Finding Aid to the Norman Rolfe Transportation Collection, [1954]-2009, SFH 724

Finding aid prepared by Tami J. Suzuki.

San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

100 Larkin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

sfhistory@sfpl.org

URL: http://www.sfpl.org/sfhistory

September 2023

Title: Norman Rolfe Transportation Collection

Date (inclusive): [1954]-2009

Date (bulk): (bulk 1960s-2004)

Identifier/Call Number: SFH 724

Creator: Rolfe, Norman (1925-2010)

Physical Description: 8 cartons, 1 manuscripts box (8.4 cubic feet)

Contributing Institution: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

100 Larkin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

sfhistory@sfpl.org

URL: http://www.sfpl.org/sfhistory

Abstract: Work papers of Norman Rolfe, an electrical engineer for Bechtel, documenting the electrification of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system; and Rolfe's papers as a transit advocate including San Francisco Tomorrow documents.

Physical Location: The collection is stored off site.

Language of Material: Collection materials are in English.

Access

The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Collections that are stored off site should be requested 48 hours in advance.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Norman Rolfe Transportation Collection (SFH 724), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Provenance

Received from the estate of Norman Rolfe in August of 2010.

Related Collection

See also the Wallace D. Mersereau San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District Real Estate Records, SFH 472.

Processing Information

Processed by Tami J. Suzuki in 2023.

Biographical Note

Norman Rolfe was an electrical engineer for Bechtel, for whom he worked on the electrification of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System. He also worked as an engineer for other entities and as an engineering officer for the U.S. Navy after earning his degree from Brown University. He began his civic activism with the San Francisco freeway fights of the 1960s, and worked as a transit advocate but was also involved in land use and other environmental matters. Rolfe was a member of numerous citizens advisory committees.

A founding member of the urban environmental group, San Francisco Tomorrow (SFT), Rolfe also served on the organization's board and as chairperson or co-chairperson of SFT's Transportation Committee. The organization honored him with its Unsung Hero and Jack Morrison awards. In a 1972 application to a transit project's citizens committee, he stated one of his (and SFT's) major concerns was the livability of the city.

Significant efforts were spent on saving the street cars and trolley buses on Market Street, removal of the Embarcadero Freeeway and design of the new Embarcadero, removal of the Central Freeway, removal of the Transbay Terminal without an adequate replacement, and challenging the rebuilding of Doyle Drive as an eight-lane freeway. In his [1995] resume, he wrote: "The engineering society I belong to urges its members to become 'eclectic engineers,' that is to broaden one's horizons and draw from many fields. I have done this."

Scope and Contents

Includes Rolfe's files as an electrical engineer with Bechtel, documenting electrification of the BART system. The bulk of the collection consists of his transit advocacy files of City agency and citizens committee reports and some meeting minutes, Rolfe's strategy papers and handwritten notes, and letters to legislators and media. Some San Francisco Tomorrow documents are included. Has some election material on transit measures as well as some housing and tenant and pedestrian safety papers. Some documents on regional government and transportation are also included. Material on the freeway fights of the 1960s is not included.

Arrangement

Organized into two series: 1. Work Files; and 2. Project and Research Files. Within series, organization is mainly alphabetical.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Rolfe, Norman (1925-2010) -- Archives.

City planning -- California -- San Francisco.

Local transit -- California -- San Francisco.

Transportation -- California -- San Francisco.

Transportation -- (Calif.) -- San Francisco Bay Area.

Urban policy -- California -- San Francisco.

San Francisco Tomorrow -- (Organization).

Series 1 Work Files: Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BARTD), 1954-1970 1960s

Physical Description: .67 cubic feet

Scope and Contents

Project files and reference material dealing with the electrification of the BART system while working for Bechtel.

Arrangement

Organized alphabetically by subject title.

Box 1

System: General,

1963-1966

1967-1970

Box 1

Contract A101, 1968-1970

Box 1

Contract A102 1969-1978

Box 1

Contract C101, 1969-1970

Box 1

Contract K101, 1969

Box 1

Contract R101, 1969

Box 1

Contract 2Z1011, 1969

Box 1

Trackwork Contracts, 1969-1970

Box 1

Contract 2Z1010, 1967-1970

Box 1

Gap Breaker Stations, 1968

Box 1

Contact Rail, 1964

Box 1

Design Criteria and Policies, 1964-1969

Box 1

Negative Return System, 1964-1965

Box 1

Negative Return System, 1966-1969

Box 1

Direct Current Fault Parameter Calculation, 1964-1965

Box 1

Energy Loss Calculations, 1963-1964

Box 1

Municipal Railway (MUNI), 1966-1970

Box 1

Power System Studies, 1965-1966

Box 1

Substation Equipment, 1963-1966

Box 1

Test Track, 1965

Box 1

Train Control, 1964-1965

Box 1

Yards, 1964-1966

Box 1

Reference Materials

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Commission Report, 1976

Solving Interurban Travel Problems in the Bay Area, [1954]

Trans-Bay Tube Supplemental Report, 1967, 1969

Memo, Bay Area Transportation Study Commission, 1958

Series 2 Personal Project and Research Files, 1957-2009 1970s-2004

Physical Description: 7.75 cubic feet

Scope and Contents

Largely documents Rolfe's civic work as a member of the Geary Transit Task Force, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Bay Crossings Advisory Committee for the 1992 Bay Crossings Study, Municipal Transportation Agency Citizens Advisory Council, Third Street Light Rail Citizens Advisory Group, Doyle Drive Subcommittee of the San Francisco Country Transportation Authority Citizens Advisory Committee, the Transbay Redevelopment Survey Area Citizens Advisory Committee as well as an earlier related committee, and citizens advisory committees for the Embarcadero, the Northwest San Francisco Corridor Study, and two Golden Gate Corridor studies. Much of this work extended from his involvement in San Francisco Tomorrow (SFT) which is also documented. Does not include Rolfe's work on the freeway fights of the 1960s.

Arrangement

Organized mainly alphabetically by subject title. Biographical material is followed by San Francisco Tomorrow organizational files, then the rest of the subjects.

Box 1

Biographical, [1986?]-1990

Box 1

San Francisco Tomorrow (SFT)

Affordable Housing, 2000

Correspondence, 1972-2002

Membership, 1970-1972

Minutes, 1996-2006

Newsletters, 1996-2009

Policies and Goals, 1982-1990

Political Action Committee, 1993-2004

Toxics Committee, 1995-1996

Transportation Committee, 1983-1995

Transportation Policy, 1997

Transportation Symposium, 1971

Physical Description: 2 folders

Transportation Conference, 1974

Transportation Conference, 1985

Transportation Conference, 1988

Waterfront Committee, 1996

Box 1

Affordable Housing, 2003

Box 1

Affordable Housing Alllance, 1983

Box 1

Airport, 1999-2002

Box 1

Air Pollution, 1999-2002

Box 1

Altamont Pass Rail, 1993-1996

Box 1

Amtrak, 1978-1995

Box 1

Arena, 1993-1995

Box 1

BART to Airport

1989-1990

1991-1992

Physical Description: 3 folders

1993-1994

1995

Box 2

BART to Airport

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

1997-2003

Box 2

BART: Commuter Rail, 1994

Box 2

BART: General, 1998-2004

Box 2

BART to Peninsula, 1995-1997

Box 2

BART, San Francisco, 2002

Box 2

The BART Experience--What Have We Learned? 1976

Box 2

Bay Area Transportation Advocacy Coallition, 1995

Box 2

Bay Area Transportation Forum, 1997-1998

Box 2

Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition, 1997-2000

Box 2

Bay Bridge Replacement, 1993-1999

Box 2

Bay Bridge Replacement: Rail, 1997-1999

Box 2

Bay Bridge Replacement: Rail, 2000

Box 2

Bay Crossings Study,

2000-2001

2001

2002

Box 2

Bay Link Rail System, 1991-1992

Box 2

Better Neighborhoods Planning, 2005

Box 2

Cable Cars,

1957-1967

1973-1979

1983-2007

Schedules, 1970-1974

Proposition Q, Minimum Schedule, 1971

Physical Description: 2 folders

System Study, 1976

Proposition B, Fares, 1981

Physical Description: 3 folders

Facilities Rehabilitation, 1976-[1984?]

System Rehabilitation, 1978

Trackway Reconstruction, 1979

Physical Description: 2 folders

Box 3

Cable Cars,

[Rehabilitation Report?], Partial, [1978?]

Rehabilitation: Construction Reports, 1982

Rehabilitation: Construction Reports, 1983

Rehabilitation: Construction Reports, 1984

Reconstruction, 1981-1982

[Legal Exhibit?], no date

Box 3

California High-Speed Rail,

1994-1996

1997-1999

2000-2006

Box 3

California Society of Professional Engineers Transportation Committee (Removal of Rails on Bay Bridge), 1957-1958

Box 3

California Transportation Commission, 1990

Box 3

California Transportation Plan, 2001

Box 3

California's Growth Problems, 1991

Box 3

Caltrain to Aiport,

1995-1996

Physical Description: 2 folders

1998

Box 3

Capitol Corridor, 1991-1998

Box 3

Charter Reform, 1995

Box 3

China Basin/Ballpark, 1993-2000

Box 3

Citizens Housing Tax Force, 1980

Box 3

City Planning, 1984, 1997

Box 3

Condo Conversions, 1980-1982

Box 3

Davis Street, 2001

Box 3

Demolition of Residential Buildings, [2004]

Box 3

Downtown Plan, 1984

Box 3

Downtown Transportation, 1982

Box 3

Doyle Drive,

1984-1985

1994

1995

2000

Box 3

Economy Report, 2000

Box 3

Embarcadero Freeway: I-280 Bay Bridge-Embarcadero Connection,

1980

1982

1983-1984

1985

Physical Description: 2 folders

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway: I-280 Bay Bridge-Embarcadero Connection, 1986-1987

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway, 1973-1979

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway Removal, 1980-1983

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway,

1988

1989

1990

Physical Description: 2 folders

1991

Physical Description: 2 folders

1992

Physical Description: 2 folders

Box 4

Embarcadero: Terminal Separator, 1992-1993

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway, 1993

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway Open Space Project, 1993-1996

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway,

1994

1995

Physical Description: 2 folders

1996

Box 4

Embarcadero: Broadway Corridor, 1995-1996

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway,

1997

1998

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway: Ferry Park/Davis Street, 2000-2001

Box 4

Embarcadero Freeway: Ferry Plaza Garage, 1996-2001

Box 4

Environment, 1990

Box 4

Ferry Terminal, 1997

Box 4

Garages, 2003

Box 4

Geary Corridor, Northwest Extension, 1986-1993 2001

Box 4

Geary Streetcar Citizens Committee, 1986-1989

Box 4

Geary Transit Task Force,

1986-1989

1991-1993

Box 5

Geary Transit Task Force,

1994

1994-1995

Box 5

Golden Gate Bridge,

1966-1975

Second Deck, 1985-1996

Box 5

Golden Gate Corridor,

1972-1973

1976-1988

Box 5

Golden Gate Freeway, 1973

Box 5

Golden Gate Park Garage,

1990-1998

2000-2004

Box 5

Golden Gate Park Transportation, 1997-1998

Box 5

Heliport, 1989

Box 5

High-Rises, no date

Box 5

Housing, 2003-2006

Box 5

Housing Rights Committee, 1996-2008

Box 5

Housing Study, 2000

Box 5

Industrial Land Report, 2002

Box 5

Intercity Rail, 2002

Box 5

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, 1996

Box 5

Joint Transportation Commission (JTC)

Historical Note

The Joint Transporation Commission was a coaltion comprised of the Sierra Club, San Francisco Tomorrow, San Fransico Greens Urban Ecology and Coalition for Sensible Transportation.

1989-1999

2000-2005

Box 5

King Street, 1995-1998

Box 5

League of Women Voters Transportation Conference, 1998

Box 5

Letters to Editor, 1990-1998

Box 5

Market Street,

1980s

1990s

Box 5

Market Street Railway,

1986-1996

Tracks, 1980s

Box 5

Market Street Streetcars, 1970s

Box 5

Media Ownership, 2003

Box 5

Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)

Disaster Planning, 2004

Rail, 1984-1998

Transportation Plan, 2005

Box 5

Mission Bay,

1982-1988

1996

1997

Box 5

Municipal Railway (MUNI),

Bus Fuel, 2001

Ferry Bus Terminal 1994

Metro Turnaround, 1989

Service Check, 1991

Box 5

Neighborhoods Alliance for Political Awareness, 1998-2003

Box 5

Neighborhood Environment Caucus, 1975

Box 5

Newsracks, [2000s?]

Box 5

Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, and North Beach Neighborhood Forum Report, 2000

Box 5

Parking, [2000s?]

Box 5

Parking and Traffic Commission, 1988-1997

Box 5

Pedestrian Safety,

1984

1988-1999

2000-2008

Box 5

Peninsula Mass Transit, 1984-1985

Box 5

Peninsula Rapid Transit, 1997

Box 6

Piers 27-31, 2005-2006

Box 6

Planning and Transportation Reference Materials,

1968-1983

1976-1999

1988-2006

Box 6

Political Reference Materials, 1982-1989

Box 6

Potrero Power Plant Expansion, 1990-[2000s]

Box 6

Propositions

18: Gas Tax for Rapid Transit, 1970

F: Garage Bonds, 1987

T: Off-Street Parking Fund Expenditures, 1988-1989

H: Waterfront, 1990

111: Gann Limit, 1990

116: Clean Air and Transportation Improvement Act, 1990

185: Clean Air, Jobs and Transportation Efficiency Act, 1994

L: Minimum Wage, 2003

Miscellanous Ephemera

Box 6

Railroad Electrification, 1980-2000

Box 6

Railway Proposal, Santa Rosa to San Francisco, 1980-2000

Box 6

Regional Alliance for Transit (RAFT),

1993-1994

1996-2004

Box 6

Regional Government, 1967

Box 6

Regional Growth, 2001-2002

Box 6

Regional Planning, no date

Box 6

Regional Rail, 1989-2007

Box 6

Regional Transportation, 1973-2005

Box 6

Rent Control, 1988

Box 6

Richmond District Improvement Plan, 1972

Box 6

San Francisco Beautiful, 1989-1997

Box 6

San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA),

1988-1997

Congestion Management Program, 1991-1995

Fixed Guideway Plan, 1992-1995

Strategic Plan, 1991-1995

Countywide Transportation Plan, 2002-2003

Box 6

San Francisco General Hospital Master Plan, 1987

Box 6

San Francisco Master Plan, 1983

Box 6

San Joaquin Valley Rail, 1989

Box 6

Siracusa, Angelo, 1988-1990

Box 6

South of Market Parking Study, 1999

Box 6

Southern Pacific Rail Proposals, 1992-1995

Box 7

Sustainable San Francisco Workshop, 2001

Box 7

Tenants, 1995-2003

Box 7

Third Street/Bayshore Corridor, 1988-1991

Box 7

Third Street Light Rail Project,

1994-1997

1997-1998

Box 7

Transbay Terminal Area AKA Transbay Area, 1974-2000

1974-1984

1993-1994

1994

Physical Description: 2 folders

1995

Physical Description: 7 folders

1996

Physical Description: 3 folders

1997

Physical Description: 2 folders

1997-1998

1999

2000

Box 8

Transbay Terminal Area AKA Transbay Area and Transbay Redevelopment Project Area 1983-2007

2001

2002

Planning Department Review, 2002

Redevelopment Project Area, 2003

Redevelopment Project Area, no date

Bay Bridge Design, 1997-1998

CalTrain Extension to Downtown, 1983-2007

1983-1987

1990-1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

Physical Description: 2 folders

1998

1999

2000-2002

2003-2007

Regional Alliance for Transit (RAFT)

1992-1993

1993

1993-1996

Terminal Separator, 1992-1995

Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund (TRANSDEF), 1999-2004

Transbay Transit Center, 2004

Box 8

Transit Reference Materials, 1969-2000

Box 8

Transportation Financing, 1981-1988

Box 8

Transportation Notes, 1988-1990

Box 8

Transportation Sales Tax, 1988

Physical Description: 3 folders

Box 9

Transportation Sales Tax, 1989

Physical Description: 3 folders

Box 9

TRANSDEF, 1994-2004

Box 9

Trinity Plaza, 2004

Box 9

Undergrounding of Utilities, 2007

Box 9

UC Hastings Garage, 2001-2002

Box 9

Upper Market Street, 1971-1985

Box 9

Van Ness Plan, 1987-2001

Box 9

Waterfront, 1994-1995

Box 9

Western Addition Architectural Council, 1960-1961

Box 9

Yerba Buena, 1976