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Volume 2, Numb .. 5 *

East Bay To Vote on Transit BondsOct. 20; Citizens Committee formed

Transi! Board ApprovesEngineering Plans for$16,500,000 Bond IssueA $16,500,000 transit improvementbond issue will be submitted to East Bayvoters at a special election October 20.District directors called the electionafter approving an engineering reportwhich provides for an overall $24,000,000project to expand and improve publictransportation in nine East Bay cities.The program, involving 700 routemiles of transit lines, proposes to revita-lize public transit with new ultramodernbuses, a nctwork of fast express lines andmore than 200 miles of new or improved

local routes.Bulk of the financing will come fromthe $16,500,000 bond issue, which mustbe approved by a majority of voters. Sub-sequent district revenues from fareswould provide the remaining $7,500,000required to complete new equipmentpurchases.The special election will be held inAlameda, Albany, Berkeley, EI Cerrito,Emeryville, Hayward, Oakland, Pied-mont, San Leandro, and adjacent unin-corporated areas, including Castro Val-ley, Kensington and San Lorenzo Vi l-lage. (Continued on P"ge 6)

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A. Hubbcrrd Moffitt, Jr.Moffitt To HeadCitizens For Transit

A. H. Moffitt, Jr., East Bay civic leaderwho long has been identified with com-munity progress and development in Ala-meda County, was named this month asgeneral chainnan of the Citizens Com-mittee for Better East Bay Transit.Fonnation of the committee and Mof-fitt's appointment to the top post were(Continued OI ! Page 6)

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District Plans Ultramodern Coach FleetNew ITransit Liners' To Mark Greatest Improvement toTransit in 20 Years; Many Changes in Design, Styling

A new city transit coach that makes acomplete break with the past and offersadvanced body styling and a host of otherimprovements is being designed as thefleet model for the Alameda-Contra CostaTransit District.

The new air-conditioned "Transit Liners" will be similar to another new line ofcoaches that will begin rolling off commercial assembly lines this Fall.

The improved commercial models arethe first completely new coaches for cityuse developed by a major bus manufacturer in nearly two decades.In addition to all-new body design, thenew models will have greatly increasedvisibility with large "picture windows,"fluorescent lights, lower entrance step,and improved suspension, providing amajor advancement in riding comfort.Bright-metal, fluted, anodized aluminum is used extensively in side and rear

body panels. Streamlined styling is evident in the forward slanting windows,in both front and rear end design, and insuch details as clearance lights, standeewindows, headlight and signal housings.

Improved styling also marks the interior of the coach, where new ideas, newmaterials, new colors create an invitingatmosphere. Former painted masonitesurfaces have been replaced with patterned panels and anodized aluminum.

The new coaches have push-type exitdoors as standard equipment. Otherstandard features include a new tracktype seat mounting rail inserted flushwith the floor which allows easy relocation of seats for greater passenger comfort.A new fluorescent lighting system illumines the whole coach interior in "white"light, replacing former yellow individualincandescent lamps above windows.

What the Editors Are Saying About TransitTransit Bonds Offer Sound Solution of Urgent Problems

Reprinted from the Oakland Tribune:No MORE vital and urgent problemexists in the East Bay communitiesthan adequate, efficient pubiic transportation. In this we are no t unique, similarconditions exist throughout the metropolitan areas of the country. But now wehave the opportunity to take a major steptoward a satisfactory solution of theproblem.

Th e reference is to the $16,500,000bond issue which will be submitted tothe voters at a special election October20.Th e Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District has advanced this program for expanding and improving transit servicethat would replace the Key System.

Long and careful study by experts hasgone into the plan finally evolved. It wasperformed by professional engineeringexperts who examined the needs of thisarea and came up with the best possibleway of meeting them.

The proposal is to institute 700 milesof transit lines traveled by new and modern buses. There would be fast expresslines and some 200 miles of improvedlocal routes. Th e system itself is expectedto cost $24,000,000, which would leave$7,500,000 to be paid from revenues.Since there are a number of cities andunincorporated areas involved it is im-

portant that there be widespread understanding of the importance and characterof the transportation plan. Elections willbe held in Oakland, Berkeley, EI Cerrito,Albany, Emeryville, Piedmont, Alameda,San Leandro, and Hayward. Other areasinclude Kensington, Castro Valley, andSan Lorenzo Village.

An important point, aside from theimproved service anticipated under anew system, is the financing. Engineerswho made the study say that the system will pay for itself without the needfor additional taxes. Income from fares,according to the consultants who madethe study, will pay operating costs, retirethe bonds, and provide equipment.Hence, this will be a self-sustaining program, according to the engineers. Certainly it is true that if our transportationsystem were efficient and reliable farmore East Bay residents would use it..That is the reason the experts reportedthat transit patronage would even exceedthe conservative estimates of the DeLeuw report.

We commend the bond issue to theimmediate an d serious attention of EastBay voters. It offers a log ical and efficientway out of a problem that for long hasdemanded favorable attention.

Public Showing oE Transit Plan Now AvailableAn illustrated public presentation of

the transit district's new program for improved and expanded East Bay transit isnow available for scheduling by organizations in the area.Titled, "We're Rolling With Transit,"the presentation includes a series of descriptive charts and a commentary by adistrict representative pointing out the

problems of mass transportation in thearea and explaining the district's development plan for meeting this need.

Th e presentation is available free ofcharge for luncheon meetings as well asfor groups holding their meetings duringthe morning, afternoon or evening hours.Any interested group may arrange for apresentation by contacting the district.

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, . , s C' 0.. ,

SAN LORENZOV1LLAGE

ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT OISTRICT

MAP OF PROPOSED MOTOR COACH SERVICE

SOUTHERNALAMEDA COUNTY

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1,033 Precincts Created for Special BondElection; Nine Cities To Vote on Program(Continued from Page 1)A total of 1,033 voting precincts havebeen created for the election. In mostcases regular precincts will be consolidated two for one.Polling places for the election will beopen on October 20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.Th e system, according to the engineers, will be self-supporting from d istrictrevenues, and will not require additionaltaxation. Income will be large enough toprovide operating costs, funds to payoffthe bonds, and necessary equipment andproperty renewals, the engineers state.

The transit program includes purchaseof 572 new city and suburban "TransitLiners"-many of them air-conditioned-

including 296 to be bought during thefirst two years of operation; acquisitionof 276 existing - type buses to augmentpeak-hour service during initial years ofoperation; establishment of five new express routes extending the length of theEast Bay; improvement of service frequency on 170 miles of existing transitroutes throughout the district; establishment of 55 miles of new local lines andadditional miles of neW extension, principally in the areas of Alameda, Albany,Berkeley, El Cerrito, Hayward, Oaklandand San Lorenzo Village; and the acqusition of land and buildings for terminaland storage purposes.

Citizens To Press for Bond Passage(Continued from Page 1)

announced by Robert K. Barber, transitdistrict president.The committee will sponsor the $16,-500,000 transit district bond issue at thespecial East Bay election October 20. Themeasure will appear on the ballot asProposition A.Moffitt, an attorney in Alameda, was

among those who guided formation ofthe district with a successful vote of thepeople in 1956. He also was vice chairman of the San Francisco-Bay Area RapidTransit Commission during the formativeyears that led to the creation of the fivecounty regional district.Moffitt said he accepted the citizenscommittee appointment with a "firm conviction that East Bay streets and highways must be augmented by an up-todate and progressive transit operationthat the people will ride if our cities andsurrounding communities are to prosper."Public transit facilities have critically6

deteriorated over the past years," Moffittobserved. He added that people of thetwo East Bay counties now have a"golden opportunity to help assure continued growth and economic development by equipping themselves with abadly needed system of adequate masstransportation."Moffitt is a life long resident of the BayArea and for many years has been a leaderin affairs of the East Bay. He is a formerpresident of the Commonwealth Club ofCalifornia, Alameda Chamber of Commerce, Alameda Rotary Club, and Oakland Junior Chamber of Commerce.Among his other activities, Moffitt ispresident of the First District AgricultureAssociation of the State of California, vicepresident of the Alameda County UnitedCrusade, and a member of the board oftrustees of the Alameda Hospital, the Institutions Commission ofAlameda Countyand the Children's Hospital of the EastBay.

UNIQUE BUS STOP SHELTER-A new bus stop shelter recently installed in BeverlyHills is one of several desig!1s under consideration by Alameda-Contra Costa TransitDistrict for use in East Bay area. The shelter is fabricated completely of aluminumand is illuminated at night. Its open construction offers a minimum of obstruction toview in all directions.

Area Transit Districts Integrate PlansMajor East Bay transit improvementplans of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District have been developed in closecoordination with the regional Bay Area

Rapid Transit District.Numerous conferences between engineers of the two districts are being heldto assure maximum integration of localand interurban transit when both districtsare in operation.Directors of the five-county regionaldistrict have adopted a policy statementstressing the complementary nature ofthe two districts, and underscoring thefact that both districts must continue to

work together to fully accomplish neededtransit improvements.The regional district is charged withproviding a five-county system of fast

interurban rail transit. Preliminary planscall for three major trunk lines in the EastBay, involving 61 miles of rail service.The function of the Alameda-ContraCosta Transit District is to providegreatly expanded and improved local

transit as well as feeder service to themain interurban lines. The local districtproposes to operate 73 lines involving700 route miles of East Bay transit service.7

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At an adjourned regular meeting August 12 , 1959, the Board of Directors; Granted requests of Richmond CityCouncil, Hercules Town Council, Concord and Walnut Creek City Councils,and Contra Costa Board of Supervisors toexclude from the district their respectivecommunities and unincorporated territory except Kensington. At an adjourned regular meeting Au

gust 25, 1959, the Board of Directors: Adopted a 1959-60 tax rate of 2.9cents per $100 of assessed property valuation, on motion of Director McDonnell. Authorized the issuance of tax anticipation notes not to exceed $200,000, onmotion of Director McDonnell. At an adjourned regular meeting August 27, 1959, the Board of Directors;

Approved the engin eering report ofDe Leuw, Cather & Company, whichrecommended a bond issueof $16,500,000to nnance initial district equipment purchases, and established October 20, 1959,as the date for a special election to submit the bond issue to the voters, on motion of Director McDonnell. (Details,Page 1. ) Tabled a minority report of DirectorArnold which contained two alternateTransit T imu

Alameda-Contra C o ~ t a TraD$it Di.strlct700 Plaza BuildingOakland 12, California

Transi t TimesDISTRICT

Alan l. Bingham. Edit'"

Rabe.t K. Ba.be.Wm. J. Be tt encou rtJohn R. WorthingtonRobert E. Nisbet~ M. Toyl"..

Pre, identVice Preside ntGeneral MonogetAttorney.s.c"'toryAdministrative Officer

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