Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-18
HOW THE ZONE SYSTEM WORKS
Copper Zone System Adopted by Shore Line Electric Com pany for New London Division is Adjustment or Equalization of Fares-No Change in Fare Rate Within City Limits-Detailed Rates Various Lines of New London Division.

For several years past there has been a continual advance in the cost of operating street railway properties, each year showing an increase in the operating expenses entirely out of pro- portion to the increase in the gross earnings, until the margin is not sufh cient to provide a reasonable return on the investment. As a consequence, the credit of the street railway properties has been impaired and the financing for improvements and extensions made absolutely impossible.
 This industry, like all other indus tries, must adjust the price charged the public for it's service to the cost New England many of the roads have secured increase of income by a change from five to the six cent zone. The Shore Line Electric Railway con1- pany very nearly a year ago realized the need of added income and decided to adopt six cents as the unit of ser vice, but about that time the railway managers of New England began a careful study of rate making through out the country, and the management of the Shore Line finally came to the conclusion that a six cent rate simply emphasized the faults of the present fixed unit of fare and varying unit of service and decided to adopt the short or copper zone system, which operates very closely to the mileage system. The passenger car mile is the univer- sally accepted basis of passenger fares on steam roads, and also among the street railway systems of the west, very nearly all of the trackage of the middle west being so operated.
 Early in the fall the Shore Line be- gan the adoption of the copper zone method of collecting fares on two of it's divisions, and it is planned now to put it into effect on what, is known as the New London division, between New London and Willimantic, and Norwich and West Thompson.
 An Equalization of Fares.
 This is, first, an adjustment or equal ization of fares. In the case of the present system a passenger pays cents for a ride in any part of one zone, and these zones vary in length a passenger board a car near the end of one zone and ride but a short dis tance into the next zone, he would pay 10 cents, which is some instances makes very high rate per mile. For instance a passenger riding from Nor low Trading Cove, pays cents. A second , cents entities him to ride as far south as Hilltop, below Montville, but he pays the same if riding only to Gallivan lane a few hundred feet south of the first fare terminal. Under the new system the rate from Franklin square to Trading Cove will be cents to Station 124, just south of Gallivan lane cents, to Cooke's, south of Mo began Hill, cents, and so on to Mont vile station. 12 cents, and the same principle works out in going north from Norwich.
 The rate to Taftville will be cents, to the blacksmith shop on the flats between Taftville and Occum 6 cents, and Occum 8 cents. where formerly the rate to the blacksmith shop and occum was 10 cents. This raises the rat te from Norwich to Baltic 2 cents, just what would result from a cent unit of fare, so far as Baltic is concerned, but a concession is made to interme- diate riders.
 Under the new system the passenger will pay for his transportation in one payment and receive an identification check or receipt for fare paid.
 To give accurate information as to the result of this change, the following explanation is necessary:
 Beginning at the Parade in New London, Station 1O6. even numbers in multiples of two are placed at all fare terminals to the end of the line 2 Wil1irnantic and West Thompson. The fare is readily determined by subtract ing the number of one fare terminal from the number of the other, these
 numbers being placed on poles or sta l tions along the line. Where the diff ference is less than cents minimum charge of cents is made. This covers 8. ride in any two zones and maintains | the nickel as the unit of fare.
 Norwich City Service.
 In the city service in Norwich a, cent fare entities a, passenger to ride l from Franklin square to Yantic, from Franklin square to Taftville and the entire length of the West Side, Laure | Hill and Boswell avenue lines, and tc | transfer from one of these lines to the other and as far north, on the Taft vile line, as the Catholic cemetery l and on the Yantic line as far as Avery 1 Brothers.
 If, however, a passenger desired tc
 ride from any point in Greeneville l that is between Franklin square anG