transit times volume 7, number 4

8/9/2019 Transit Times Volume 7, Number 4

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Special Award Planned to RecognizeOutstanding Service by A PersonnelA unique employee recognition pro-

gram was being contemplated this monthto honor workers in all departments fordistinguished service benefitting the dis-trict.The program follows a study of similarrecognition methods practiced by othertransit properties. Its goal includes ac-

knowledgement, not only within the dis-trict, but before the public, of the unlim-ited contributions made by workers tothe service performed by AC Transit.

Different from usual "driver of themonth" awards, however, the plan willinclude all employees-although opera-tors admittedly will be in the most fav-orable position to receive public recom-mendations.Plans call for a distinguished serviceaward to be made each month, with con-sideration given to the nominee's all-

around performance record for the past12 months.Features of the employee's past per-formance record will include the worker'srecord of courtesy, personal appearance ,safety record, cooperative attitude to-

ward fellow employees and whether ornot he is on time reporting for assign-ments. In the case of an operator, judgeswill check on whether he maintains agood schedule without "running sharp,"waits for transferring passengers, and as-sists others in making transfer connec-tions.

Free 'Welcome Aboard' BusTickets to Introduce NewResidents to Transit Lines

New residents will be introduced toAC Transit's network of bus transporta-tion next month with the distribution ofspecial free round-trip bus tickets.The unusual "welcome aboard" gesturewas approved by the board of directors asa means of acquainting newcomers withadvantages of district service.The plan will be inaugurated in Berke-ley, Albany, EI Cerrito and Kensington totake advantage of an offer from the Cali-fornia Hospitality Service, which waivedusual distribution costs in an offer to present the bus tickets to new arrivals.Discussions also are under way to dis-tribute tickets in San Leandro throughthe cooperation of Newcomer Greeting

Service.The Berkeley service, which representsmerchants in the area, already is distrib-uting district route maps, a new tourbooklet, "Sunshine Trails," and other bustraveling information to approximately150 families each month.I f the gesture proves of value, the dis-trict hopes to expand the plan to otherEast Bay communities.

Consideration also will be given to sig-nificant improvement by the employeein the suggested categories .Nominations for the award can bemade through a letter from the public,by a fellow employee, or by an immedi-ate superior.

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TOKEN OF ESTEEM-Mayor Jack Maltester, left, of San Leandro, officially opens newPark-n-Ride Center by accepting giant bus token from William J. Bettencourt, SanLeandro representative on transit board of directors.

Park n Ride Center Opened in San LeandroSan Leandro's "first" citizen, Mayor

Jack Maltester, officially opened the district's new Park-n-Ride Center at East14th St. and Euclid Ave. this month bytaking advantage of an invitation to"rest" his own automobile while travelingby bus.

As a "token of esteem," Maltester waspresented with a two-foot round cardboard "bus token" by William J. Bettencourt, San Leandro's representative onthe district's board of directors. In making the presentation, Bettencourt said thelarge token was good for a gesture, if notfor a free ride, and was symbolic of thedistrict's appreciation of San Leandro'scooperation with AC Transit.2

The center offers motorists the advan-tage of driving from their own homes tothe centrally located parking area, wherethey can leave their cars and make use ofdistrict service to adjoining cities andSan Francisco. The lot accommodates upto 150 cars.

Recognition Plan Studied(Continued from Page 1)Nominations will be evaluated by supervisory personnel before presentationto a panel of independent judges who arenot employees of the district.

The nature of the award and other details are now being worked out, alongwith a date for the start of the program.

.....

New "Tailoring" to Improve OperationsKeeping pace with shifts in population

and service usage, the district scheduledadjustments this month on four lines serving East Bay cities and San Francisco.Changes involved operating frequencyand line rerouting to provide fasterservice.

The "tailoring" of routes is in accordwith the district's policy of making betteruse of equipment and providing for continued expansion in areas where it isneeded.Among improvements is extension ofLine 79 (High Street) to a new terminalat Mountain Blvd. and Knoll Ave., whichwill provide service for residents aboveTompkins Ave. in the Leona Heightsarea. The Alameda end of the line willbe rerouted during midday hours to furnish direct service from East Oakland toPark St. business area.Rerouting of certain transbay commute5chedules on Line W in Alameda willstep-up service between the South Shoreand San Francisco, eliminating a largeloop and cutting traveling time up to tenminutes. Another bus also will be addedto morning and evening schedules.Line 55 also will be rerouted to furnish more convenient service to SanLeandro's central business district.Changes in routing of Line 68 in ElCerrito will improve operating conditions by eliminating a winding street andsteep grade.Proposed revisions to Line 63 in Alameda were held in abeyance pendingfurther studies into advisability of ex-ten d the line over Eighth St.Specific adjustments in clude:

Line 79 (High St.) - Extension of terminal from Daisy St. and Tompkins Ave.to Mountain Blvd. and Knoll Ave. inLeona Heights. In Alameda, the line willbe rerouted from High St. to Park St.business district during midday hours ,9 a.m. to 2 p.m. During other hours ,buses will continue to operate from East

Oakland to Bay Farm Island over presentHigh St. route.

Line 55 (Davis-Dutton) - Reroute linethrough San Leandro central businessdistrict from Dutton Ave. via East 14thSt. Juana Ave. and Clarke St. to DavisSt. during midday and evening commutehours, Monday through Friday.

Line W (Encinal) - Reduce travel time7 to 10 minutes by rerouting severaltransbay buses through South Shore areadirectly to San Francisco. Frequency ofpeak hour service also will be increased.

Line 68 (EI Cerrito) - Reroute portionof line between Fairmount Ave. andStockton St. via Ashbury Ave. to improve street operating conditions.

San Leandro to Have'Shop -a - Round' Pass

The "Shop-a-Round" pass, which hasgiven downtown Oakland passengersbargain riding since March, will be expanded for a four-months experimentalperiod to San Leandro.

Boundaries for use of the pass in SanLeandro will include East 14th St. andWashington Ave., between Dutton Ave.and Blossom 'Way or Marina Blvd.

Th e new customer service also hasbeen continued by directors as a passenger convenience to riders in the . downtown Oakland area.

Of special interest to the transit industr y nationally and to business centersgenerally, the pass has proven of favorable value, according to General Manager K. F. Hensel.

It makes use of existing service to provide unlimited free transportation onbuses in the central business district. including the trip homeward, after payment of an initial fare.

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Ie I ransit PASSENGER REVENUE ... COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEAR

1.100,000 A1,080,000 "- I 1\1,060,0001,040,0001,020,000

, o o o

920,000900,000880,000

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'r-1964- 1963

1962I

Boosted by a vigorous growth in transbay travel, district operations took a favorable upswing during June, with increases noted in passenger revenue and in thenumber of riders carried.Passenger revenue for the month totaled $1,053,848, an increase of $53,496 or 5.35percent over June, 1963. The number of passengers carried on East Bay and transbay lines came to 4,293,838, up over 5 percent compared to a year ago.

Transbay riding alone showed an increase of over 9 percent, with 942,080 passengers, compared to 863,594 who rode in June a year ago. Commute book sales totaled$178,573 as compared to th e $152,960 figure for the previous June, an increase of16.7 percent.

The district's total income for June of $1,244,813 was sufficient to cover operatingexpenses of $1,054,171, which were up 5.81 percent over th e same month in 1963.Income also was sufficient to cover equipment renewal and bond debt requirements.Total miles of passenger operation were up 3 percent, with a tally of 1,874,311 miles ,CIS compared to 1,819,804 in June , 1963.

Safety, Training and Employment Offices ConsolidatedThe safety, training and employment of prospective employees.offices have been c on so li da ted i nt o a u ni - C. G. 'iVadsworth, safety engineer, hasfied department at the Seminary Divi- been assigned immediate supervision ofsion, Seminary Ave. and San Leandro the unified offices, under jurisdiction ofBlvd ., for better operational efficiency H. M. Davis, executive assistant to th e

and to permit more thorough screening general manager.4

IIn

AC Transit is proud to reprint below a few of the many letters of commendationreceived during the month - letters unsolicited from residents of the East Bay whoare owners of the transit system. Letters were selected at random to represent thequality of courtesy, service and safety demonstrated by AC personnel in their mostimportant relationship with our customers.

I am happy to report that your driver(G. P. MOORE) was very courteous andkind to a blind lady who seemingly hadboarded the wrong bus . . . he helpedth is lady off the bus and called to gen tleman on the corner and asked him to helpher across the street, which he did (toget the right bus) . . . several of the passengers remarked about his kindness andI promised them I wou ld write you . .Mrs. Ann Styvaert

Oakland* * *. . . I am trying to point out the e x c e l ~ lent, efficient, well mannered job of oneof your drivers .. . (W. M. SCOTT) . . .His conscientiousness is, I'm sure, noticedby all or at least a good majority of thedaily passengers. He is constantly goingout of his way to be helpful to his riders.. . not to mention his excellent drivinghabits. I, for one, cer tainly appreciate hisattitude, especially with all the racialproblems occurring of late . . .Sue Adams

Oakland* * *. . . I would like you to know how verycourteous, efficient and pleasant the busdriver (G. B. DAVIS, SR) was on the 15bus . . . * * *The members of th e Pilgr im Rest Bap-tist Church would like to say thanks forsending us such a nice bus and a professional driver (S. G. ROBERTS) . . . for ourtr ip to Seaside .. . he was really on th ejob , never talking while driving and always first off the bus to help us. He wore

a very pleasing expression while driving,we can say he is one of the best. The buswas clean and comfortable and on timefor leaving. The baggage accommodationwas nice for your coats, hats an d otherthi ngs while riding . . .Rev. P. E. Pierce, pastor

Oakland* * *During a recent visit to San Francisco,I took one of your buses from the Transbay Terminal to Berkeley . . . I ha d onlya vague idea of the location of myfriend's house and therefore asked thedriver (M . M. McMILLAN) for directions.This was during the rush hour, bu t instead of the brief answer I expected, Ireceived some very detailed and usefulinforma tion delivered in a courteo us,pleasant way. When I got off, he pointedout the corner where I could catch theconnecting bus and th e direction fromwhich it would come . . . at one point,two small children carelessly began tocross the stree t . .. he stopp ed and waitedfor them to cross safely . . . I believe hereflects much credit to your organization.

Ra lph B. Hir schWashington, D. C.* * *I had the misfortune to leave my hand-bag on a .bus . . . I wish to commend youroperator (LEONARD STRICKLAND) . . . hewas most courteous and helpful in assisting me to recover my handbag quicklywith a min imum of inconvenienceto me . . .

Marion B. MillerBerkeley5


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WHO REMEMBERS?-Time appears to have hidden the reason for what must havebeen a startling event-the visit of a 20-mule team to the Arbor Villa home ofFrancis M. "Borax" Smith, who stands at right. The print, from an early glass plate,identifies the year at 1916. Smith, who made a fortune in Death Valley borax, builta fabulous network of East Bay transportation, but at the time of the photo, theempire was crumbling

Students Get Service to Skyline HighStudents will continue to get special

AC Transit bus service to Skyline HighSchool when classes start next month-bu t it will cost them an extra five centsa day.

An agreement, worked out betweenthe transit district and the school board,assured continuation of th e service thismonth, with students paying the usual10 cents to get to school in the morning ,bu t 15 cents to ride home.

The extra nickle will be turned over tothe school district to help defray the costsof the off-route mileage to the hill areahigh school. .

By adding this estimated revenue of6

about $9000 a year, the school board believes it will be able to cu t in half thesubsidy paid to the district.Earlier, school officials ha d decided toeliminate the $21,000 annual bus subsidyand instead ha d suggested the transit district expand its service to include SkylineHigh.District directors, however, reaffirmedtransit district policy that it could notprovide special off-route service to anyone school, at the expense of other taxpayers and passengers in the district .Staff meetings between the two districts resulted in the proposal to collectthe extra fare from the students to helpmeet the school bus expense.

Driver Rescues Family from Burning CarOne of the district's newer drivers

proved his courage, training and quickthinking when he rescued a professor'swife and four young children from aburning car, pu t out the flames beforethe auto exploded and , his "job" done,jumped back on his bus and professionally continued on his run .

The efficient and well-appreciated action of O. C . Rios of 571 20th St., Richmond, might have gone unheralded ifone of his passengers hadn't been William H. Coburn, Jr. , vice president of thedistrict's board of directors, who reportedthe incident to Rios' superior, N . P. AI-evizos , superintendent of the Richmonddivision.Rios, who went to work in April, wasstopped in his Line 7 bus for a red lightat University Ave. and Oxford St. inBerkeley when a small station wagon,driven by Mrs. R. A. Schooley, 1124-C9th St., Albany, pulled along side of thebus with flames shooting from the rearof the car.

Well aware of the danger of an explo-

sion, Rios jumped from the bus , helpedMrs . Schooley get Laurie, 7, Kathleen , 5,Marcia, 3, and John, 1, from the car. Hegrabbed his own fire extinguisher fromthe coach, opened the back of th e Corvail' and had the flames under control"before service station men on the cornereven knew anything was wrong," according to Mrs . Schooley.

With everything under control and th efire department on the scene, Rios continued with his run, handling the rushhour accident so quickly he was able tokeep to his schedule.

The fire department credited Rios withan efficient and outstanding job and saidthe fire was due to a broken fan b eltwhich caused the motor to overheat andset fire to oil.

Mrs. Schooley's husband, who is studying for his Ph.D. at University of California, was on the campus at the time ofthe incident. Schooley is an instructor inanatomy and physiology at University ofSan Francisco.

VOLUNTEER FIREMAN-Operator O. G. Rios shows Mrs. R. A.Schooley how he doused flames after helping her get John, 1;Kathleen 5; Marcia, 3, and Laurie, 7, from their burning car.

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At an adjourned regular meeting July22, 1964, the Board of Directors: Adjusted eligibility requirements forretirement and disability benefits forseven staff members employed by theDistrict prior to take-over of Key SystemTransit Lines, on motion of DirectorBettencourt. Extended for indefinite period Shopa-Round Pass in downtown Oakland, onmotion of Director Bettencourt.

Authorized affiliation with EI Cerrito Chamber of Commerce, on motion ofDirector Bettencourt." " "At the regular meeting August 12,1964, the Board of Directors: Adopted Project Development Committee's recommendations for service improvements to Lines 68, 55, 79 and trans

bay Line W , on motion of Director Coburn. Extended "Shop-a-Round" pass toSan Leandro for a four-months experimental period, on motion of DirectorBettencourt.

Published monthly by th eALAMEDA .CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICTLatham Square Building 508 Sixteenth StreetOakland , California 94612 Telephone 654-7878

BOARD OF DIRECTORSROBERT M. COPELAND . PresidentDirecto.r at LargeW ILLIAM H. COBURN, JR.. Vice PresidentWord IRAY H. RINEHARTWILLIAM E. BERK JOHN McDONNELL .WM . J. BETTENCOURT .E. GUY WARREN

Director at largeWard IIWard II IWord IVWord VADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

KENNETH F. HENSEL . General ManagerROBERT E. NISBET . . AttorneyJOHN F. LARSON. Treasurer-ControllerGEORGE M. TAYLOR. . . . SecretoryALAN L. BINGHAM Pub lic Information Manager

' - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ Adopted a resolution calling forelection of three directors on November3 and consolidating election with generalstate election on same date, on motionof Director Coburn. Fixed tax rate for the 1964-65 fiscalyear at 12.5 cents per $100 of assessedvaluation , on motion of Director McDonnell.

New Employees Join AC Transit FamilyThe following new employees joinedAC Transit during July:

Emeryville DivisionPBX - Information: Lorencita Lopez,1948 17th St ., San Pablo.Bus Operators: Henry Vilart, 2321Telegraph Ave., Oakland; E . F . Karasiewicz, 1940 Franciscan Way, Alameda; R.W. Rist, 2816 Piedmont Ave., Oakland;H. C. Krauel, Jr., 1913 Lafayette St., Ala-,.Alameda-Contra Costa Transit DistrictLatham Square BuildingOakland, {:alifornia 94612

Return Requested

meda. Richmond DivisionBus Operator: J. J. Powers, 94.3 Contra Costa Dr., Berkeley.

Seminary DivisionBus Operators: R. R. Wieber, 27821Gainseville Ave., Hayward; R. J. Lun, Jr. ,1823 85th Ave., Oakland; Sammie Carter,1479 55th Ave., Oakland; H. S. Thompson, 2828 22nd Ave., Oakland.

a BULK RATEU.S . POSTAGEPAIDPermit No. 2105Oakland, Calif.

8 . " : ~ 3 A 1 U J U : J t ' ) 3 1L I B ~ A R I A BU i EAU PUB ADU N I V ~ R S I I Y CALIF

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transit times volume 7, number 4

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