transit times volume 11, number 1

8/7/2019 Transit Times Volume 11, Number 1

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E. GuyWarren RobertM .Copeland WilliamH .Coburn, Jr. JohnMcDonnell WilliamE.Berk Ray H.Rinehart WiliiamJ.BettencourtAt an adjournedLI t f t.- B d lehem Steel inregular meet in g- - C Ions 0 De oa r stallation, on mo-

June 26, the Board of Directors : tion of Director Berk. (See story, Pg. 9.) Authorized General Manager to sub- Adopted operating estimate formit names of mayors of 11 cities served 1968-69 fiscal year, on motion of Directorby district and to pay registration fee and Rinehart. (See story, Pg. 9)cost of annual dinner for those accepting ~ ~ ~ invitation to attend annual meeting ofAmerican Transit Association, on motionof Director Rinehart. Renewed agreement with ContraCosta County for furnishing school busservice to Sherwood Forest area of EISobrante, on motion of Director Coburn.(See story, Pg. 9) .

o Adopted resolution executing contract with U. S. Department of Housingand Urban Development for demonstration grant in connection with project toreduce hold-ups and assaults,. on motionof Director Coburn. (See story, Pg. 10.) Approved revision to Line 78 toserve Richmond development an d Beth-Safety marie toppedBy two divisions

The free treat of coffee an d doughnutsbecame "a habit" for drivers at Richmond and Emeryville Divisions thismonth as both again topped the safetygoal of 12,900 miles pe r accident.

Richmond drivers turned in 13,899miles, fourth month in a row they havesurpassed the safety bogey. Emeryvilleoperators, with 13,030 miles, have toppe d the goal for the past three months.

The result was a new mark for driversto shoot at-13,000 miles per accident.Richmond also operated without anaccident for 11 days in June, best recordsince the safety goal was established in1958.2

At a regular meeting June 10, th eBoard of Directors: Awarded tire contract to FirestoneTire and Rubber Company, subject tocompliance with bid requirements, onmotion of Director Coburn. Authorized directors and four staffmembers to participate in annual conference of American Transit Association,on motion of Director Coburn. Approved modifications in tariffregulations in conjunction with "ReadyFare" plan, including development ofEast Bay ticket book, on motion of Director Rinehart. (See story, Pg. 3)

Transit-limes ,Published monthly by the

ALAMEDACONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICTLatham Square Building 508 Sixteenth StreetOakland, California 94612 Telephone 6547878BOARD OF DIRECTORSJOHN McDONNELL . . . . Presidenf

Ward IIIWILLIAM E. BERK . . Vice PresidentWard II

ROBERT M. COPELANDRAY H. RINEHART.WILLIAM H. COBUWM. J .E. GUY

Director at LargeDirecto r at Large. . Ward I Ward IV. Ward VALAN L. I ManagerROBERT E. N AttorneyJOHN F. LARSON . rer-ControllerGEORGE M. TAYLOR. ... . . SecretaryDENNIS J. O'CONNOR Public Information Mgr.,_____________ 9 - - - - - - - - - - - ~

11

New "Ready-Fare" plan off to smoothStart with rider, community help

With overwhelming support from passengers-and the community-the Districtrolled with well-organized smoothnessthis month into a "Ready-Fare" plan designed to eliminate assaults an d robberies on buses.

Initial experience indicated the planwas an outstanding success.Most passengers were boarding withexact fares ready, indicating full knowl-

MILESTONE-Driver M. N. Reed removesmoney changer as "Ready-Fare" plan begins.edge of th e change in fare collectionprocedures - and full accord with theaction. Schedules operated without delay. Operators found the time requiredto occasionally punch and deposit a refund coupon was compensated by elimination of change making.

Coupons issued, including thosevoided, dropped from 494 on first working day to 242 three days later, a reduction of more than 50 percent.

The plan, which included eliminationof cash, tokens an d tickets carried bythe District's 1025 bu s drivers, was introduced with the most extensive informational program in District experience.Television and radio stations carrieddaily announcements as a public service.Both gave wide news coverage to everyfeature of the plan. Newspapers usednumerous articles an d photographs an dcarried editorials, lauding the District's

efforts to protect drivers an d passengers.The result was apparent as th e planwent into operation. Passengers rode asusual , bu t with fares ready. They spokeknowingly and approvingly of th e plan.There were few complaints.Business and financial concerns, aswell as smaller neighborhood stores, cooperated by selling tokens as a publicconvenience.

As the plan went into operation onJuly 14, nearly 300 outlets were suppliedwith tokens for sale, and more volunteerfirms were being added daily. Initial delivery of tokens to the outlets by Brinksarmed cars provided another "first" forEast Bay transit history.Token Outlets

Take-one sheets, listing locations wheretokens could be purchased and centerswhere refund coupons could be redeemed, were available on all buses andwere being updated each Monday.Bus drivers also were amply suppliedwith leaflets, explaining the "ReadyFare" plan. Leaflets also were availableat outlets selling tokens.Before the plan went into operation,all drivers went back to school to learnhow to accurately and patiently explainto passengers they would be able to ridesafer, and just about as easy as ever.The training sessions, held at all threedivisions, acquainted operators withchanges in procedure, including how topunch refund coupons for riders withoutexact change. Their schooling over, drivers turned in money and stock as theyfinished runs-marking another historictransit milestone.A new East Bay ticket book, containing 20 and 40 single rides, was givenapproval. I t can be purchased by mailand it goes on sale August 1. Underdevelopment are school tickets, whichhopefully can be sold at schools.

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3/7

Camera records actionAs plan to stop busCrimes is activated

INTO ACTION - Wheels start rolling forstart of "Ready-Fare" plan. Top, left, printers turn out refund coupons. At right, operator H. J. Gross walks off run with gilleybox for last time. Above, drivers get instruc-tion from Stanley Pearce, training instructor,on details of new plan. At left, bus driverDave Scott counts out change before turning in cash and stock.

SWITCH-aVER-As District switches from"110 cash" to "Ready-Fare", operators, topleft, turn in stock. Above, Brinks armed cardriver John Ward makes first delivery oftokens to secretary Carol Wolf. Poster, left,marks where tokens can be purchased. Below, maintenance worker Jack Rutherfordposts "no money" sign in bus. Bus driver E.G. Courant becomes first to drive withouttickets, tokens or change. Counting first day'sreceipts are W. G. SkiUing, assistant treasurer, and Charles Ptomy, assistant cashier.


4/7

Bay area daily newspapers urge community support of "Ready-Fare" planw r i h u u ~ 1bitnrinl Jngr

"The Eastbay's highly successful bussystem will face a serious operationalchallenge this Sunday when drivers ceaseImaking change.

The new "ready fare" plan is designedto eliminate the temptation for banditsto hold up an AC Transit driver for hiscash fares and change. It was enactedin response to requests by drivers following a series of bus robberies this year.

It deserves . . . utmost support.AC Transit, which acquired the pri vately owned Key System Transit Linesin 1960, has earned public patronage byoffering passengers new buses, courteousdrivers and fast schedules. The public

"AC Transit will launch a new fareprogram around the middle of nextmonth which will take all cash out ofthe hands of the system's bus drivers andthereby, hopefully, end the skyrocketingrate of bus holdups.

has responded by defying a nationaltrend. While many bus systems haveeither lost business or remained static,AC Transit has lured passengers awayfrom private automobiles.With the cooperation of the public

and the business community, the farechangeover need not affect the usualhigh level of service.Eliminating the change-making andtoken selling function of the drivers willunquestionably be an inconvenience forpassengers. But it also will reduce theprospect of a driver (or passenger) being hurt in a hold-up. It seems a smallenough price to pay . . ."

AC General Manager Alan Bingham,who was in the office yesterd ay to discussthe new plan, admitted that it comescomplete with a multitude of headaches.

But if it saves just one life, it will bewell worth the headaches. . . . "

ilttBail!!J1tUitwHAYWARD

"Residents in San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward , Castro Valley and othercommunities served by the AlamedaContra Costa Transit District face aslight inconvenience that may help savelives and assure continued, uninterruptedbus service throughout the East Bay. . . .the "ready-fare plan" is in effect on ACTransit buses and drivers will no longercarry money. Riders may pay exact faresin cash, tokens or tickets and the driver-6

in a further effort to stop assaults androbberies aimed against bus drivers-willnot have tokens or tickets for sale.It is here where the bus rider, not ye taccustomed to the ready-fare plan, mayexperience some inconvenience . . . if therider has neither a token nor the correctchange, the bus driver will accept up toa $5 bill. The rider will be issued a re

fund coupon .. . this refund coupon . . .will be redeemable . .. . "

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The INDEPENDENTRICHMOND

"I t is to the credit of East Bay residents that they are responding with sympathy and understanding to the AlamedaContra Costa Transit District's venturesome program directed toward eliminating holdups and assaults aboard buses .Of course, AC Transit's plan- withoutprecedent in any other U.S. urban transportation system on a round-the-clockbasis-merits the highest of praise.

The program, which involves the halting of the carrying of cash, tokens andtickets by bus drivers, will be watchedcarefully by transit systems throughoutthe country.

"Beginning July 14 Alameda-ContraCosta transit system will remove temptation for hoodlums to ~ o l d up buses. Dayand night, drivers will carry no cash.This will cause some i n c ~ n v e n i e n c e topatrons who neglect to carry tokens orthe precise amount of the cash fare. Butsuch inconvenience is certainly to be

It was the brutal shooting and robbing "of driver Ralph Livingston on Oakland'sShattuck avenue that spurred the decision of the district directors to pu t theplan into operation at the soonest opportunity. But, much earlier, the district wasevolving plans to deter would-be bandits.On May 27, the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development agreedto a requested grant of $206,000, twothirds of the total cost of a 16-monthstudy into ways of reducing crimes onbuses. Amalgamated Transit Union, asco-sponsors of the ,study, also is contributing .. . "

preferred to the death or, as recentlyhappened, the serious wounding of adriver.The new procedure will be tried outfor six months. San Francisco's Municipal

Railway should closely follow the EastBay experiment and others in Washington and Baltimore. . . . "

IDrihuur 1bitnrinl Jngr"The "no cash" fare program beinglaunched by AC Transit, in an effort to

reduce the number of bus holdups, willdepend for its success upon the cooperation of a wider segment of the community than just the bus riders and ACTransit's staff....

One of the biggest tasks in making thefare changeover with a minimum of public inconvenience is the establishment of

a sufficient number of bus tickets andtoken outlets.AC Transit district officials are requesting the cooperation of retail business andbanks in this effort. We hope the businesscommunity will give its assistance inbroadening the ticket-token distributionsystem so that bus patrons will find itconvenient to purchase their fares in ad-

"vance....7


5/7

Fuel tax reliel laill laecomes law;District to save estimated $280,000Legislation, which will save AC Transit an estimated $280,000 a year in fueltaxes, became effective this month afterit was signed into law by Governor Ro

nald Reagan.The measure, authored by Sen. James

R. Mills, D-San Diego, reduces dieselfuel taxes paid by privately and publiclyowned urban transit systems from sevencents to one cent per gallon.

The legislation materially aids transportation properties in continuing operations and relieves some of the financialburden placed on property taxpayers inunderwriting costs of transit.Because it concerns tax on diesel only,it does not affect money going to citiesfor local street improvements.

The Governor endorsed the bill severalmonths ago and made it part of his legislative progam. He emphasized the billwould assist minorities, the aged andlow-income families by providing bettertransit services to and from work, particularly in core areas of cities.

Total exemption statewide amounts toabout $1,800,000, less than one tenth ofone percent of the $560,000,000 collectedin gasoline and diesel taxes each year forhighway and freeway use.

FUEL TAX RELIEF - GovernorRonald Reagan signs into law legis-lation reducing diesel taxes paidby urban transit systems. Presentwere, from left: Miles Hoff, Stock-ton Metropolitan Transit District;John Wells, California Associationof Publicly Owned Transit Systems;William Bourne, Sacramento Tran-sit Authority; William Farell, LongBeach Public Transportation Co.,Tom .Prior, . San .Diego .TransitCorp., Robert Nisbet, AC Transit,and the Governor.

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Orthopedically handicapped youngstersfrom th e C. A. Whitton School were usingregular District buses to attend a specialsummer recreation program, as result of apractice session arranged to pu t wheels un-der the children.Training instructor George Silva workedwith each child, explaining the best boarding procedure to fit each problem. Theyalso learned how to pay a fare, how to sitdown and how to leave. Especially, theywere assured of driver cooperation, when itcomes to handling wheel chairs and crutches.After the class, 33 youngsters were ableto use District buses to attend the summerprogram at th e Cerebral Palsy Center forAlameda County.

DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENSES 1968/69 FISCAL YEAR75.5%5.85.75.64.01.91.5

$14,903,8001,154,6001,118,3001,115,100793,500368,400296,000

MATERIALS. SERVICESAND SUPPLIESREPAYMENT OFBONDED DEBTEQUIPMENT AND BUILOINGREPLACEMENTFUEl, Oil AND TIRES

CLAIMS AND INSURANCEBRIDGE TOLLSAND TAXES

Board adopts budget; costs up 6 percentAC Transit will operate under a budgetof $19,749,700 during the 1968-69 fiscalyear, continuing service improvementsnecessary for community growth despitecosts which have escalated over six percent in a year.

The operating estimate, adopted bythe board of directors, tops the spendingprogram for the year just ended by $981,-900, an increase of 5.23 percent.

The budget projects a deficit for thefiscal period of $460,300. Action on howto make up the deficiency was deferreduntil August, when the tax rate will beset.Determination of final assessment valuation figures and complete reports onthe District's revenue for the 1967-68fiscal year could well cut the deficit,Alan L. Bingham, general manager, toldService improvements givenApproval by directors

Rerouting of Line 78-Carlson Blvd. toserve Crescent Park, new Richmond development, and extension of a limitednumber of trips on the line to the Bethlehem Steel plant at Point Pinole wereapproved by the Board of Directors.Renewal of a special service contractwith Sherwood Forest area of El Sobrante also was approved, assuring students of continued bus transit to DeAnzaand Juan Crespi schools.

the directors.The estimate loss also could be re

duced materially or eliminated by application of a portion of the surplus remaining from this year or from receiptsfrom government grants, Bingham said.A week before the budget wasadopted, the estimate was cut by Statelegislation reducing diesel fuel taxes paidby transit systems. The reduction becameeffective July 1.Bulk of the increase in the cost of doing business was attributed to a 8.41 percent boost in expenses. Over 75 percentof the total budget, or 14,903,800, is earmarked for wages, salaries, employeebenefits, payroll taxes and insurance.Increased milesThe District expects to continue offering better transit, Bingham said, increasing annual miles operated from thepresent total of 24,432,000 to 25,000,000,a boost of 2.32 percent.

The budget allows for expenditure of$1,154,600 for materials, services andsupplies and $1,115,100 for equipmentand building replacement. Also allocatedis $1,118,300 for repayment of bondeddebt.

The tax rate for the year just endedhas averaged 19.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for taxpayers in theAlameda-Contra Costa County servicearea.9


6/7

SERVICES DETAILED- Work tobe performed is detailed beforestart of hold-up study pr.oject.From left: George M. Taylor, project director; Alan L. Bin{!,ham, general manager; Dr. Paul Gray, Stanford Research Institute; Dr. GordonMisner, UniversitIJ of Californiacriminologist .

Work begins on bus crime studyExperts from University of California

and Stanford Research Institute beganwork this month on the study project being piloted by AC Transit into means ofreducing assaults and robberies aboardthe nation's transit systems.

The study is geared to determine extent of bus crimes, what is being doneto handle the problem and what can bedone. The District's own experiences wit hthe "Ready Fare" plan will be part ofthe study.

Heading the phase concerned with obtaining data on bus crimes will be Dr.Gordon E. Misner, visiting associate professor, School of Criminology, Universityof California.Directing the phase concerned withinvestigation of technical and operational methods that might be applicable willbe Dr. Paul Gray, senior research engineer, Systems Evaluation Department,Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park.To obtain data, criminologists will conduct field studies on the District's network to form a work pattern that thencan be extended to four participatingproperties. Already committed as participants are Atlanta Transit System andSeattle Transit System.Experiences of bus drivers, practicesof police in handling such crimes, andwhat men in custody can suggest to discourage or prevent successful attemptswill be evaluated. Views of transit andunion representatives will be included.

The investigation of available andproposed technology will be conducted10

simultaneously on participating transitproperties. Small-scale experiments alsowill be conducted to verify feasibility ofsuggested deterrents.Go-ahead on the project came with approval of a gover nmental ,grant of $206,-000, two-thirds of total cost of $309,000.The national headquarters of Amalgamated Transit Union is contributing $30,-000. Transit properties are making theircontribution in direct services.A top criminologist will be consultant.Project director is G. M. Taylor, assistantgeneral manager for administration.Supply expert namedAs assistant manager

John A. Krajcar, 47, who has spent mostof his life "ordering supplies and tracking things down," has been named assistant manager of purchases and stores.Krajcar, of 3863

Huntington Street,Oakland, jOinedKey System in 1946after World War IIservice with theArmy Signal Corpsin the Pacific- inin supply. He hasbeen with the District since it went into operation. A widower, Krajcar divides his interest and

help among six children.His appointment was announced byH. D. Beebe, manager of the department.

AC / transit PASSENGER REVENUE .. .COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEAR1,300 ,0001,280,0001,260,0001,240,0001,220,0001,200,0001,180,000i ,160,0001,140,0001,120,0001,100,0001,080,0001,060,0001,040,0001,020,0001,000,000

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, .JIll~ -1968-1967-1966t3o

Business growth pattern continues

.i.IL"'"

The growth in business activity, recorded by the District during the firstfive months of the calendar year, continued in May, with passenger revenue and the number of riders carried showing a steady gain.Passenger revenue for the month totaled $1,262,264, up $31,101 or 2.53percent over the May, 1967 revenue of $1,231,163. Revenue on East Baylines was up 1.33 percent, while trans bay continued its growth pattern withan increase of 4.14 percent, compared to the same month a year ago. Commute book sales totaled $201,663, up 3.0 percent over sales of $195,704 forMay, 1967.

The number of passengers carried during the month totaled 4,714,020,up 1.65 percent over year-ago riding figures of 4,637,526. East Bay linesshowed an increase of 1.03 percent, while riding on transbay lines was up3.33 percent.Operation costs during the month reached $1,482,292, up 9.88 percentor $133,270 more than year-ago expenses of $1,349,022. The District operated 2,099,534 miles of service, an increase of 54,635 miles or 2.67 percent over mileage during the same month a year ago.Total income of $1,731,913 was sufficient to cover operational costs, de preciation and bond debt requirements.

The transit industry nationally indicated a riding decrease for the monthof 0.97 percent.11


7/7

ELECTRONIC BRAIN- New computer clicks through payroll under watchfuleyes of John Ebbinga, while John Stockman smiles approval.Data processing moves into new era

The data processing departmentclicked and Rashed into the advancedworld of electronic information processing this month with delivery and installation of an IBM computer.Appropriately , the computer was"christened" with the payroll- a job thatwill take four to six hours under the newsystem, compared to two and a half daysunder the old method. The computera 360 model 20- will replace unit recordequipment in the department and willalso have prime time available for additional applications in other activities.Currently, its tasks include the writingof checks for employees and pensioners,including deductions and the W-2 formsat the end of the year. It also will postgeneral books and trial balance. It willhandle income statements, revenue ac-

Alameda-Contra Costa Transit DistrictLatham Square Building

Oakland, California 94612

counting, fuel and oil consumption accounting, claims reserve accounting,material and supplies distribution, inventory, accident statistics, accountsreceivable and payable and bus mileage,according to John Stockman, data processing supervisor. Directing the new"brain" is John Ebbinga, operator-programmer.

IN MEMORIAME. R. Newman, 96, of Orland, pensioned in 1948 from transportation de partment, died June 4. He entered service in December, 1925.B. T. Toro, 67, of 2040 Coolidge Ave.,Oakland, who retired in 1964 from ma intenance department as a mechanic Class"A," died June 10.

THOMAS R BOLD U-l

Return Requested

5687 MILES AVE.OAKLAND. CA 91618

iilU9i'b

transit times volume 11, number 1

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