Board acts on changes ~aklanb ¢ribunr Some service realignment approved Service adjustments affecting 16 • Lines 16, 21 and 92C It is a tragedy that seven persons had to most tank truck drivers prefer to take different bus lines in the East Bay were Service on weekends and holidays on die to make the point clear: Tank trucks Interstates 80, 580 and 680 rather than approved by AC Transit's Board of carrying hazardous cargoes do not belong the steeper and more congested Highway Directors at the April 14 meeting. Line 16 - Sundale in Fremont will be in the Caldecott Tunnel. 24. However, the Board deferred sug­ discontinued and Line 21 - North Federal highway regulations already Even if the ban does force trucks with gested changes on two transbay commute Fremont to Southland Shopping ban hazardous materials from tunnels. hazardous cargoes to travel out of their routes to San Francisco - Line K - Center in Hayward will be extended Because California has adopted federal way, the extra cost must be balanced Havenscourt-Oakland and Line R - on all trips on weekends. Line 92C - highway rules as its own, state regula­ against the risk to life, property and the Hayward-San Leandro - as a result of Fairway Park-Southland Shopping tions also lean against shipping hazar­ tunnel itself - the estimated price for written comments and testimony given Center will be discontinued. dous materials through tunnels. restoring the Caldecott Tunnel is more at the April 6 public hearing. • Lines 66, 80, 81 and 84 But the prohibition has a catch. The than $1 million - when hazardous The East Bay changes, which will be All lines will make connections with ban is effective "unless there is no prac­ materials are moved without restriction. implemented in June, impact on the the first BART trains in the morning ticable alternative" route. It is possible to It is also a good idea to review stan­ following lines: and will continue service until mid­ drive a convoy of gasoline tankers dards for tankers, as federal authorities night. Service on Saturdays will oper­ • Lines 17, 57 and 57M through that loophole. are now doing. ate from 7 a.m. to midnight and Sun­ What is needed, plainly, is a new According to a recent study by the A new schedule will improve Line 17 - Alcatraz Ave. by providing buses day service will run from 8 a.m. to statewide measure banning hazardous CHP, tank trucks are involved in a dis­ midnight. Reroute of Line 84 - cargoes from tunnels and giving enforce­ proportionately high number of fatal every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes midday. Lines Castro Valley-Bay Fair will be delayed ment powers to the California Highway truck accidents, and they are more likely until Fall. Line 81 - San Leandro - Patrol. Where no other route than a tun­ to overturn or fail mechanically. New 57 and 57M - MacArthur Blvd.­ Emeryville will be rerouted in San Lorenzo - Hayward will be nel is available, the regulation should design standards could well make a con­ rerouted via Williams St. and Wicks require that hazardous cargoes be moved tribution to highway safety. Emeryville along San Pablo Ave. and Hollis St. Blvd. A new Line 85 will replace Line through the tunnel when other vehicles Wednesday's fiery accident in the 81A - Washington Ave. for are not present, to minimize the risk of Caldecott Tunnel was a tragic occur­ improved service in San Leandro. rence.1t would be adding folly to tragedy, • Lines 37, 51C and 65 accident. Line 37 - Warren Express-Berkeley Such a regulation would not be a great though, if the deaths of seven persons do will be re-routed to extend along 6th The Board also adopted a Five-Year burden to truckers, at least in the case of not lead to effective regulations to pre­ St. between University Ave. and Plan which forecasts the range and con­ the Caldecott. vent such a horrifying event from ever Dwight Crescent. Line 51C - UC figuration of AC Transit service during Trucking industry spokesmen say that happening again. Village will be renamed Line 52 and the years 1983-1987. will operate along Cedar St. instead of University Ave. with an extension north on 6th St. between Cedar and THE COVER - AC Transit's April 6 Driver is among victims of tunnel accident Harrison. Line 65 - Ashby Ave.­ Public Hearing provided an oppor­ Dwight Way will no longer operate tunity for riders and the general pub­ John Dykes, Jr., was going off duty April along Cedar St. and 6th St., but will lic to comment on proposed service 7th, returning to Emeryville Division, when continue with weekday buses every 20 and fare adjustments. A prior Public a catastrophic gasoline truck explosion minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Meeting also provided a vehicle for inside the Caldecott Tunnel took his life. Saturday buses every 30 minutes interested parties to provide input on A veteran of 23 years of Army transporta­ the District's planning for the years tion experience, the 54-year-old driver along Dwight Way and Ashby Ave. 1983-87. About 35 persons (a few of earned a meritorious safe-driving record in • Lines 91A and 92 them shown here) made presentations five years of service to District patrons. Line 91A - Cal State Hayward com­ during the Public Hearing, but a In mid-April funeral services, scores of much larger number - about 600 - his fellow workers joined the Dykes family bines with Line 92 - Hayward­ sent prior communications in in mourning. Mr. Dykes is survived by wife Chabot College to provide direct ser­ response to hearing notices and to the Aretha Charles Dykes, a stepson, two vice between the two schools with widely distributed rider newsletter brothers and two sisters. buses operating every 20 minutes which publicized the issues to be John Dykes, Jr. weekdays, 30 minutes nights and 60 reviewed. minutes weekends. 2 3 Area youth aid System's information blitz Gauer, Edwards reach Reba Gauer o.flers Safety milestones rhis advice a/ier rhree decades ofs~fe dril'ing: "Don 't ever .. ' dill ))lh·it~ rhink you're so good INFO SQUAD ..-~~ rhar a bus can 'r ger - Here are some \.1 d\\m away/i'om .1'011. " o.fthe three-dozen East Bay young people who aided AC Transit la st 3D-year award: month in the Reba L. Gauer logistically challenging task o.f distributing a special newsletter informing riders o.f proposed cha nges in service and fares. 25-YEAR MILESTONE - Driver Virgil A. DATA DISTRIBUTION - In the three weeks Edwards, Richmond Division, receives con­ before the April 6 public hearing on proposed gratulations from Assistant General Manager service and fare adjustments, nearly 250,000 Robert 1. Shamoon for achieving a quarter-cen­ newsletters were handed out to riders on buses or tu/y safe-driving record. One secret of behind­ at their homes. Walking the actual routes o.f the the-wheel success: "You have to learn to back 18 lines slated for realignment, youths such as off and take it easy, because you're not going to these handled the door-to-door disrribution chore have things your own way all the time. " Edwards under supervision o.f Transporration and is the 42nd AC Transit driver to achieve this Marketing personnel. The targeted distribution safety goal. He and wife Phyllis, who have four area - ./rom Albany to Castro Valley-Hayward children and three grandchildren, live in Plea­ - received saturation coverage by this energetic sant Hill. youth group whose employment evolved./rom the System's commitment to Oakland's "Community Values" program.

Guidedogs "Youth" designation is defined get The new monthly passes for Safety tallies in for March Bus-use "Youths" (selling for $9) are only for young people from S to 16 years of age Three divisions met the March safety Training and for 17-year-olds on school days bogey, with Newark drivers achieving an who have valid school ID cards. average of 50,739 miles per accident. CANINE "EYES"­ This was the message AC Transit Tally for Richmond drivers during the Driver E. E. Cassell found itself repeating as this new category of monthly pass went into month was 17,342 miles per mishap, observes Lorin while Seminary's average was 15,667 Mumaw of Morgan use April 1. A surprising number of Hill teaching a trainee bus riders apparently consider them­ miles per incident. The averages repre­ guide dog about selves to be "Youths" for fare-paying sent a one-month tally compiled by full­ A SAFETY "F1RST"-Reba L. Gauer is the purposes, and drivers found them­ passenger lifts as part first woman and only the sixth driver at A C time and part-time drivers. of AC Transit's selves being questioned on the Transit to achieve the 30- Year Safe Driving System's definition of "Youths" with Established "bogey" for each month is conrriburion to ajoinr Award. On hand (middle photo) to help her training and tesring college students well into their twen­ 13,250 miles per accident in the long­ mark this special occasion were (teft to right) ties. These riders were informed that term safe-driving incentive program class conducted by 4- Wilma Morgan, her sister, a recent System H Clubs and Guide older students are required to pay a administered by AC Transit's Safety De­ retiree; Michael, her son, an Emeryville Division full (SOt) adult cash fare or to use a Dogsfor the Blind. driver; William, her husband, superintendent, partment. More than 300 regular ($18) adult local monthly Richmond Division. Together, these four pass. AC Transit drivers as a whole com­ persons and 100 guide account for an historic 107 years of service! dogs attended. New passes for senior citizens and piled a total during March of 2,934,297 Board of Directors President Jean A. Holmes the handicapped went into use miles of service in both urban and subur­ (tower photo) also was present to offer con­ smoothly on the same date. gratulations to Mrs. Gauer during the April 21 ban East Bay service and in Transbay ceremonies at Emeryville Division. trips. 4 5 Employees win information kudos 7zanJit ~ 1932 annual reports rr. Reveal concern It's no mystery that 37 AC Transit connection" from one transit system to Over economy, autos employees were equal to the challenge another. The "Mystery Rider" competi­ :Jlme-eapJllte offered by the Regional Transit Associ­ tion was launched last November and A dismal economy, decreasing public streets. This was no small concern, ation's team of "Mystery Riders" during concluded at the end of February. In pre­ revenues, and competition from the au­ since auto registration figures for a three-month promotion to publicize paration for it, employees were tomobile. Alameda County had grown from 26,852 inter-system transit connections. encouraged to learn the points at which Sound familiar? Wrong. in 1918 to 145,936 in 1932. In an These drivers and information opera­ their system's lines connect with those of Though the sum-up has a decidedly enumeration of grievances entitled tors are among the list of winners in a other R T A operators. 1982 ring to it, it actually represents the "Unfair Burdens Upon Urban Transpor­ competition designed to determine how AC Transit employees who won gift situation in East Bay transportation that tation" the 1932 management of East well individual employees of R T A mem­ certificates by correctly answering ran­ existed a half-century ago, as revealed in Bay Street Railways firmly sought dis­ bers were able to answer questioners who domly-offered "Mystery Rider" queries 1932 annual reports of AC Transit's pre­ pensation from certain auto related posed as riders wanting to "make the include the following: decessor organizations. These include headaches and hindrances. These Key System Ltd. and Key Terminal Rail­ included: way Ltd., which jointly provided transbay • "Relief from the burden now resting passenger service via a network of six upon the carrier of paving between the Earle Allen Sharon L. Frede Carlos Martinez streetcar lines and four ferry boats; and tracks and for two feet on each side, a Driver, Seminary Driver, Emeryville Driver, Seminary East Bay Street Railways Ltd. and East burden inherited from the days when the Bay Motor Coach Lines Ltd., which horse cars wore out the paving. The Ken Almes Reba Gauer Charles McAdams Driver, Emeryville Driver, Emeryville Driver, Seminary operated urban streetcar and bus service. obligation of paving was placed in this The latter consisted of a 72-coach fleet Company's franchises at a time when Eugene W. Barkley Barry Gehret Anthony Morrow ranging from spacious 40-seaters to paving cost 4¢ a square foot; now it costs Driver, Richmond Driver, Emeryville Driver, Seminary modest-sized 17-seaters. The buses were 26¢ or more and provides a highway for Robert H. Barnhill Clifford Griffin Terry R. Murphy a conservative "quail-brown." the Company's chief competitor, the pri­ Driver, Richmond Driver, Seminary Driver, Seminary For the nation in general, of course, vate automobile, which robs us of Janice Bell Eula Gulledge Melchor Ocampo the Depression year of 1932 was patronage and slows up our service. Driver, Emeryville Driver, Richmond Driver, Richmond definitely not "the best of times". In the • "Relief from the burden of moving East Bay, unemployment was taking its and replacing rails and poles which are Kenneth L. Berry Gwenn Hale James E. 0 'Malley toll on public transit revenues - the Driver, Seminary Driver, Emeryville Driver, Emeryville entirely adequate for our service, but year-end reports showed that urban which must be removed when streets are D.E. Bonds Claude Hayes Proncella M. Payton patronage had declined 19 1/2% in 1932 widened to provide more room for our Driver, Seminary Driver, Seminary Driver, Emeryville while transbay passenger-use dropped competitor, the automobile. Larry Davis Mike Henaghan Wayne Rayford 12%. The matter-of-factness of official • "Relief from the delays occasioned by Driver, Emeryville Driver, Emeryville Driver, Emeryville prose could not hide the growing gravity permitting the use of public streets as Jay dela Cruz Willie Henderson David Sandors of the economic situation: garages by a small percentage of Driver, Richmond Driver, Emeryville Driver, Seminary "Unemployment has apparently been motorists. Complete elimination of park­ the major factor responsible for the loss ing in congested areas, and devotion of Sabrina Dixon Ruth Hightman J.D. Sundeen of riding in this territory, as the greatest the entire street area to traffic in motion, Driver, Seminary PBX Information Driver, Seminary { loss has been in peak hour travel." has been definitely shown to increase Charles Edwards Garrett D. Holt Marilyn Tott Streetcar and bus fares of that time speed, reduce accidents, increase Driver, Richmond Driver, Seminary PBX Information l were 10 cents. Tokens sold at 50-cents­ amount of traffic, and increase retail bus­ Coreline England Andrew Jefferies Floyd Whitehead per-seven. Pupil tickets were priced at iness in the area affected." Driver, Emeryville Driver, Seminary Driver, Seminary one-dollar-per-29. Four years later, in 1936, the opening The public's -growing affinity for the of the Bay Bridge was to prove an addi­ John Lennear, Jr. Driver, Emeryville automobile, the reports indicate, was tional stimulus to automobile use. And offering a double threat to public trans­ the Depression was fated not to lift until portation: the craze was not only drain­ the decade turned, ushering in a new, ing away passengers, but cars were jos­ war-stimulated economy. tling with streetcars and buses for pre­ Gloomy situation? Definitely. dominance in lay-out and usage of the Good old days? Ha! 6 7 New dispatcher manual, Welcome, dry streets! Procedures introduced A new program designed to train and guide appointed and qualified extra dis­ patchers in performing their daily tasks more uniformly and effectively has been launched, according to Loren A. Bal/, transportation manager. Centerpiece of the project is a new training and pro­ cedures manual geared to be of assistance both to neophytes in the job and to those already performing as dispatchers. Transportation Department adminis­ trative personnel, superintendents, assis­ tant superintendents and current dis­ patchers participated in classes this month prior to finalizing the procedures. Employees who participated in this refin­ Milton Buckner George Ferreira, Jr. Thomas Henderson linda Jackson Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Transportation ing of the program were awarded certifi­ SPRING SPRINT - After the long, record­ Richmond Emeryville Richmond Seminary cates. Prospective dispatchers will breaking wet winter of '81-82, spring made itself undergo 45 days of training, including felt in the East Bay around mid-April, cheering drivers and passengers alike. It meant that the thorough study of the 70-page manual. evelyday business of bus-riding was enhanced AC Transit currently has 27 dis­ considerably by suddenly d,y streets, clear skies. patchers. and long-absent sunshine.

Employees Godfrey and Spinella and four retirees die Charles Lee Leo Arthur Marquez Charles Pillow Thomas Poston Maintenance Purchasing & Stores Maintenance Maintenance Employee deaths during the month Joseph L. Roy, 66, a driver at Rich­ Richmond Emeryville Richmond Richmond (see Pg. 2 also) included Paul Godfrey, mond Division when he retired in 1978, 48, a Newark Division driver; and George died March 16 in Oregon. He had com­ Spinella, 45, a Mechanic A at Emeryville. pleted 38 years of service before retire­ Godfrey had completed 15 years of ment. service shortly before he met his death His widow, Doris E. Conely, survives. on April 8 in . Livermore. Survivors Raymond V. Litzenberg, 75, who was a include his widow, Mary, and three machinist in the Maintenance Depart­ daughters, Jacqueline, Veronique, and ment, Emeryville Division, at the time of Anthony Prescott Terry Lee Remy Gregory Wykoff Maintenance Maintenance Transportation supervisor Yvonne Godfrey. The family home is in his retirement in 1974, died April 14 in Emeryville Richmond Livermore. Fremont. Spinella, employed by AC Transit for Litzenberg had completed 21 years of 18 years, died April 10 in Walnut Creek. transit service before entering the leisure TRANSPORTATION ATTIRE - "T" is for transit Co 101.fu I new T-shirts, modeled by His residence was in Dublin. Survivors ranks. He is survived by his widow, Max­ Driver Tom Huey, display a timely include his widow, Carmen, and two ine; two daughters, Ramona Schindler transit message about the new sons, George and Raymond Spinella. and Roberta Grover; and two sons, Mar­ 'Regional Transit Connection "C' '. Deaths of four retirees also have been vin and Edward Litzenberg. This new symbol identifies key loca­ tions where services provided by other reported in recent weeks. John A. Fonts, 90, who was a driver Bay Area transit systems meet AC Thelma C. Lanthier, 82, who was a sec­ before his retirement from AC Transit's Transit routes. On the back are color­ retary in Treasury at the time of her predecessor organization in 1945, died coded graphics showing the network retirement in 1973, died March 9 in Oak­ April 17 in Modesto. At retirement, he and key transfer points. Produced by land. Her tenure of service to public had completed 27 years of service. RTA (Regional Transit Association), the new shirts, in blue or beige and in transportation spanned 41 yyars. Fonts is survived by a daughter, Marie both men's and women's sizes, are Her home was in Oakland, and no sur­ Fratus. available for $6 from Marketing De­ vivors are listed. partment. 8 9 FOCUS: Transit People and Projects

This letter is to praise Driver Curtis I wish to commend one of your very Hall. fine drivers. I have been using Key System and AC One of our employees was a passenger bus transportation practically all my life on the bus driven by James H. Jones. She (over 50 years on and off) and have stepped ofT the bus, a man started to never had a driver impress me as much follow and then accosted her. She yelled as Hall. I have taken the 82H from down­ and Mr. Jones called to her, telling her to town Oakland to San Leandro several come back on the bus. She boarded the times during the week and each time I bus and the man attempted to follow; was lucky to get this driver. He is a very, Jones closed the doors. The police were very courteous and considerate driver. called and your driver stayed until they When he approached the stops he would arrived. FRENCH VISITORS - AC Transit Board of Directors President Jean A. Holmes, left, and Vice President Michael H. Fajans, right, welcome Phillipe aid those who were disabled or extremely I'm sure your employees consider this Rochefort, leader of a delegation of 25 French offiCials on a tour of Califor­ elderly or slightly lame. just a part of a very difficult job. It comes nia public transit systems. The foreign visitors were interested in the relation­ Also, when he approached every con­ with the territory. I'm sure also a young ship between AC Transit's elected Board and its management in the decision­ nection point he would call out the stops. woman and the employees of our com­ making process, effects offunding cuts on service, and the future as reflected in the System's Five- Year Plan. The group's visit on April 22 was part of their When people boarded the bus and asked pany know James Jones' actions were week in California, which included stops at other Bay Area transit organiza­ any information, he was always cordial more than just a job - much more. tions. and gave the proper information. When Perhaps a big step toward the "brother­ there were smokers, he would be firm hood of all"? with them and announce "No smoking John F. Frings on the bus - it could be a $50 fine". Oakland It is a pleasure to get on an AC bus and * * * have a driver such as Curtis Hall; and I Please give this guy a plug in your pub­ HEY, A's - Richard hoped that he would be informed by your lication. For the last year or so Jeny Salles, driver at stafT that there are riders who appreciate Thorngren has been the driver of the H SeminGlY Division, was his type of personality. (I guess it is easier bus which leaves Solano A venue and thejirst A C Tra nsit to register a complaint than praise) . The Alameda in Berkeley at 8:36 a.m. employee this season to win a pair of Oakland Joseph A. Fernandes This driver is safe, courteous, careful, A's tickets in a program San Leandro handles even awkward passengers with to spot-light union great skill and diplomacy. There is a trash employees who compile * * * can at the start of his run which often gets exemplalyon-the-job tipped over; he picks the junk up and attendance records. Salles' name was pulled Greetings. tidies up the place which the merchants /i"om among those who Found driver (Anthony Flores) excep­ in the area probably do not even know. lost less than 10 days of tionally nice. Thought you might wish to He is a valuable employee and work-time during the know. deserves every honor AC Transit awards. year. The program is a project of Employee Dave Lieberman Ralph G. Craib Relations. San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle 10 II ilctions of th@ Board At an adjourned regular meeting March 16, the Board of Directors: lransiHimes • Approved contract provisions Published monthly by the governing remuneration of Legislative ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICT 508 16th St.. Oakland. California 94612 Representative, on motion of Director Telephone (415) 891-4777 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bettencourt. JEAN HOLMES. .. Presidenl Ward V • Approved nomination of Director MICHAEL H. FAJANS . ... Vice President Ray Rinehart for position on the Board of Ward I RAY RINEHART ...... Director at Large Directors of American Public Transit As­ ROY NAKADEGAWA . Director at Large WILLIAM E. BERK . . . Ward II sociation, on motion of Director Betten­ JOHN McDONNELL . ... . Ward III WILLIAM J BETTENCO~> ;r--::;--,., . Ward IV court. MA ION Robert E Nisbet {., 0 I General Manager Lawrence A_Rosenberg .", Asslstaai..Ger eral Manager for-Admmls tlon an~l"§t"ct Secretary * * * Robert J Sh ~n ' . . ~:(Assistant General Manager - or OperatIons Nathaniel A Gage . . fo s stant aneral Manager for Finance Glenn R. Andrade ...... Purchases and Stores Manager At an adjourned regular meeting Loren A. Ball...... Transportation Manager Richard H. Bertz . Maintenance Manager March 23 , the Board of Directors: Gregory L. Ford ...... Administrative Projects Manager Richard A. Fratus. Controller • Declared certain office furniture Ozra D. Gould...... Risk Manager Donald S. Larson ...... Research and Planning Manager and equipment to be surplus and Jim Lowe. Information Systems Director Richard W. Meier . Attorney for the District authorized its sale to the highest bidder Mike Mills ...... Marketing Manager Gary D. Ogg . Personnel Manager or bidders, on motion of Director Warren E. Robinson...... Transportation Engineer Nakadegawa. John W. Rose. Jr. . . . Affirmative Action Coordinator • Adopted updated and amended < ~9 "Rules for Procedure" for Board of Directors, on motion of Director Nakadegawa. At an adjourned regular meeting April • Adopted resolution authorizing fil­ 6, the Board of Directors: ing of application with Department of • Convened public hearing to receive Transportation in connection with a grant comment on proposed service changes amendment, on motion of Director and fare adjustments (see Cover and Nakadegawa. follow-up story, pg. 3)

AC Transit Latham Square Building MARV IN ~ . H A NC0~K A- ~ Oakland, California 94612 2E a O CHA rtL ETON LA NE, APT . 1 7 SAN PABLO , CA 948 -6 Retu rn Requested