Transit Times Volume 11, Number 11

8/13/2019 Transit Times Volume 11, Number 11

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Vol No May 1969


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ctioDSo the oardAt an adjourned regular meeting April23, the Board of Directors: Authorized District employee to at

tend Department of Transportation middie management training course, on motion of Director Coburn. Referred Fremont resolution, askingparticipation in transit feasibility study,to Project Development Committee andauthorized General Manager to continuemeetings with city representatives, onmotion of Director Warren. Authorized attendance at AT A regional conference, on motion of DirectorCoburn. Directed discontinuance of specialbaseball service to Oakland Coliseum

from Alameda, downtown Oakland andEI Cerrito, on motion of Director McDonnell. Adopted resolution relating to continuation of studies, planning and recordsof Bay Area Transportation Study Commission, on motion of Director Bettencourt. Approved service changes affectingLines 46-87, 90 and 93A, on motion ofDirector Bettencourt.At the regular meeting May 14, theBoard of Directors: Declared surplus 31 older modelbuses and authorized sale to highestbidder, on motion of Director Coburn.

Ready Fare plan wins safety awardEmployees of the District have beengiven recognition for pioneering and implementing the Ready Fare plan of riding, which monetary stock off buses,eliminating a cause for robberies.The award, presented by the CaliforniaState Compensation Insurance Fund,notes the exact fare plan has reduced theincidence of injuries and death.Such achievement awards usually aregiven to individuals and groups and

AWARD-Board President William E Berkright accepts award from William Morris

rarely to organizations, according toWilliam Morris, district manager.But when AC Transit was faced witha serious problem, it developed and implemented an unusual program, Morrispointed out. It was resolved by directaction to eliminate the problem. As aresult, the District met its objectives inreducing assaults and robberies, whileattaining efficiency in other areas.Stea m as power sourceFight against air pollution has putsteam in foremost position to replacepower sources for cars, buses and trucks,according to Roy A. Renner, engineer.Renner, technical engineer for thegovernment-funded steam bus project,told the Board of Directors technologiesof the nuclear and space industries havemade possible development of steam vehicles which can compete favorably withthose powered by gas.Specifications for steam plants havebeen sent to potential vendors, G. M.Taylor, project manager for the District,told the Board.

TRAIL S END-First of older-model busesto be retired since 1965 rolls int o coach yardlast time with driver Morley F. Baker JrWith 30 new buses on the property

and another 15 due for early delivery,the District has been able to make thefirst retirement of older equipment sincethe last gasoline bus went out of servicein 1965.Thirty-three of the venerable workhorses are being retired, after carryingEast Bay riders for 22 years.

First bus to roll to the end of the trailwas No. 1806, which had worked out ofSeminary Division since 1947, transporting riders from southern Alameda County and East Oakland. In latter years, theolder buses have rolled only in peakhour service on busy transbay lines.

The retired models are being pasturedat Richmond Division, where they will beow to save the easyay hy huying honds

Employees were reminded this monththey can save money painlessly andwith great convenience under the u.S.Savings Bond program operated by theDistrict.Workers pick any amount they wantand it's deducted from wages automatically, building toward the purchase ofthe savings bond. An authorization cardfrom the worker is all that's needed toparticipate in the plan-or to boost theamount now being deducted for thosealready putting aside something for thefuture through the savings plan.

elivery of newuses send older

Models to pasture

sold at a later date. All are 45-passengermodels, with an average of 750,000 milesin operation.

They were acquired when the Districtpurchased facilities of Key System Transit Lines and commenced operations onOct. 1 1960.With 45 new buses being added to

the fleet, the District will have 700coaches, 462 of them new look.

Excursion to railroadMuseum to m rk ninthnniversary of DistrictSave a date in the fall-when the hay is in-as the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association might say.To commemorate the ninth anniversary ofthe date when AC Transit went into opera

tion-Oct. 1, 1960-a family excursion is being planned to the California Railway Museum, operated by the association at RioVista Junction in Solano County.The public is invited. So are present employees and retired workers, who will finda Sunday trek to the museum a chance tomeet old friends.The circle of friendship will include KeySystem equipment of memory: two baybridge trains, two street cars and workingunits.Some of the cars will be running andeverybody will have a chance to ride-andto remember.Details will be announced later, but itwill be a day for lawn picnics, for climbingon and off equipment and for admiring therailfans who have saved a part of electricrailroad history.Cover photo is from collection of HarreDemoro, railway historian.

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ACCURATE REPORTING Viewers an the left have ust seen a simulated accident on thescreen, start of the District's new pragram in accurate reparting. Same class, at right, considers answer sheet f r selection ta pased questions on 'what ta da? Drivers and supervisory personnel are taking the caurse.ew ccident reporting progr m

A training program on accurate accident reporting sent bus drivers and supervisory personnel back to the classroom this month for a course designedto save employees time and trouble andto aid the District in handling claims.

The teaching method, new to thetransit industry, makes use of coordinated slides and taped infonnation toillustrate basic steps to follow in reporting each accident.

During the one hour and 45-minuteprogram, listeners work on reporting asimulated accident, seen on the screen.

Slides illustrate steps to follow, showing the driver's job when an accidentoccurs. Students learn what materialthey should have on hand and what todo in order of importance, starting withwriting the license number of the othervehicle on the palm of the driver's hand.Each step, including taking care of injured parties and calling Central Dispatch, is visually illustrated.Listeners have answer sheets to putdown selections to taped questions, thenhear and see what the correct answershould be and why.

OT to conduct executive training courseJoseph P. Priolo, 29, accounting supervisor in the General Offices, will be thefirst District representative to take part

in a new management training programsponsored by the U.S. Department ofTransportation as an aid to nation-wideimprovement oftransit.The two weekcourse will be givenin Andover, Mass.,to 22 applicantsfrom across thecountry, chosen forinstruction that willassist them in qualifying for advance-4

ment and supply a working understanding of management responsibilities.f the course is successful, otherDistrict employees will be recommendedfor instruction, according to Alan L.Bingham, general manager.Priolo, of 2914 Dublin Dr., South SanFrancisco, came to the District in March,1968, after five and a half years with theSan Francisco Police Dept., in the Bu

reau of Special Services and Intelligence.He is a graduate of Sacred Heart HighSchool, and City College of San Fran-cisco and took his bachelor of arts degreein business administration at San Fran-cisco State. He is the father of fourchildren, including a boy born May 8.

tJle t e d tioungsters get a fair pitch from driver

Just about everybody may worry aboutkids and the troubles they can get into,but Lonnie Abner, 44 bus driver nowbreaking in as dispatcher at SeminaryDivision, took it a step further.I inquired down at Madison JuniorHigh School in Sobrante Park to see ifthere just wasn't something I could do.

The something made Abner a student supervisor for five months and hasput him into a baseball unifonn.Even though he has no youngsters ofhis own at the school, he's an activemember of the Madison Dads Club and

us operator drownsn boating tragedyFuneral services have been held for

Howard Wales, 46 of 607 Via Manzanas,San Lorenzo, veteran District driver, whowas drowned April 20 during a fishingtrip with fellow workers.

The tragedy occurred in rough wateroff McAvoy's Harbor in the SacramentoRiver after a wave capsized the men's16-foot motorboat.Wales clung to a floating ice chest fora while and other fishennen tried tothrow him a life jacket, but he was unable to reach it.Supervisor Duke Christian, 50, of 2368Montgomery Ave., Concord, was ableto swim to a nearby buoy.Instructor Charles Rush, 49, 16238

Maubert St., San Leandro, hung on tothe legs of his son, Bruce, 31 who intum clung to the boat. The three werepicked up by other boaters.Wales, who disappeared before therescue, was the father of five children.He had been a bus driver at SeminaryDivision si nce 1953, and had been working on Line 64-23rd Ave.

the pitcher for their baseball team.Are we any good? Well, for soremuscles is about all. We lost a lot ofgames last year- we were third from thebottom. But we'll be in there playingagain this year - in the Dads ClubLeague, Abner declared.The driver, 45, of 609 Citron Drive,Oakland, has grown children and aseven-year-old grandson, but it was all

youngsters he was thinking about whenhe offered his help.As a student supervisor, Lonnie said

he kept the kids out of trouble and instep. I had some bad times, but nothingcritical. Things were pretty much undercontrol.We probably wouldn't have any problem at all, if more parents would cooperate.Lonnie's baseball team played theseventh, eighth and ninth grades in onememorial game. This time they won,13 to 9.Abner, a bus driver since 1960, ischairman of the supervisory committeeof the AC Transit Credit Union.FOR KIDS - Driver Lonnie Abner keepspitching ta help teen-agers.

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istrict tees off with tournament

General Manager AlanBingham, left con-gratulates Ray H 1mes, center, and Richard Bent.

Admiring trophies at first official AC Transitgolf tournament are, from left, Joe Galindo,Les Minear, Alice Perkins and Lester Road-abush. Workers from all divisions took part h ldin match. Jo me Pau mg, Jr.left, and Walter Anderson, practice putting.

Waiting turn are, left ReadlJ to start are from left, Dick Jerome,to right, Dave Rodri- Eddie Vigil, George Akers, Bob Goforth, allgues, Herb Hunter, L from stores department .Starting times arechecked by, from left,James Davis TonyLucchesi, Hal Davis.. McDonald.

Bus drivers and other District personnel proved they were good at more thanone kind of driving this month whenthey teed off at Skywest Golf Course inHayward for an annual tournament.A dozen teams participated in thematch, with executives-including JohnMcDonnell, member of the Board of Di rectors-pitting their golf skill against operators and maintenance men . One woman driver, Mrs. Alice Perkins, was amongthe swingers .6

Winner of the first place trophy wasAmos Blackman, driver from EmeryvilleDivision. Second place went to Al Lawrence, driver from Seminary Division,while third place trophy was collectedby Gary Thomas, Richmond Division.A perpetual trophy went to Blackman'sdivision for having the player with thebest round.

In charge of the event were A. R.Tony Lucchesi, Dick Jerome, Les Minear and Joe Galindo.

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Fare box revenue moved into the black in March, with an increase in in come on both East Bay and transbay lines. The number of passengers carriedshowed a slight increase for the month as compared to March, 1968.Rider revenue totaled $1,280,115, up $43,545 or 3.52 percent over yearago income of $1,236,570. On East Bay lines, revenue was $711,678, up1.39 percent over revenue of $701,903 for the same month in 1968. Transbay revenue continued to increase, with a total of $568,437, up 6.32 percent

compared to revenue of $534,667 for March of the previous year.Commute book sales for March totaled $224,837, a boost of 10.9 percentover year-ago sales of $202,697.Passengers carried during the month totaled 4,636,075, up .46 percentover the count of 4,614,683 made in the same month in 1968. East Bay patronage held steady, with a decrease of .52 percent, while transbay ridingwas up 3.08 percent.Operation costs during the month totaled $1,509,873, up $89,738 or 6.32percent over year-ago costs of $1,420,135. Th e District operated 2,087 ,442miles of service, an increase of 41,507 miles or 2.03 percent more thanmileage of 2,045,935 operated in March, 1968.Total income of $1,750,669 was sufficient to cover operation costs depreciation, and bond debt requirements.The transit industry nationally indicated a riding decrease for the monthof 2.37 percent.7


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etiredworkers planLi e o leisure un

Thirty years of driving have hardlytaken the edge off for Elmer Klingler66, retired from Richmond Division.

He and his wife are leaving in theircamper to travel which ever way thewind blows, starting with Wyoming orCanada. They live at 5412 Esmond Ave.,Richmond.Klingler went to work in July, 1939,as a bus driver and well remembers hisfirst run on the Ashby Ave. line with AlWerta, then the only instructor.As Al was walking aft, a little whitedog ran out in front of me. I hit thebrakes and threw him full length in theaisle.He said it was a good thing I missedthe dog, though, Klingler recalls.Known as L Line Klingler, he's beenat Richmond since ferrying buses to thedivision when it opened in '47.Bass fishing will occupy the time ofFrank Butorovich 62, who is moving toa mobile park at28807 Pluto, Hayward, after working27 years as a bodyrepairman. F ran k,who has his own 19-foot boat, expects to

enjoy leisure without yard work andmore time to fish . Hewent to work in theFrank Butorovich Emeryville shops in1942 and after moving around a bit,worked his last few years at Seminary.

AC TransitLatham Square BuildingOakland, California 94612

Iransi imesPublished monthly by theALAMEDA.CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICT

508 16th St. , Oakland, California 94612Telephone 415) 654-7878Virginia B. Dennison, Editor

BOARD OF DIRECTORSWILLIAM E. BERK PresidentWard II

E GUY WARREN . . . .Ward V

. Vice PresidentROBERT M. COPELAND Director at LargeRAY H. RINEHART. . . . Director at LargeWILLIAM H. COBURN, JR . . . . . . Ward IJOHN McDONNELL . . . . . . . Ward IIIWM. J . BETTENCOURT . . . . . . . Ward IVADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERSALAN L BINGHAM . . . . Geleral ManagerROBERT E NISBET . . . . . . . . AttorneyROBERT D. TOUGH . . . . Treasurer-ControllerGEORGE M. TAYLOR. . . . . . SecretaryDENNIS J. O CONNOR . Public Information Mgr.I 9

Pete Paulson 57, lost no time in leaving the unit room at Emeryville Divisionto open his own shop for rock houndsat Williams, Ore.Paulson reports the fish are jumpingout of the water so fast he hasn't had touse a rod-and rocks apparently are waiting around to be polished. He went towork in Dec., 1944, at Emeryville shops.PINNE - Elmer Klingler receives retire-ment pin from superintendent N. P. Alevizos.

BULK RATEU. S. Postage

P IDOaklano. Calif.

Permit #2105Return Requested M 0 IlAU COCK A-52 8 3 iJ CHAT T L j 0 LAN E

J ;)SAN r A G ~ C CA 9 ~ 8 0 6

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Transit Times Volume 11, Number 11