Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-07
SAN PEDRO STREET
FRANCHISE ASKED
Los Angeles Railway Also Peti-
tions for New CrosstoWn
Car Line
REFERRED TO UTILITY BOARD
Pacific Electric Company Points
Out New Route Would Pre-
vent Congestion
REFERRED TO UTILITY BOARD

The Pacific Electric Railroad COM
pany yesterday made the first move TO-
ward relieving the street car conges-
ton on Main street, when 1t applied TO
the city council for franchise in san
Pedro street, between Also and seventh
streets.
It is stated by the Pacific Electric
officials that should the franchise asked
for be granted and the pr posed line
built it would lessen the rnning time
between Los Angeles, Pasadena, South
Pasadena, MonroVia, Glendora, Sierra
Madre and all lines on the north dlV1-
sion from twelve to fifteen minutes ana
would take about one-half the present
number of cars from Main street dur
ing rush hours.
The proposed line would also make
faster time possible between Los An
geles and points on the south division.
according to officials, a reduction O.
from four to five minutes being pos
sible on this division.
At present, during rush hours, both
In the morning and evening, 1t takes
an interurban car as long to run from
Sixth and Main to First and Main as
1t does to run from there to Oneonta
Park. Just south of Pasadena. Should
the interurban cars find an outlet on
San Pedro street this loss of time
would be avoided and the long strings
of cars which make Main street next
to impossible every night and morning
would be avoided.
WOULD INCREASE SPEED
The new route would increase the
speed and frequency Of city cars on
the Los Angeles Railway company S
lines. 1t is claimed, as they would not
be blocked by the two and three-car
interurban trains.
A franchise for the first crosstown
car line was asked of the city council
yesterday by the Los Angeles railway,
but 1t Is doubtful If the franchise VIII
be granted along the route the railway
asks. This is to begin at the intersec-
tion of Sixth and Alvarado, run south
on AlVarado to the intersection with
Hoover, then south on Hoover to JEFF
ferson, east on Jefferson to Central
avenue, south on Central to Vernon
and east on Vernon to Santa Fe ave
nue.. The application was referred to
the board of public utilities, but Coun-
Gilman Gregory assured representa-
tive of the railway that he would per-
sonally do everything he could to pre-
vent a car line on Alvarado, and ad-
vised that the route be vermont
avenue.
The application for the San Pedro
street franchise also was referred TO
the board of public utilities.
RAILWAYS MAKE APPLICATION
One significant feature Of the appli-
cations for these franchises was that
they were applied for in the names of
the railway companies which will actu-
ally own and operate the roads instead
of In the name of some taxpayer In
fact application for the San Pedro
franchise had alreay been made by a
private property owner, but advised
against by the board of public utilities.
The board suggested the council
adopt a policy that no franchise be
granted except when applied for by the
railway that intended to use 1t, but
the council did not adopt the policy.
The board of public utilities has in
sisted, though, that the railways make
their own application, and that is the
reason no private person applies for
these franchises.