The Detroit times., 1910-01-14
DUR. SIMPLY GAN 7
HANDLE CROWDS IN
RUSH HOURS
City Has Far outgrown Service
Railway Is Able To Furnish
Cars, Jammed To Capacity, Run
BY People on Corners.
Schedule on Woodward Extended
and More Trolleys Added in At
tempt To Relieve Congestion.

| In an effort to relieve the congestion
On the Woodward line during the rush
hours. resulting from the phenomenal
development OF the north end OF sthe
city. the Detroit United Railway put
new schedule into effect Thursday
morning. The running time from the
city limits TO the Michigan Central
depot has been extended from 33 min.
utes TO 80 minu,es. The cars will be
run as closely together as heretofore.
which means that additional cars will
be put on. The slippery condition Of
the tracks. owing TO the continued
camp weather. was another factor in
the adoption of the new schedule.
The need OF an extension Of the
street car system In the north end has
been brought home to the residents OF
That section very forcibly OF late.
Night after night they have stood on
the prominent downtown corners.
sometimes from IS to 100 strong. and
have waited patiently for cars to take
them home. only To watch the cars
slide by. crowded TO the absolute
limit. while ThirG cars. following close
behind. have been practically empty, In
many instances.
! III the long talKed-of extension out
Hamilton-blvd. were reality. many OF
the Third cars that now pass I'D Wood
ward with a light load would be well
filled. for many Of those who wait
with the mob for n chance TO fight their
way inside the Woodward cars would
take Third car II the line extended
beyond the boulevard.
The people themselves. however. In
cluding some nor,heEders. once turned
down proposition 10 extend this line,
among others. and the aldermen. fear
Ing the wrath ~ their constituents,
have thrown up their hands every time
extensions have been mentioned In
the meantime Detroit has been ex.
banding with tremendous bounds, with
the natural result that IL has ougrown
It's street car service
On many OF the lines the situation Is
serious. but nowhere Is Il worse than
on Woodward. Activity Is increasing
daily in the new Fcrd plant In High.
land Park. and dwelling houses were
being erected In that village until the
bad weather set in. ut the rate of one
a day. To a large part or this terri
tory on either side of Woodward the
Woodward line offers the only means
OF transportation. and when the stores.
shops and Offices begin pouring out
their armies OF employees at o'clock
and again at 5: 80 the cars are simply
swamped.
This condition can hardly be charged
to lack of cars. For two nights this
week Times representative has kept
tab on the Woodward service In 81
minutes. Monday nieht, AZ Woodward
cars passed the corner OF Woodward
and Grand Rive-ayes. Adding to this
number several suburban cars not nn-
cluded In the above figures. the ser
vice was better tnaI u car n minute.
Yet. at the height OF the rush 40 people
were lett standing al that particular
corner for upwards of five minutes.
and as many more one block above, at
John..-5c
The cars were crowded before trey
reached State-s;.. I'm some instances
before they reached the Pontchartrain,
for many people have grown wise by
experience and now make sure OF get
ting on by walking to Congress Or
even to Jefferson. Some have even
re sorted to the expcdient Of jumping
on the downbound pay-enter ears and
riding TO the depot. thus insuring them
selves a seat. Ordinarily another fare
would be charged for the return jour
ney. but not SO With the pay-enter.
Another rule OF the pay-enters that is
octured with unfailng regularity
during the rush hours is the one that
forAids passengers to stand on the
rlatforn. AT the intersections, where
the cars are required to stop, In spite
cf the motorman's protestations. the
waiting patrons swarm on until the
yestibule is choked. and there is nOth-
ing for the conductor to do but to make
the best of H.
on Tuesday night, the same service
as was observed Monday night ob
tanned, but 1t was after 8 O'Clock when
the last of the waiting throngs at the
various corners had found accommo-
cations.
One interesting development of the
eongested traffic conditions is tne
attitude of women toward the practice
OF riding on the rear platform. For:n-
erly II was regarded as the height of
improprIety for woman to ride on
the platform with those horrld
smokers" NOW II is not an uncom-
mon sight to see half dozen women
In the platform gang and they don't
seem to mind il at all.
rvryn CrEU UDIrN'C DTANE