8/14/2019 Transit Times Volume 1, Number 4

1/3

Tran s i t Timeso 0 ACT .

TRANSIT CHIEF NAMEDWorthington Brings Wide ExperienceTo District As first GeneralManager

The man chosen to guide the futuredirection of public transit in the East Baycounties must possess a proven experience in the field of transportation, and anintimate knowledge of the area's numerous and complex transit problems.These were the principal cliteria employed by Directors of the Transit Dis trict in their search for a general manager-a search that quicklyand with obvious reasonconcluded with the appointment of John R.W orthin gton, widelyknown and regarded authority on urban transportation, both locally andthroughout the State.

tributes are those we consider absolutelyessential for the man who must superviseand guide the preparation of the District'snew transit program and then assemblethe extensive transit operation that wepropose."Further, Bettencourt noted that thenew general manager "already has displayed and proven a highly competentability" while serving theDistrict since last Marchas its transportation consultant. In this capacityW 0 I' t h i n g ton shared alarge part in the development of a plan to improveand expand public transitin the two East Bay counties.orthington comes tothe District as its first general manager equippedwith solid transit experi

ence acquired over a period of nearly 40 years.His thorough and longpractical background extends in t 0 governmentprocesses and the administration of large scale op John R. Worthington

Worthington's reputation as an expert on transit matters Wiasn't createdovernight. From the timehe first joined SouthernPacific as a messenger in1917, he was vitally interested and, later, directlyconcerned with betteringpublic transit.erations. His postwar association withKey System Transit Lines, which hesevered in 1954, has enhanced his closefamiliarity with the detailed transportation problems of the area so in need ofprompt solution.Vice President Wm. J. Bettencourt saidof his personnel committee's unanimousrecommendation: "Mr. Worthington's at-

As general superintendent of the entire bus and rail passenger operation ofPacific Electric Railway in Los Angeles,Worthington successfully managed a rehabilitation of the company's operationsin the late "thirties" to meet fast-growingcompetition of the private auto.In addition to his experience with thesouthern California transit firm-at that

8/14/2019 Transit Times Volume 1, Number 4

2/3

Transit TimesPublished monthly by the

Alameda-Contra Costa Transit DistrictSuite C, Claremont HotelBerkeley-Oakland, CaliforniaTelephone THornwall 5-6610

Alan L. Bingham, EditorOfficersRobert K_ BarberWm. J. BettencourtJohn R. WorthingtonRobert E. Nisbet

George M. Taylor

PresidentVice PresidentGeneral Manager

Attorney-SecretaryAdministrative Officer

DirectorsRobert K. Barber . Ward fJ. Howard Arnold Ward IIJohn L. McDonnell Ward I"Wm. J. Bettencourt Ward IVPaul E Deadrich . Ward VRobert M. Copeland Director at LargeClair W. Macleod Director at Large~ l D

time the world's largest inter-urban railway system-Worthington gained firsthand knowledge of state-wide transit asmanager of the California Bus Association. The association, which he organizedfollowing his tennination of service withKey System, represents 140 companiesthroughout California.

Of the job that lies ahead, Worthington brings to his new position a finn conviction that substantially improved public transit is a necessity if the East Bayarea is to continue its great populationgrowth and enjoy maximum prosperity.

He believes that public transit will,indeed, share a larger role in the movement of East Bay residents, but that thisgoal can only be attained with a revitalized and expanded operation.Upon accepting the general managerappointment, Worthington said his firstconsideration will be th e assurance thatplanning for the District is "progressive,proper, and in the best interests of thepeople. Our program, in addition to being highly attractive to the area's citizens,must be financially sound."

District Readies PublicShowing of Transit Plan

An illustrated .public presentation ofthe Transit District's program for improved and expanded East Bay transitsoon will be available for scheduling byorganizations in the area.Titled, "A Transit Acquisition and Development Program for the East BayArea," the presentation includes a seriesof descriptive charts and a commentaryby a District representative pointing outthe problems of mass transportation inthe area and explaining the District's development plan for meeting this need.Letters telling of the availability of thepresentation, together with a new 20-page brochure describing the Districtand its program, have been mailed tomore than 250 civic, business, commu-nity and other clubs and organizations.The presentation will be available freeof charge beginning next month forluncheon meetings as well as for groupsholding their meetings during the morning, afternoon or evening hours, including Saturdays and Sundays. Any interested group may arrange for a presentation simply by contacting the TransitDistrict.Suil: Involving Disl:ricl:Is Nearer 1:0 Decision

Efforts by the Transit District to obtainan earlier date for trial of a taxpayers'suit against the District have resulted ina re-scheduling of th e hearing.The trial was advanced to August 12from th e original date of Sept. 16 in MarinCounty Superior Court at the request ofRobert E. Nisbet, attorney for the District.The suit charges that there was improper canvassing of absentee ballots inRichmond, San Pablo and certain unincorporated areas of Contra Costa Countyafter the election that created the District, and it asks that those areas be excluded from the District.

Future of Downtown Stores Tied to TransitBetter Public TransportationHeld Essential by Retailers

The fate of downtown retailing shouldbe linked more strongly to the improvement of public transit rather than to efforts to increase parking facilities or frustrated attempts to alleviate city trafficcongestion.This was the theme stressed repeatedlyin a public transit clinic held recentlyunder joint auspices of the National Retail Merchants' Assn. and th e AmericanTransit Assn.Throughout th e one-day meeting, adistinguished line-up of speakers emphasized that downtown business relies onpublic transit to bring a substantial number of customers to its doors, that it is aphysical impossibility for all shoppers tocome by private auto, and that businessmen and transit companies-to insure thecontinued prosperity of downtown-mustwork together to make shopping-by-transit speedier, more convenient and morecomfortable.Progress StymiedAs desirable as off-street parking andbetter traffic flow methods ma y be, theseimprovements generally succeed only ininfluencing more people to drive theircars downtown, thus negating th e progress in clearing up parking shortagesand traffic congestion.The need for an adequate public transit system to assure an economicallysound downtown was underscored byRoswell F. Thoma, president of NiagaraFrontier Transit System of Buffalo, N.Y."Transit's job has been made difficult,"he said, "by the increased number anduse of private automobiles, which notonly have taken away a large segment oftransit's passengers, bu t which competewith public transit for space on thestreets."Speed of travel for bus passengers andmotorists alike is reduced, and therebyboth fonns of transportation become less

Big Changes in Bus DesignPlanned by Manufacturers

A distinctively new bus model that willoffer greatly increased eye appeal and addedconvenience and comfort for the passengeris being developed by equipment manufacturers.Coach builders soon will have completedtheir designs and retooling for the newmodels, according to Jesse L. Haugh, president of the American Transit Assn.

Haugh told a public transit clinic in NewYork recently that progressive transit companies are alert to the need for making vehicles socially acceptable, especially with respect to women, who represent nearly twothirds of transit riders."Such improvements add to tlle cost of amotor coach," he said. "But progressive transit managers are convinced they are wortllthe cost and are essential to attract new patronage."

attractive," he observed."Practically every responsible studentof modern city life will agree that thecontinued growth and prosperity of ourAmerican cities as we know them todayreqnires the encouragement of publictransit use, and the discouragement ofunnecessary automobile use in congestedareas." He added:"You as downtown merchants have agreat stake in your local transit system.So, too, have all owners of downtownproperty-and the banks that hold themortgages."Speedier TransitTransit executives attending the NewYork City conference indicated they arekeenly aware that the way to increaseriders is through making public transitspeedier, more comfortable and moreconvenient, and by coordinating publicconveyance systems with private autoparking facilities located outside of thecity core.Retailers were given a gentle rebukefor their lack of active concern in goodtra nsit by E. Willard Dennis, chairman of

8/14/2019 Transit Times Volume 1, Number 4

3/3

the NRMA downtown development committee. He said:"Strangely enough, retailers, who standto gain the most from good public transit, have heretofore shown too little interest as a group in the whys and wherefores of an inadequate transit system.They have overlooked the decided advantages to be gained by downtown merchants through an efficient bus serviceand other forms of public transit."Joseph J. Myler, a Rochester, N.Y. ,business executive, said that wihat retailers need to bring downtown is people, notautomobiles."The plain truth is that cities cannotafford the space needed to park the carsof all the owners who prefer to drivedowntown in their own cars" he said."What we need to do is to get more per-sons to use the buses . . . To preserve thedowntown stores, we must preserve ourpublic transportation system."The greatest possible aid to retailersin their present plight is fast, comfortablepublic transportation at reasonable fa res "

he said. 'J-Iearing Set: on Request: t:oWit:hdraw from Transit District:

Directors of the Transit District havescheduled Sept. lO to hear petitions requesting exclusion of approximately 50square miles of northern Contra CostaCounty from the District.The p e ~ i t i o n s , containing 95 signaturesrepresentmg the heavy industrial sectionof the county, contend the area will notbenefit from remaining in the District.The hearing will be held at 8 p.m. at theClaremont Hotel.

Transit TimesAlameda-Contra Costa Transit DistrictSuite C, Claremont Hotel

Berkeley-Oakland, California

What the EditorsSay About TransitContra Costa Petitioners Urged

To Consider Population GrowthReprinted from the San FranciscoNews:A group of East Bay taxpayers is circulating petitions to withdraw a 50square-mile area from the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District.The area, in northern Contra CostaCounty, contains some heavy taxpayers.Should they be able to pull out, the District's tax base would be strongly affected.There are a number of aspects to theproblem and it is possible the petition circulators can make a case for themselves,but we think they are acting a little prematurely since the engineering plans fortransit in the area haven't been com

pleted.The petitioners appear to be looking attransit needs as they are today and forgetting what they will be tomorroW' withpopulation doubled.This is just one of the obstacles to beovercome before rapid transit becomes areality, but we are confident the Bay Areawill meet the challenges, one by one, asthey arise.Another Copy?

For another copy of Transit Times orto place your name on the mailing list i fyou are not already receiving a copy ofthe monthly newsletter, just drop a line tothe Transit District in Suite C at theClaremont Hotel, Berkeley.BULK RATE

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID~ ; . N L [ Y SCOTl 0

Permit No. 288Berkeley, California

Form 3547 Requested

BUqEAU or PUBLIC ADM346 llSRARY ANNEX~ I V E ~ S I T Y or CALIF

E\ E R I{ r L r. v C \ t. , I""