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Pr gress on bus-rail coordinationCoordination of future Bay Areatransit services was moving ahead thismonth. Deliberation was under way onthre.e related fronts. A joint committee of AC Transit andBay Area Rapid Transit District personnel wer e work ing - with progresson future coordination of the two systems in the East Bay service area. Possibility of coordina ting MarinCounty bus and maintenance services

with AC Transit operations was beingexplored. Consideration also was being givento joining with BART on a study offuture feeder services in areas outsideAC Transit boundaries.Route considered

The AC Transit-BART committee wasconsidering each of more than 100routes presently operated by AC Transitto develop recommendations for futurelocations of lines to serve BART stations.The committee also is working onplans for frequency of service for eachof the lines and hours of operation, toassure tight coordination between thetwo systems.This phase will require additionalmonths of work before completion, Alan

L Bingham, AC Transit general manager, told a recent meeting of East Baychamber of commerce officials.When tentative agreement is reachedon these matters, development of equipment and manpower requirements canbe determined.AC Transit then will develop its estimated operating costs and revenues toestablish a base for discussions on revenue sharing and inter-agency discountfares, Bingham said.

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Discussion has been going on as toTHE COVER-Task of coordinating futureBay Area transit services is indicated byscope of aerial mosaic, made from 900photographs, shot at 19,000 feet . (ClydeSunderland photo)

the most practical method of transferingpassengers between the systems, butagreement has not been reached as toprocedure, according to Bingham.N ever before in the history of thecountry has such an extensive rail systembeen superimposed on an existing operating system, Bingham added, stressingthe magnitude of the challenge in coordinating the two properties.More than 250,000 run assignmentsnow are being operated by AC Transitbus drivers in a year's time. Most ofthese are expected to be affected byBART.Bingham said it was the District's intent to establish a coordinated systemthat would encourage the maximum useof mass transit facilities.Weare determined to provide fastand convenient service - as close tohomes and other destinations as possible- whether the rider uses AC Transitbuses, a combination of AC Transit andBART or a combination of the twosystems and the S.F. Municipal Railway,the transit executive declared.arin serviceMeanwhile, the Board of Directors ofGolden Gate Bridge, Highway andTransportation District authorized General Manager Dale W. Luehring to workwith AC Transit to determine whether

mutual advantages and savings mightresult through some degree of coordination of bus operations and mlintenance.Negotiations were to include hiringof consultants by the Golden Gate district to work with Greyhound concerningphasing out of Greyhound Marin commute operations and the phasing in ofAC Transit bus operations.

The study of BART feeder servicewould be expected to cover the ConcordWalnut r e ~ k area; Livermore-Pleasanton region and Fremont, Bingham said.The study group also would explorefeasibility of local transit.

ravel grows new uses added

~ W AR- Red Cap bus stop signs, posted alang raute of newLme N-1 Freeway Flyer, give passing motorists comparisan be-tween driving time and riding the bus.

AC Transit, which expects to add500,000 miles to operations this year, iscontinuing its program of shifting unproductive miles to service expected todo most good for most people.New commuter express service was

inaugurated by the Line N-l MacArthurFreeway Flyer to give residents of GrassValley and Mountain Blvd. areas of EastOakland nrst direct bus transportationto and from San Francisco.

Red Cap bus stop signs were postedSherwood Forest areaJoins transit district

The Sherwood Forest area of EI Sobrante became an official part of thetransit district this month as nnal annexation action was taken by the Boardof Directors and RIed with ContraCosta and State officials.

Legal steps were completed in thewake of a special election, which sawresidents of the area voting favorably toannex to the District. They will continueto contract with the transit district forschool bus service until the end of June,1970, making special payment for offroute mileage, plus District property tax.At the beginning of the new nscal year,they will pay only the regular tax rateset by the AC Transit board.

The annexation is nrst for the Districtsince it went into operation Oct. 1 1960.Other west Contra Costa County areasannexed in June that year.

to dramatize how many minutes the bustakes from various stops to reach SanFrancisco. The large signs, topped inred, slip over regular coach stop polesand are designed so passing motoristscan recognize the comparison betweendriving time and the time taken by busto travel the same distance.

Mammoth post cards also were sentto residents in the new service area, inviting them to try the bus.Coaches were added to 10 lines tokeep pace with growth in patronage.New morning and evening schedulessupplemented service on Line F-Berkeley express; Line E-Claremont express;Line B-Grand Ave., and Line O-Alameda.Additional morning trips went intoservice on Line V-Montclair; Line C-H

Piedmont and intercity express Line 32-Hayward-San Lorenzo. New eveningtrips were added to express Line 36-SanLorenzo and Line I5-B-35th Ave.Extra buses also were scheduled for

the Sather Gate Ltd., which is givingstudents and workers direct expressservice between San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley.Early and late trips which regularlycarry less than three passengers-and insome cases, no riders at all-were discon

tinued on the following neighborhoodlines: Line 17 Alcatraz; Line I8-ParkBlvd.; Line 53-Fruitvale Ave.; Line 54-38th-35th Aves. and Line 54/79 combination; Line 79-High St.3

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omputerto record s f driving recordsSafe driving experiences of AC Transitdrivers may go on the computer afterJan. 1, to keep accurate records of professional safe operating abilities.Plans call for a change in recording

pertinent information in connection withthe new safety award program, whichstarts with the first of the year, C. C.Wadsworth, safety engineer, said.By making use of the District's computer, the safety department will haveimpersonal and accurate data as to atfault accidents and how much time islost in work, over and above the graceperiod of 15 working days allowed eachyear for causes including industrial injuries, illness, temporary non-drivingassignments and leaves of absence.

Under the program, the day on whicha driver first qualified for AC Transitservice is considered his anniversarydate. A driver will qualif y for three SafeDriver shoulder emblems a year lateron the same date-unless it is changedby an at-fault accident or too manyabsent or non driving days.

The shoulder emblems will indicatethe year the driver qualified and numberof safe driving years. They are to beworn on uniform shirts and jacket.A wallet-size certificate, showing yearsof safe driving and qualification date,also will be presented.

SAFETY AWARD Sample of jeweled goldpin to be given for five years safe driving.

After five safe driving years, a jeweledgold lapel pin, designed to be worn oncivilian clothing, will be awarded. Pinswill be given for succeeding five-yearperiods, with stone combinations indicating total years of safe driving.The computer will keep individualrecords, printing off anniversary dates

so awards can be made each month toqualifying drivers, Wadsworth said.f a driver experiences an at-fault acci

dent, his anniversary date will bechanged to that date-by the computer.During the first part of January, division superintendents will be presentingover 3,000 shoulder emblems and more

than 150 pins, earned in the past threeyears by drivers on the property. Another recognition program was in effectbefore 1967.

Radios on order forest of modern fleetRadios soon will be installed on ACTransit's entire modern bus fleet, givingcoaches operating in every city the advantage of instant communications.Contract for an additional 160 radiounits was awarded to Motorola, on a

low bid of $139,236. A federal grantcovers one-half of the cost.One of the pioneers in equipingbuses with radios, the District has 300coaches with a voice. The additionalunits will increase the radio-equippedfleet to 460. The fleet of 32 supervisorycars and service trucks also will beradio equipped.

Copies of the 196869 annual reoport which features the City of Piedmont on the cover may be obtainedat the general offices 415 LathamSquare Building Oa kland or throughthe mail by telephoning 6457878

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS - SantaClaus-Nicholas P. Alevizos-finds nobody to O young or tooold to welcome St . Nick. Television cameras record scene atat Point Richmond, above.Cr Owds wait for bus and Santain East Oakland, upper right.Bus driver Priscilla Pat Craphas candy canes for grandchildren. Another driver, Ad eleBosco far right, finds a youngster also dressed in red andwhite. Instructor Clem Redmon helps with candy distribution at Berkeley stop. Santatalks to baby in bonnet.The District's traditional efforts to ex

tend holiday greetings to all broughtthe best of all gifts this year-a warmand happy response.A decorated bus, Santa's Toyland,rolled on major trunk lines; thousandsof free candy canes were distributed;a party was held for commuters at TransBay Transit Terminal, San Francisco.Bus drivers were given over 10,000cards to distribute to customers. Thecard featured a drawing of Oakland'sfirst horse car on Telegraph Road in1869, in tribute to 100 years of transitprogress.

The District's own St. Nick-NicholasP Alevizos-help to usher in the holidayseason when he arrived in his ownsleigh, on top of the decorated bus, in11 different communities.

He found, as he has in the past, thatnobody was too old for Santa or tooglum to exchange a happy message.While St. Nick climbed down a ladderto talk to crowds of youngsters at preannounced stops, two women drivers in

red and white costumes, Mrs. AdeleBosco and Mrs. Priscilla Pat Crap sawthat nobody was missed on candy canes.The two women rode regular serviceduring the month to distribute candycanes and bus traveling information.All were in costume for the pa rty atthe terminal, held in the tradition offerry boat part ies of decades ago. Theterminal was decorated and young accordion players, the Clo - tones , repeated their hit playing of last year.Commuters also received candy canesas an added treat.

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SOCI L SECURITY ACT

How oldstersan ride buses

At 10 cent fareNAME OF BENEFICIARYJOHN Q PUBLIC

CLAIM NUMBER SEX000- 00 - OOOO-A MALEIS ENTITLED TO EFFECTIVE DATEHOSPITAL INSURANCEMEDICAL INSURANCES IG NHEREV

7-1-667-1-66

Medicare cards will be considered theusual identification for senior citizens,65 and over, who can ride for 10 centson AC Transit buses during off peakhours, starting Jan. lResidents without Medicare cards canobtain a special AC Transit identificationcard, certifying the bearer as a riderentitled to the lower rate.Of the 130,000 elderly people in theDistrict's service area, approximately3,000 are expected to be without Medicare cards.

They should take the same proof ofage required by social security regulations to one of two dozen designatedlocations in East Bay cities.Volunteers will check the proof of ageand issue the I.D. card which will allowthem to ride for reduced fare during theprescribed periods: from 9 a.m. to 3p.m . and 7 p.m. to 3 a .m. on week daysand around the clock on week-ends andspecified holidays.Cooperating in the I.D. distributionwill be senior citizen centers and otherservice locations. Cards also may be obtained at the District's general offices ,508 16th St., Oakland, and at the Richmond office, 21st St. and MacdonaldAve.

The special I.D. card is designed fornew arrivals in the United States, someretired civil service employees and otherscovered by private health plans.The fare reduction has been author

ized for a one-year experimental period.6

~ .." SENIOR ITIZENIDENTIFICATION CARDNAME_______________________ADDRESS____________________DATE OF BIRTH,________________

Issued Sub iect to Conditions on BockGood Until Re vok ed . NOT Transfer a b le

SERIAL NUMBER SIGNATURE

AGE PROOF-Medicare card, upper left,and AC Transit I.D. card, will be accepteds senior citizen identification for reducedf res on East Bay buses.

Checks distributedFor past stock timeSeparate pay checks were distributedthis month-in time for Christmas stockings-to 1026 operators for retroactivestock time dating back to the Fall signup of Sept. 8, 1968.Total payment of approximately 20,-900 was made as result of an arbitrationdecision which ruled the District is stillliable under present contract for allowedtime to replenish stock, even though thetime is not being used by drivers under

the Ready Fare plan of riding.Checks for back time ranged from aslittle as 30 cents to 75.

3 y e a r passenger revenue cOIDparisonBEl sed o n 13 l our w e e k pe riods p e r y e a r

1,220,000 I ~ 1-J ~ ';s (I ~ J ,

I -f ~ ~ I ,-A. \ 7 ~~ ~ \ I'll.. I ' ", / '-. II 1 9 6 91,200,0001,180,0001,160 ,0001,140,0001,1 20 ,0001, 100,0001,080,0001,060,0001,040,0001,020,000 I 19681,000 ,000 I 1967980,000

DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR . APR. MA Y JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.JAN. FEB MAR . APR. MAY JUN E JULY AUG. SEPT . OCT. NOV. DEC. JAN.

Fare box revenue shows increase in OctoberPassenger revenue from East Bay and transbay lines showed an increase

during October, although total number of riders carried declined slightlyduring the month.Fare box revenue totaled 1,409,978, up 96,344 or 7.33 percent overyear-ago revenue of 1,313,634. Revenue on East Bay lines was 788,667,an increase of 4.45 percent over the 755,046 collected in October, 1968.Transbay revenue totaled 621,311, a boost of 11.23 percent compared tolast October's figure of 558,588.Commute book sales were 285,994, up 17.2 percent compared to 243,-936 in sales for October, 1968.

The number of passengers carried during the month totaled 4,805,370,down 1.17 percent compared to the year-ago count of 4,862,102. Transbayriding showed a slight increase of .08 percent, with 1,307,333 passengers.East Bay lines had a riding total of 3,498,037, down 1.62 percent below the3,555,770 who rode in the same month a year ago.

Operation costs during the month came to 1,613,382, an increase of117,437 or 7.85 percent up over year-ago expenses of 1,495,945. Thedistrict operated 2,171,809 miles of service, an increase of 30,867 miles or1.44 percent over mileage of 2,140,942 in October, 1968.Total revenue of 1,949,311 was sufficient to cover operational costs,depreciation and bond debt requirements.The transit industry nationally indicated a riding decrease for the monthof 1.87 percent.

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ctionso th BoardAt an adjourned regular meeting Nov.20, the Board of Directors: Confirmed canvass by Contra CostaCounty Board of Supervisors of Sherwood Forest special annexation election, on motion of Director McDonnell.At an adjourned regular meeting Nov.26, the Board of Directors: Reiterated policy of AC Transit onrequesting transit representation onABAG Transportation Planning Commit

tee, on motion of Director Copeland. Adopted resolutions declaring Sherwood Forest annexed to AC Transit anddesignating it as part of Special TransitService District No.1, on motion of Di-rector Bettencourt. See story, Pg. 3) Approved hours for 10-cent seniorfare; method of identification; elimination of zone charges and limitation of reduced fare to one year experimental period, on motion of Director McDonnell.See story, Pg. 6)

At a regular meeting Dec. 10, theBoard of Directors: Authorized General Manager to execute contract with Federal governmentfor $180,242 grant, two-thirds of estimated costs of computer project; executeagreement with Kent State Universityconcerning project; execute equipmentlease for data conversion and transmission; prepare specifications and advertisefor bids to furnish 36 data collectors andrecorders, on motion of Director Rinehart. Authorized management to makepreliminary inquiry concerning Federal

AC TransitLatham Square BuildingOakland, California 94612

ransit limesPublished monthly by theALAMEDACONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICT508 16th St., Oakland, California 94612Telephone (415) 654-7878

Virginia B Dennison t EditorBOARD OF DIRECTORSWILLIAM E BERK Pr d,nt

Ward IIE GUY WARREN . . Vice PresidentWard VROBERT M. COPELAND . . Director at LargeRAY H . RINEHART . Director at LargeWILLIAM H. COBURN. JR . . . . . Ward IJOHN McDONNELL . . . . . . Ward IIIWM. J. BETTENCOURT. . . . . . . Ward IV

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERSALAN L BINGHAM . . . General ManagerROBERT E. NISBET . . . . . . . AttorneyROBERT D. TOUGH . . . TreasurerControlierGEORGE M. TAYLOR. . . . . . SecretaryDENNIS J . O CONNOR . Public Information Mgr., 9 1

grant to reduce vandalism on buses, onmotion of Director Rinehart. Authorized replacement of fleet automobiles and trucks, on motion of Director Coburn. Awarded contract for 160 mobileradio units to Motorola, on low bid of$139,236, on motion of Director Coburn. Approved personnel and salarychanges in schedule department, on motion of Director Copeland.

I Established seniority date for NewsBureau Editor, on motion of DirectorRinehart.

Richmond drivers on topDrivers at Richmond Division topped

the safety goal in November with a record of 13,922 miles per accident.

BULK RATEU S Postage

P IDOakland, Calif .

GOODWIN SAMMEL U-5 Permit #210.5Return Requested 2018 CHANNING Vl YS R K E L E ~ , C 94704