The Detroit times., 1913-04-18
Mayor Ready 20 Start Work on
Junction-ave. When Court
and EstimatOrs Give
Their D. n.
GOES OVER PROPOSED
ROUTE WITH EXPERTS
Latter Advise That Plan TO Run
Storage Battery Cars Is
Quite Feasible

Mayor Marx Is ready to begin work
on the municipal cross-town line May
l, providing the court upholds the
validity or the Verdier home "uie bill,
giving the city the power TO own and
operate street railway system, and
the board OF estimates meanwhile al
lows the S250,O00 appropriation which
the mayor is asking.
Wednesday, Mayor Marx went over
the route OF the present bus line I'm
Junction-ave. with two traction ex-
perts. and after a careful survey OF
conditions the mayor was advised by
the out-of-town engineers that his
plan for operating storage battery
cars was entirely feasible The ex-
perts gave the mayor a general idea
OF what could be done I'm the way OF
providing transportation with a $780,
900 appropriation. In few days they
Will complete carefully detailed re-
port which the mayor will use I'm max
ing his preliminary preparations for
the building OF the cross-tOwn line In
JunctiOn-ave., from JefYerson-ave. to
Wsrren-ave
The experts told the mayor il would
be simple matter 10 operate the
storage cars on three-cent fare
basis, and with 20 cars, maintain a
two or three minute schedule during
the morning and evening rush hours.
During the hours when cross-town
traffic is light the cars would run on
an eight or 10-minute schedule until
conditions demand better service
The mayor has gathered consider
able data on storage cars, such as
are used In New York and several
other large cities. The type OF car
that the mayor thinks would be best
suited for the Junction-ave. traffic
would cost approximately $4,000. II
would have carrying capacity OF so
and would comfortably seat 80 pas
sengers. The mayors idea Is 10 use
trailers during the rush hours. These
trailers would double the carrying
capacity of the storage cars and would
only cost $l.700 apiece.
According to rough estimate made
by the experts the city could purchase
20 storage cars, equipped with trail
ers, and build the road for about
100000, leaving surplus OF $4,000
rs a working capital for the municipal
line. The cars are comfortable and
when property charged can be oper-
ments would have 10 be made with
the Edison company or the public
lighting commission for charging the
storage cars with Juice.
The mayor has not as yet selected
a tentative route for the proposed car
line but he suggests that II might be
well TO loop so as To run up Junction
ave. and down another street. Should
there be a scarcity of funds ii will be-
possible to build single track sys-
tenn using switches or 'turn-outs,
The objection TO this system is that
considerable time is lost at switches.
The Junction-ave. line will be the
first thing the mayors street railway
commission will have to tackle.
The mayor is awaiting the courts
decision before appointing the street
railway commission, and as the
Junction-ave. plan also hinges on the
courts action. the commissioners will
find the mayors plan for the storage
battery line on their doorstep when
they receive their appointments. The
mayor has talked the plan over with
w. r. Maybury. w. r. Dust and
others who have been mentioned for
the municipal street railway commits
sion 40 that they will not have to