A new vanpool, formed in July to shuttle employees between the Hacien­da Business Park and Manteca, is pro­ving itself a boon to 14 commuters will make the 90-mile roundtrip each day.

"I love it!' said Susan Christ, an engineer for Lowry Associates in Chabot Center. "I can sit and relax, or read; sometimes I sleep. And I'm putting less mileage on my new car',' she said.

Unlike the other 13 riders, Susan's commute involves one extra step each way. She rides the Hacienda Express to get from the vanpool drop off point at AT&T Communications on West Las Positas Boulevard to Chabot Drive.

"It's still worth it to ride the vanpool. "I drive myself, it costs about $100 a month just for gas and I get 40 miles per gallon," she said. Maintenance costs were also depleting her travel budget, she added.

The 14 riders each pay $60 a month to lease a 15-passenger van from Van American Network in Oakland. The fee covers gas, maintenance and rental.

According to Bob McCort, an engineering associate for AT&T, the new vanpool is a relief for him. "That drive can get real tiring," he said. Before he joined the vanpool, Bob drove 45 miles each way from Manteca to Pleasanton by himself.

Now the hour-long drive isn't as tax­ing, he added.

"I like to sleep or read on my way to work," he said.

Three of the riders must drive to Manteca from Stockton or Tracy to meet the van around 6:15 a.m. Except for Susan Christ, all work for AT&T and start their work day at 7:30. In the evening, the riders assemble at AT&T on West Las Positas around 4 p.m. for the trip home.

Other riders include Mike Ross, Jim Bayly, Paul Briggs, Kermit Clark, Bob Lauzon, Vicki Littlefield, Burt Moore, Jo Otter, Evelyn Reed, Pam Wicks, Darrell Wright and John Montell. At the moment, McCort said the group needs one more rider to reach the van's 15-passenger capacity.

Promotion of vanpools is one ele­ment of AT&T's Transportation Systems Management program. The company's efforts include preferential parking for carpools and promotion of the Hacienda-Shuttle and bicycling as alternatives to commuting alone.

Ms. Henard thinks that most people are gradually coming around to the idea that vanpooling will save them money and spare them the aggravation of traffic jams.

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: August 26, 1985.