Number 9 Volume 18 September 1990 DISABILITY RTD INSURANCE Disability Insurance For RTD Employees ❑ No Relations to Earnings Clauses. ❑ We CANNOT Cancel or Decrease Benefits to Age 65. ❑ Limited Renewal Ages 65 - 70. ❑ Confinement Not Required to Collect Benefits. ❑ We Pay For Your Policy After 90 Days TOTAL DISABILITY. ❑ We Refund Premiums Paid During ist 90 Days TOTAL DISABILITY. ❑ No Limit an Numbers of Injuries or Illnesses. ❑ Restoration of Benefits Upon Return to Your Regular Occupation for 6 Months. WOMEN: ❑ Complications of Pregnancy Are Covered. RTD EMPLOYEES If You Knew What We Know You Would Call Us. (75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE) Don Jacobs Associates P.O. Box 6860 Torrance, CA 90504 (213) 768-8174 • (213) 768-8175 • FAX (213) 324-5587 SEPTEMBER 1990 HEADWAY 2 rrABLE loF ONTENTS The Headway... is published by the Southern California Rapid Transit District for the employees, retirees, and its friends every is guided by a policy approved by the Rail Makes a Comeback in LA with the Blue Line 4 month. Headway General Manager and published in the Human Resources Metro Rail Tunnel Repairs Under Way Policy Manual. A copy is available on request. Following Fire 16 Views and opinions contained herein do not necessar- ily reflect official District policy. Transit Rider Bill of Rights 17 The Headway welcomes contributions from RTD Guaranteed On-Time Performance or Patrons employees and retirees--letters to the editor, story ideas, opinions, employee and staff activities, and other submis- Ride Free 19 sions. Deadline is the first day of the month for inclusion RTD Offers Experimental Service to in the following month. Submissions should be typed northeast SFV 20 double-space and signed by the author or on disk using the Wordstar 4 program. Opinion pieces and letters to the Metro Rail Employees Get 6-Month Buffer 20 editor should not be more than 500 words and should be Affirmative Action Program Praised by LA County submitted on disk whenever possible. The editor reserves the right to select, edit, and position all copy. Grand Jury 21 Stories may be reprinted with acknowledgment of FY 1991 Goals for Equipment Maintenance 22 source. No Surprises in Dueling 1990 Roadeos 23 Editorial Office: Administration Building, 425 S. Main St., Personnel Department, Second Floor, (213) 972- An Interview with Neil Peterson, Executive Director 7165. of LACTC 28 Printing Department Staff: Photo Lithographic Operators--Rob Hartert and Ferrol Yeakle; Pressmen II-- First Light Rail Information Specialist Pat Bates, Eliud Castellanos, Oscar Arzadon, Roberto Class Graduates 31 Arrivillaga; and Bindery Operators II--Manny Alvarez, Walt Billingsley, and Luis Melendez. Schedule Changes 32 Typesetting, design, and makeup: Scheduling and Shifting Gears 32 Operations Planning's Typesetting & Layout Section-- In Memoriam 32 Layout Supervisor Susan Chapman, Typesetting & Layout Operators Jean Williams, Just Another RTD Story in the Naked City 33 Michael Laichareonsup, and Julie Ortiz. Summer Graduate 33 Editor: Mary E. Reyna Business Manager: Stacy Tran Public Commendations 34 Contributing Editors: Paul Lonquich, M.D., Sue Commendations 36 Harvey, Axel Heller, Carolyn Kinkead, and Luanna Urie. Member: Hartpence Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary 39 International Association of Business Communicators and California Association of Public Art For Light Rau). Stations 40 Information Officers. Blue Line is Exciting Blast from the Past for The Headway is printed on recycled paper. Director Price 41 October 1-7 is Rideshare Fair 42 Rail Brings Out the Artistic 42 California Rideshare Week Division 10 Hosts Black Tie Affair 43 Remember: Lone Riders Why Give Blood? Who Does It Benefit? 44 Get Left Out! Running Club 44 Neither the Headway nor the RTD endorses the products Births 44 or verifies the accuracy of the claims made in the advertis- ing, which has appeared, appears, and will appear on the Motivating Younger Workers 45 pages of the Headway. The advertising is simply a reve- Recreation News 46 nue-generating measure. Further, we reserve the right to reject any objectionable ad. SEPTEMBER 1990 HEADWAY 3 Rail Makes a Comeback While the French cele- want to make sure that brated their version of everyone who wants to try independence with Bastille the trains gets a chance to Day on July 14, the RTD do so. We extended the free and the Los Angeles County ride period till the end of Transportation Commission the month to enable (LACTC) gave the county of everyone to get that Los Angeles something to chance," said Patsaouras. celebrate and a way of life The day started quite that may eventually free early for Dennis Villard and Angelenos from the tyranny Warren Stockton, the of the automobile, smog, operators of the first two congestion, and ubiquitous cars to travel the inaugural gridlock--the Blue Line. route on July 14. The men In order that everyone arrived at Division 11 would have the pleasure of before sunrise bristling riding the Blue Line, RTD with anticipation in their On July 12, Supervisor Ed Edelman (left), RTD Board Board Presi ent Nick stiffly starched new President Nick Patsaouras (second from left), RTD General Patsaouras d LACTC uniforms and spit-polished Manager Alan Pegg (second from right) and Supervisor Chairman E Edelman shoes. Villard pulled out Kenneth Hahn announce that the Blue Line will be free to announced jointly on July the first car at 6:00 a.m. the public through the end of the month of July. 12 that they would seek heading for Pico and Flower Villard figures this will be approval from their respec- Station. Stockton followed Supervisor Ed Edelman, as close as he comes to his tive boards for Supervisor several minutes later. Both served as master of cere- childhood dream. Kenneth Hahn's suggested operators, along with Metro monies and commenced the "I always had a fantasy free ride plan for two Blue Line Supervisor Rita celebration. Speakers as a kid of being selected to weeks. Malone and Rail Operations included Mayor Tom pitch on opening day for the The RTD Board of Superintendent Paul Bradley, U.S. Congressman Dodgers," said Villard, a Directors unanimously O'Brien, saw to it that the Glenn Anderson, RTD former semi-pro baseball approved the motion set light rail vehicles were Board President Nick pitcher. "As a railroad buff, forth at its regular meeting staged in the tunnel at 12th Patsaouras, LACTC Com- I guess this is sort of like on July 12. Street awaiting the signal missioners Christina Reed my dream coming true-- "The RTD's going to to open the line. Villard, and Jacki Bachrach, and opening day and all that on take the public for a free 41, said it was "simply an Lieutenant Governor Leo the Blue Line. It feels ride," said Patsaouras. "We honor" to be chosen. McCarthy. All joined great." Supervisor Edelman in "It was like being ringing a symbolic Red Car picked to play in the Super bell to signal the first light Bowl--being in the lime- rail commuter train to run light," said Stockton, 42. "I in Los Angeles after an think operating these absence of 27 years. The magnificent trains is Los Angeles Railway exciting. miss the (LARY) Yellow Cars ran `hellos,"good mornings,' service from Los Angeles and `good-byes' I said for down into the South Bay two decades on Line 204 until 1963. but I'm proud to be a part "I feel like dancing," of rauf history in Los said RTD Board President Angeles." Nick Patsaouras in both The official opening English and Spanish. "A began with a spectacular lot of the skeptics said this inaugural ceremony at the would never happen. The Pico and Flower Street By sun-up at Division 11 on July 14 business had already skeptics were wrong. The Station. LACTC Chairman, started hours earlier. trains are back. This is the SEPTEMBER 1990 HEADWAY 4 in LA with the Blue Line ceremonies being held by 103rd Street Station, Watts local officials. Tower art exhibit and jazz Councilwoman Joan concert near the Imperial Milke Flores and Supervi- Station, grand opening of sor Kenneth Hahn spoke at the Compton Transit the 103rd Street Station. Center and an air fair at Mayor Walter Tucker of the Compton Station, a Compton, Mayor Robert transportation expo and Henning of Lynwood, and Samoan dancing at the Del Mayor Thomas Jackson of Arno Station, and a country- Huntington Park joined the western festival at Veter- train party at the Compton ans Park near Willow Station. The train's last Station, in Long Beach. stop was at the Del Amo After the ceremonies Station where Mayor Vera along the alignment, the Del Amo station at 7 a.m. on At 7:40 a.m. Operator DeWitt of Carson and other Blue Line actually opened July 14 was a lonely place. Joseph Roque leaves his officials came aboard. at 12:30 p.m. to the people Compare this photo to one train in the yard at At its final destination, who paid for it. At that taken 6 hours later which Division 11 to change the the Willow Station, the time 150 RTD volunteer appears on page 12.. track switch mechanism. train was greeted by Mayor staff members assumed Ernie Kell of Long Beach, their positions as Los beginning of a transit on long lines many blocks Supervisor Deane Dana, Angeles' version of Japa- renaissance." long for their turn. and Councilman Ray nese subway packers. By The audience became Superintendent of Grabinski as well as the afternoon about 80,000 electric with excitement Operations at the Central hundreds of citizens eager people converged on the when they heard the Pico to take a ride on the new different stations trying to Control Facility Dan Ibarra Station Manager Russ said the scheduling ran light rail system.