Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-07
COMMITTEE TACKLES JOB
OF REGULATING J|TNEY
APPOINTS Subcommittee TO Draft
Tentative Ordinance to BE Re-
ported Wednesday.
CITIZENS ASK FOR RELIEF
Grove and Park Avenue Residents
lnrcigh Against Alleged Nuisance.
Charged With Destroying Sleep
and Depreciating Property Values.

| After hearing testimony bearing
upon many phases of the iitney prob
lem. for more than two hours last
night. the Council Committee on Or
dinance appointed Il subcommittee of
three. instructing il TO prepare a ten
tativc ordinance regulating the jitney
| bus traffic, and to submit the measure
TO the fun committee for its considera
ton at special meeting to be held
at o'clock Wednesday night The
subcommittee is composed OF Council
man English. chairman; Councilman
Jones and Alderman Christian.
Citizens demanding Immediate regu-
lation OF n traffic charged with de-
stroying the peace of Grove. Park and
shoulder TO shoulder in crowded
committce-room with owners and
operators of jitney cars. who Endorsed
what they called reasonable rcgula-
ton but objected strongly to leSis-
laton so onerous as 10 make the busI-
ness Improbable.
WANT CONGESTION RELIEVED
on CERTAIN RESIDENCE STREETS
Without exception, the private citi-
zens asking for regulation OF the
trance told the committee that they
We're not lighting the jitney They were
Wiling, they said, that this new trans
portation agent should live. but they
insisted that IL should be so regulated
as 10 free from the unbcarablc con-
sesuon TO which they are now sub
Jccted. certain West End avenues that
nave been singled out by the jitneys as
common routes of travel
John Il. Purcell, president of tho
FIRST National Bank. presented a pc
luton signed by every resident but
one on the Park Avenue block between
Laurel and Harrison Streets. asking
that something he done TO divert 70
other routes portion of the iitnev
BUS traffic now using this thorough
fare. Mr. Purcell told the committees
lhat during certain hours of the day
SIX Jitneys pass his front door evory
minute. and that the endless din az
their mufilers and horns have cro.,ed
an unbearable nuisance
DIR. ROSS FAvORS BONDING
AS SAFEGUARD For PUBLIC
Dr. George Ross voiced a similar
grievance. He laid particular stress IN
the necessity Of laying down some
bonding requirement in order that mas.
senSers. pedestrians and property NAV
be protected against injuries and dam
ages resulting from negligence on the
part of jitney drivers.
george D. Benson, speaking for resi-
dents on Grove Avenue, presented n
formal protest in which the excessive
Jitney tfafhc Is declared to have "as-
sumed the proportions of a nuisance"
There was demand, he said, for immcdi-.
ate regulation II. b. Gordon, residing
at Grove and Park Avenues, said that
IL was impossible to go to sleep in that
locality until after midnight because of
the din Of jitney traffic
IL conditions on Grove Avenue arc not
remedied, w. l.. Prince told the COM
mittec, property owners on that street
VIII soon be ready to dispose of their
residences at a loss. Citizens on Grove
Avenue, he said. built on that street,
assuming that they would enjoy the
peace of n residence street. That peace,
he said. has now been destroyed, and
Main street, two blocks away, is a
much quieter thoroughfarc. Grove
Avenue, he said, was willing to take
some OF the jitneys. but strcnuously
objected to being foster-mother of
them all.
GROVE AVENUE PEOPLE
DRIVEN FROM FRONT ROOMS
Mr.. Prince told the committee that
residents on Grove Avenue have abon-
doned their front rooms for sleeping
purposes because sleep is impossible
until o'clock in the morning. He was
sleeping next to the servants room