The San Francisco call., 1910-12-04
CALHOUN Blind
TOCAR REFORMS,
SAYS REPORT
Good Government League De-
clares Recommendations
Have Gone Unheeded
Three Cents for Standing Room
VIII Be Urged as an
Ordinance

A report filed with the Good Govern
ment league and which win be present
cd 10 the board of supervisors and the
public utilities committee OF that bodv.
now considering the protest against
the street car service of the United
Railroads, shows. after almost one year
Of close observation. that the corpor-
aJion has given absolutely no heed TO
the suggestions made February /. 1909
by the Merchants association OF this
CITY with respect TO urgent service re-
rorms
Warren Manley, at that time aged
In compiling statistics 10 support the
contentious of the merchants with re-
spect TO bad service. not only indicated
the negligence Of the company. but
illustrated just how additional cars
would contribute To comfortable travel
ir and out Of the -congested business
Centers
RECOMMEND ATIONS IGNORED
Fourteen lines were at that time
the object or special attention. and in
some cases 1T was urgently recon-
mended that as many as FIVE additional
cars he added to lines TO accommodate
The heavy travel 1t was found that
SRI not single instance was an attempt
made 10 meet the demands Of the pub
lic ~ hours when the business com
nunity required accommodation for
the shopping trade Ten and Is minute
headway was found on some routes and
in most neglected territory a % minute
headwav
This report has been checked up and
compared. Where lines have been ex-
tended hv franchise or otherwise
motormen have been forced to travel
faster. but additional cars have not
been afforded The result has been
an increa sed army Of strap hangers
between and o'clock in the morn
ing and and . o'clock at night
SITTER Is CONGESTED LINE
The INJURY OF the condition has not.
81 is declared fallen on the individual
householders 50 heavily as upon the
merchants. The great inconvenience
cf travel end the loss OF time has con-
trihuted 10 make midday travel bur
densome. Particular complaint is made
~ the Sutter street service, operated
with % cars under 2 minimum head
dsv Of three minutes
II has been found that as many as
90 persons use the Suffer street line
every trip s a transfer point at FIJI
moro street. CrOWding and cOngesting
the traffic at all hours Of the day.
The suggestion made by the Merchant
associations report was that either
strailers" he used on the lire or that
three additional cars be put in opera
tion TO relieve the congestion.
NUMBERS TRICK PUBLIC
The report viii not only discuss the
evils Of the operating department but
viii cite a number Of regulations which
have done little more than confuse the
public. In this connection the names
~ the lines are attacked. An instance
v pointed out in the Masonic avenue
2 Inc, the cars running but three blocks
on Masonic avenue. The numbering
system is also found to be misleading
and faulty.
For a long time two lines used mum
her IS. the Kearny and Broadway line
end the Kearny and North beach line
Numbers IS and II were consolidated
and there are no lines using certain
numerals between l and 25.
Sutter street line No. I runs every
other car 10 the beach. This condition
exists on several lines with no notice
10 the public.
3 CENTS FOR STANDING ROOM
The McAlIister street line offers the
same situation some cars going
through TO Twelfth avenue and Others
switching at Central avenue, as does
the Ellis and Ocean line, the last
named switching at Nineteenth avenue
and III street, Sunset At the time OF
the original report the suggestion was
made that different numbers be given
cars that do not make through runs.
The '3 cents for standing room" or
6inauce VIII he advocated with Yigoi
bv the league representatives who vii
appear before the public utilities com
rnittee It is declared that such a Law
would force the company to provide
seats for the travelling public and thus
terminate the present abuse OF fran
chiscs.