ""

I rode the Richmond 12M busfrom Oakland .. . this driver was oneof the most courteous I have ever seen. . . he stopped an d looked for passengers wh o wanted the 72 fromsmaller lines . . .

Mrs . J . E. PhilpotOakland

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Chiefof RailsEven after 40 years "o n the rails"

an d almost 30 years away from saltwater spray, a se a-faring man neverloses that look of far horizons . . .. . . Which is why C. N. Andersen,of 5841 Estates Dr., Oakland, an activean d forceful 82, is about to go down tothe sea again .It won't be before the mast of asailing vessel, as it was when he firstentered San Francisco Bay in 1898. Heplans to sail out the "Gate" this timeon a passenger cruise to Europe - another highlight in an "Alger boy"career which places hi m among transportation giants .

Like others who became Key System veterans , Andersen never plannedto stay when he asked the late J . P .Potter, Key's first superintendent, fora job in 1907 to placate the girl he wasengaged to an d wh o wanted him togive up the sea.Andersen, who ha d left his nativeDenmark at 15 to sail the Seven Seas,thought six months on dry land - an dstreetcars - would just about do it.

Bu t by 1908, trains had capturedAndersen and he moved up the line tobecome train director, superintendentof transportation and, in 1937, vicepresident in charge of operations, apost he held until retirement in 1947.

Bu t he has moments to remember.10

C. N. Andersen, Key Systemtransit "giant," was a conduc-tor in 1908 on "40th St. Din-key" with Ed Rademaker asmotorman . Below, "Andy"takes a look at the last of"his"trains, restored by a railwayhistorical society.

He recalls arriving off th e Gate th eday after the earthquake, to hear"there is no more San Francisco ."He lost all his belongings in the fireand, by the next year, had traded oneform of transportation for another .Sharing his love of the sea withferries and trains, Andersen remembers taking the first Key unit across thene w Bay Bridge on a sneak preview in1938; tying up the last Key ferry boatin January, 1939, then officially making the first transbay train trip the nextday.

He hired the first women to work onthe trains and, when train serviceended in 1958, he took the last unitacross the bridge.

And now, he's about to ge t his feetwe t again. Th e sailor has returnedand so are the horizons.

AC / transit PASSENGER REVENUE ... COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEAR1,180,0001,160,0001,140,0001,120,0001.100,0001,080,0001,060,0001,040,0001,020,0001,000,000

980,000960,000940,000920,000900,000880,000

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ACTIONS OF THE BOARDAt an adjourned regular meeting

March 24,1965, the Board of Directors: Authorized General Manager toexecute contract with U.S. Housing

and Home Finance Agency regardingdemonstration fund grant, on motionof Director Rinehart. (See story, Pg. 1.) Authorized General Manager toapply to U.S. Housing and FinanceAgency for capital grant to help purchase two-way radio system for district bus fleet, on motion of DirectorRinehart. (See story, Pg. 4.)

-{;:( -{;:( -{;:(At the regular board meeting April14, 1965, the Board of Directors: Appointed General Manager torepresent district on Board of Control,

with Bay Area Rapid Transit Districtand City and County of San Francisco,in connection with Federal transportation demonstration grant, on motionof Director Bettencourt.

Authorized board members to at-

Published monthly by theALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICTLatham Square Building 508 Sixteenth Street

Oakland, California 94612 Telephone 654"7878BOARD OF DIRECTORSWILLIAM H. COBURN, JR. . . . PresidentWard I

JOHN McDONNelL . . . . . Vice PresidentROBERT M. COPELAND.RAY H. RINEHART.WILLIAM E. BERK . . .WM. J. BETTENCOURT.E. GUY WARREN . . .

Ward IIID i r e c t o ~ at LargeDirector at lorge

Ward IIWard IV. . . Ward V

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERSKENNETH F. HENSEL . General ManagerROBERT E. NISBET . . . . . AttorneyJOHN F. LARSON. . . . . . . . Treasurer-Cont rollerGEORGE M. TAYLOR . . . . . SecretaryALAN l. BINGHAM . . . . Public Information Manager______ 5 - - - - - - ....

tend regional conference of AmericanTransit Association, on motion of Director Copeland. Retained Lybrand, Ross Bros . &Montgomery to perform audit for 1964-65 fiscal year, on motion of DirectorRinehart.

March Passengers Break District RecordMarch winds blew a record number

of riders into AC Transit buses, giving the district its highest passengercount in history.

Buses carried 4,892,000 revenuepassengers during the month, an increase of 8.8 per cent o v ~ r the samemonth a year ago. The previous highin number of riders was reached inOct., 1963, when 4,835,000 rode thebuses during the month .Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District

Latham Square BuildingOakland, California 94612

The new figure tops that count by1.2 per cent.Business during the district's third

quarter, covering January, Februaryand March, 1965, however, wasn't asbrisk. The increase in riders for thequarter was 1.2 percent, with 13,468,-000 passengers ' carried.

For the fiscal year to date, passengerbusiness is up only 0.5 per cent, basedon 39,396,000 riders.

BULK RATEU. S. PostagePAID

Oakland, Calif.GOODWIN SAMMEL U- Permit #2105Return Requested 20 18 CH AN NI NG WA YBERKELEY 4, CAL IF .

Documents

Transit Times Volume 7, Number 12