transit times volume 9, number 2

8/8/2019 Transit Times Volume 9, Number 2

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Vol. 9, No. 2 OAKLAND, JUNE, 1966

ContractAwarded for Installing MobileTwo-Way Radio System to Link CoachesThe District's long determination toequip its buses with a "voice" moved

toward actual work stages this monthwith award of a contract for installinga two-way radio communicationssystem.

The contract, to link the basic fleetof 300 coaches, was awarded to Radiocorporation of America, lowest of threebidders.

RCA is to supply and install a complete mobile radio communicationssystem, with the exception of settingup the mobile bus units. The Districtwill handle installation of the telephone-like equipment on buses.

With the two-way radio network, theDistrict will have an instant check onthe location of each equipped coachand will be able to change routingsor operations according to traffic conditions - including those involved infuture rapid transit feeder bus services .The radio link also is expected tobe of particular benefit in meetingemergency situations.

RCA's basic bid was for $174,534,with extra mobile accessories, portabletransceivers and test equipment totaling out to $185,663. To be added aresales taxes, labor of installation, engineering and consultant fees.The project includes erection of anew base station, for a transmitter, onRound Top mountain, and another

Union Workers ReceiveAutomatic Wage BoostUnder Terms of AwardWages for more than 1200 Districtunion workers automatically went upfive per cent this month as a result oflastyear's arbitration award. The hike gavebus drivers an increase of 15 cents anhour, putting their hourly wage at $3.31.Class "A" mechanics were boosted 20cents an hour, to $4 per hour. Other unionmembers, including clerical workers anddispatchers, received across-the-board increases of 15 cents an hour.Under terms of the award, the Districtalso added an additional $3 a month to th ehealth and welfare programs, bring totalcost to $18 per worker.The arbitration decision raised Districtcosts by $2,102,000 over the life of th etwo-year contract, which expires May 31,1967.

base station, for a receiver, on GrizzlyPeak. The present station on RoundTop will be moved to Emeryville Division, to be set up for standbypurposes.A new console also will be installedat Central Dispatch.A capital grant from the U.S. Housing and Home Finance Agency willcover part of the projected cost of$269,000. The grant initially is forhalf of actual costs, up to $134,500. I tcan be increased to $179,333 if regional planning is completed withinthree years.


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AC / transit PASSEGER REVENUE . . .COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEAR1.240.0001.220.0001.200.0001.180,0001,160,0001,140,0001,120,0001,100,0001,080.0001,060,0001,040 ,0001,020,0001,000,000

980,000960,000940,000

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cj....oA favorable increase in passenger revenue was recorded during April, with atotal of $1,187,368 collected for th e month - up $100,712 or 9.3 pe r cent overth e $1,086,656 figure tallied during th e same month last year.John F . Larson, treasurer-controller, attributed 5.9 pe r cent of the increase tothe recent fare raise, an d 3.4 pe r cent to a boost in patronage.The number of passengers carried on East Bay an d transbay lines reached4,455,622, a gain of 150,737 over riders carried during th e same period a yearago. On transbay service, the percentage gain was 5 pe r cent, with a total of950,969 customers, an increase of 44,991. East Ba y passengers reached

3,504,653, a boost of 105,746 riders or 3.1 pe r cent over April, 1965.Commute book sales remained fairly constant, with a total of $184,020 forthis April, compared to $183,720 a year ago, a gain of 0.2 pe r cent.Th e district operated 1,920,122 miles of service, down 12,039 miles or 0.6per cent over last April's figure. Operational costs totaled $1,225,407, an increaseof $78,169 or 6.8 pe r cent over year-ago expenses of $1,147,238.Total income of $1,456,650 was sufficient to cover th e month's operational an dequipment replacement costs, and bond debt requirements. A surplus of$43,860 reduced the deficit for th e first 10 months of the fiscal year to $205,700.Credit Union Formed by AC Transit Workers

Information sessions were held this recently chartered, has established ofmonth among drivers an d office work- fices at 2708 Flannery Dr., San Pablo.ers to explain functions of the newly Payroll deductions have been apformed AC Transit Employees Fed- proved by the District and by Divieral Credit Union. Th e credit union, sion 192 of the Carmen's Union.2

Films Show Key to Courteous ServiceTh e importance of courtesy an dthoughtfulness - and their relationship in attracting and keeping customers - was emphasized this monthin two color films, which combinedentertaining acting with significantmessagesOn e film, scheduled for bu s drivers,highlights their importance as ACTransit "salesmen" - the only representatives of the District wh o meetcustomers face to face and, throughtheir actions, win or lose patronsThe other film was presented forthose who deal over the phone withcustomers or potential customers . Itillustrated simple, good telephonemanners:"Telephone as you'd like to be telephoned to."

Sales TalkTh e first film, produced by GeneralMotors, shows the "Salesman at th eWheel" in his "office" - the bus -an d how, despite many problems, hecan handle many situations with threeresponses:"Thank you." "Please." ' 'I 'm sorry."Th e film illustrated the importanceof a neat, personal appearance an d

well maintained vehicle an d the effects of a ba d mood, compared to the"smile that goes a long way."It suggested ways to handle problem situations, such as a customer whoneglects to pay a fare . Th e suggestedcomment was:"I be g your pardon. I failed to getyour fare ."

As to the overdue transfer, this wasthe suggestion:' 'I 'm sorry, sir, this transfer has expired. Will you see if you have anotherin your pocket?"Th e film suggests that operatorslearn about the services offered by theproperty and "bone-up" on the territory served, to be more informative totheir customers.

" If you help your company to be admired," it was pointed out, "you personally gain in stature."It also added it was th e salesmanwho keeps a company in business andin transportation, it's th e driver whosells th e service.After seeing the film, operators tookpart in a courtesy quiz, which includedtheir suggestions on ho w to improvedriver courtesy.

The telephone presentation, madeby Miss Alene Parker, service consultan t of Pacific Telephone, had thesepoints: Pick up phone promptly and beprepared to talk. Identify yourself by name or department or both . I f away from desk, arrange forsomeone to answer phone. Don't ask "Who's calling?" Instead, if necessary, ask: "May I tellMr. Brown who is calling?"Th e film suggested calls should beplaced by executives personally,rather than by secretaries. It also included tips on holding calls an dhaving them transferred.

SALESMEN - InstructorGeorge Silva shows courtesyfilm to operators, from left,rear: L. E. Kinney, F. C. Col-lins, W. A. Lee, L. L. Longacre.Center, Walter Anderson, SamM. Moore, F. A. Armes, ]. E.Holmes. Front, W. E. Bunce,R. F. Ledward, R. W. White.

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Counting Room

COLLECTION -Coins, tokens and ticketscollected on each bus line are dumped intoshaker by Jeff Dailey -first step in totalingrevenue for the day.

SEPARATION - Coins and tokens rattleinto coal bucket under eyes of vault clerkJames McCracken. Hopper catches ticketsand currency.4

Tally from Fare BoxesGives Passenger Revenue

I F TH E JINGLE of coins has a musical sound and the clatter of cash iseuphonious, the counting room of ACTransit would have appeal.

The "boiler room" of district operations - an d the cash register - thecounting room is a noisy hideawaywhere th e all -important questions aredetermined:

What is the passenger revenue -total, and by line?

Tickets, tokens an d cash are dumpedeach day into the counting room to beprocessed an d tallied, under a systemestablished when fare boxes werechanged in 1949.

In the early days of Key System op eration, revenue wa s counted at thecar barns and at the terminal pier.Later, the receipts were turned in atthe Oakland yard an d at th e car housesor coach headquarters.

But the old "J" boxes an d the Ohmerfare registers on transbay buses an dtrains were unsatisfactory, and afterWorld War II the switch was made toCleveland boxes, which will take anytype of coin or tickets.

Th e counting room is under the pe rsonal jurisdiction of W. G. Skilling,assistant treasurer an d veteran of 37years of service. Supervising activitiesis Arthur Spiganovicz, cashier.

Under the present system, operatorsare issued a relatively small amountof cash, plus a stock of tickets an dtokens, which are charged against theirindividual accounts - much like consignments to salesmen .

When the contents of fare boxes arebrought into the counting room, theyare emptied - a line at a time - into

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TALLY - Eddie Pangelinan, front, and SubNishimoto, vault clerks, feed machineswhich separate and count coins and tokens.a shaker, which holds back tickets an dcurrency in a hopper while th e coinsan d tokens rattle through into a bucket.

Although all sorts of containers havebeen tried, incidentally, the best remains the old-fashioned coal bucket -a noisy receptacle, but efficientlyadaptable for coin catching.

Th e tickets are weighed on an offsetscale to obtain what experience hasfound to be a highly accurate count oftheir contribution to revenue and riding. Coins are counted in sorting machines, which separate th e collectioninto groups of tokens, dimes, pennies,nickels and quarters.

After a check for "foreign an d phony"money, the coins are moved to rollingmachines. All tokens are rolled to besold again . Change of different denominations also are rolled to fillorders from each division. And therest goes to th e bank.

It takes a crew of 8 to handle thedeafening job. In an average month,over 1,500,000 tokens an d 3,600,000coins are sorted an d counted; thetokens are rolled, along with 1,900,000coins for change requirements. Approximately 1,700,000 coins ar ebagged for banking.

PACKAGING - Rolling machines wraptokens for resale. Coins also are rolled tofill orders from each division. The rest goto the bank, neatly packaged by denomination.

FINISHING TOUCH - W. C . Skilling, assistant treasurer, watches Henry Paterson,assistant cashier, "gift wrap" coin box.After lid is attached to money can, it is securely strapped.5


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It's a Costly Hobby- But Operator FindsChinchillas Make Intriguing CompanionsThere's something cuddly and ex

pensive in the life of Marion C. Elsbury, 37, bus driver at Seminary Division, that takes a lo t of pampering.

But if you like animals, you'll likechinchil las an d unders tand whythey're an enthralling part of his leisure."I enjoy raising them as a hobby,"Elsbury explained. "Just don't expectto ge t rich."

Owner of a "herd" of about 30 of thesmall, South African rodents, Elsburymoved into th e furry field in 1963, ashort time after he went to work for ACTransit. Fo r Thanksgiving that year,he and his wife acquired two pair of"chins" from a friend.SWEET - AND EXPENSIVE - OperatorMarion C. Elsbury cuddles two of his pets,part of the "herd" of chinchillas he raisesas a hobby - "but not to get rich."

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By paying cash - a whopping $2200- they received the bonus of anothertwo pair and started their ranch in thegarage of their home at Dublin.

Elsbury found the animals "just likekids or anybody else. You have to pampe r them a little, talk to them, chirp tothem. It takes time, patience and careto raise chinchillas, bu t it's real exciting. They're delicate an d you try no tto get them upset."

Th e animals have three litters a year- you hope - according to Elsbury.Three babies is an average litter.little Care

Th e animals are kept in cages, feda combination of special chinchillapellets and a grain hay designed to improve the quality of their fur.

Since he and his wife moved to theirpresent home at 1249 Via Vista, SanLorenzo, Elsbury has ha d to board hi sherd at a ranch in Danville, bu t hopessomehow "to get them back home."

As for making a living from the animals, Elsburg figures a person wouldhave to have a herd including at least150 female chinchillas.

A good pelt brings $40 to $50, withthe average around $30, he explains.Since his start, he has lost six animalsan d "pelted ou t four, at $17.50 each."The pelts are sent to a fur auction in

New York for processing, at $2.50 apelt, so you can see I'm not gettingrich," the operator explained.He's trying now to improve th eblood line for better quality an d tomake up for his "biggest disappointment."

He left an excellent book on chinchilla care on th e bu s an d although itwas marked with his name and address, it has not so far been returned ."That was a real loss!"

BUS LURE - Glenn County students, left,find Freeway Train exciting. Boys fromMendocino County are lured by machinery.Visiting Students Learn About BusesDespite a couple of mishaps, the

Special Education Class from CapaySchool at Orland go t to se e ACTransit's ne w Freeway Train thismonth as a highlight of a first visit "toth e city."

The Glenn County youngsters wereone of two groups to find considerableinterest in district operations.Boys from industrial arts classes atAnderson Valley High School in Mendocino County could hardly be priedaway from the machine shop, wherethey showed keen interest in maintenance, repairs - an d future jobs.

The Orland students had made plansto see the articulated bu s at th e Transbay Transit Terminal, bu t switchedprograms when a transmission problem sent the duo-bus to th e shops inEmeryville.Caught in peak-hour traffic in privatecars, th e visitors were unable tochange lanes on the Eastshore in timefor th e Emeryville turn-off. Un-

111 );iellloritllll ILYMAN L. DEADRICK, 65, early daystreet car operator at Telegraph andCentral carbarns before he became abus driver in 1948, died on May 8 inDidsbury, Alberta, Canada, where hewas making his home. He retired onJune 1, 1960.

daunted, they drove back from Richmond to find th e shops closed, butAnthony Perry, Sr., maintenance foreman on the swing shift, waiting toshow them the bus.After an enthused tour of the Freeway Train, th e students rode aroundth e yard on a bu s an d then wentthrough th e wash rack - a "real thrill."

When they left, even the girls weredetermined to be "bus mechanics,"according to Perry.Welcome in Order forNew Transit Workers

Ne w District workers include:Emeryville DivisionMaintenance: Gary E. Meydam,3541 Davis St., Oakland, service em

ployee .Bus Operators: E. J. McCain, 1229Evelyn Ave., Berkeley; O. G. Ballesteros, 291 Evendale Ave., MountainView; L. W. Smith, 923-52nd St., an dD. L. Mitchell, 675-3Oth St., Oakland.

Seminary DivisionBus Operators: P. R. Bohannon,1417 Pacific Ave., San Leandro; T. R.Murphy, 26934 Lauderdale Ave., Hayward; D. W. Thomas, 1500-164th Ave.,San Leandro; D. M. Pinkard, 849-70thAve., Hersey Harris, 1270-90th Ave.,C. E. Grimes, 7129 Weld St., all ofOakland, and D. D. Sinclair, 2199Bancroft Ave ., San Leandro.

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At an adjourned regular meetingMay 25, the Board of Directors : Awarded contract to Radio Corpo-ration of America for furnishing andinstalling mobile radio communications system, on motion of Vice Presi-dent McDonnell. (Story, Page 1). Ratified program of deferred com-pensation for General Manager, onmotion of Director Copeland.* * *t the regular meeting June 8, theBoard of Directors : Authorized execution of a contractwith U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development for capital grantto purchase 30 new buses, on motionof Vice President McDonnell.

Publ ished monthly by theALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICTlatham Square Building 508 Sixteenth StreetOakland, California 94612 e Telephone 654-7878

BOARD OF DIRECTORSWILLIAM H. COBURN, JR. . PresidentWard IJOHN McDONNELL .

Ward IIIROBERT M. COPELAND.RAY H. RINEHART . .WILLIAM E. 8ERK . . . . . . .WM . J. BETTENCOURT . . .E. GUY WARREN . .... .

Vice PresidentDirector at largeDirector at Large

Ward II. . . Ward IVWard V

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERSKENNETH F. HENSEL . General ManagerROBERT E. NISBET . . AttorneyJOHN F. LARSON. . Treasurer-ControllerGEORGE M. TAYLOR. . . . SecretaryALAN l. BINGHAM. . Public Information Manager

~ - - - - - - - - - - _ ~ 5 ____________Sharper Service Scheduled for Riders

Changes affecting transbay serviceand operations in nine East Bay citieswere put'into effect this month.

Improvements included start ofSunday service to the Mormon Temple and Greek Orthodox Church.Midday transportation also was inaugurated between San Lorenzo,Southland and Chabot College inHayward.Additional trans bay trips wereadded to Lines F, Land R, providingmore service for commuters in Berke-ley, Richmond, EI Cerrito, Oakland,San Leandro and Hayward .A new area of San Pablo was served

Alameda-Contra Costa Transit DistrictLatham Square Building

Oakland, California 94612

by rerouting buses to Contra CostaCollege.

Frequency changes affected ridersusing Lines 40, 57 and 78, while minortime adjustments were made to Lines11, 69 and transbay Line O.

New Fun Pass RecordSales of Sunday and holiday fun

passes reached 1,727 on June 5, high-est record yet. Closest tally, on a regu-lar Sunday, was made Aug. 1, 1965,when 1,688 passes were sold. Duringairport dedication Sept. 16, 1962, some1,721 passes were sold on regular andspecial buses.

BULK RATEU. S. PostagePAID

Oakland, Calif.Permit #2105GO ODW I N S.\MME:L U-'z-_____ -'

Re turn Requested 20 18 CHANN I NG WAYBERKELEY 4 , CALIF.

transit times volume 9, number 2

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