The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-08
CHAP MAN Tells
C0MPANy'S Side
ABOUT SERVICE
Advocates Doing Away with
Traffic Policeman at
Center.

! Speaking before 800 persons at the
| monthly banquet of the state branc:,
of the American Electric Railways
association, Section 7, Charles H
! Chapman, superintendent of the Con-
necticut Co. trolley lines in this city
asked indulgence of patrons as to com
| plying with the ''car ahead" orders,
| and made these recommendations for
| lettering traffic conditions here.
i One-way traffic at Main street and
Fairfield avenue, with regulations
against standing vehicles in the bust
ness center.
Stationing of traffic officers at sides
| of intersecting streets, rather than
| in the center, with mechanical devices
| to assist in regulating vehicles.
Closer regulation of draw bridge
openings.
Mr.. Chapman told of the develop
ment of business in Bridgeport and
| said that the city has become a "seven
o'clock town. meaning that 95 per
cent of the morning bushes is han
died by trolley cars between 6 and Z
a. m. The evening rush is almost as
bad, he said, and he urged that the
SAAS ~~NNNNSSA ~
"car ahead" orders.
According to Mr. Chapman's esti-
mates there are between 100000 and
10000 people in the city now, and
there are in operation 275 cars. OF
these 14O have been added in the last
10 years.
There are now three electric rail
ways operating in Bridgeport The
Lordship, operating three miles OF
track; the Bridgeport and Danbury
operating five miles of track and the
Connecticut Co., operating 100 miles
of track.
The total. number of cars in opera
ton in this city is 275, of which num-
Der lao have been added since 1907,
because of the rapid growth Of the
city
The average width of streets in
Bridgeport is 35 feet, where trolley
cars operate, Theoretically" said
Mr.. Chapman, this width of street.
allows two lines of vehicles to pro-
coed in one direction and to pass two
lines of vehicles proceeding in the
opposite direction. Practically, how
ever, with vehicles stopped at the
curb, only one line can proceed in
either direction. Street car tracks
and other vehicles must all move in
single file with frequent delays and
consequent disarrangement of troll
ley, service.
Because of these conditions and
the fact that traffic through the center
of the city north and south is by one
street only, the increased use of motor
vehicles has made it imperative that
! trolley schedules be slowed up. with a
necessity for more cars to be put in
operation to carry the same num-
Der Of people" 2
"Private checks at Fairfield avenue
and Main street during one hour
showed the passing of 1913 light and
motor driven vehicles, II heavy
trucks, 81 trolley cars in 1915 with
5O2 light, /73 trucks and 157 trolley
cars this year at the same hour.
"The great increase in waterfront
commerce is shown by figures for
three months of 1914-15 and 1916-17.
Yellow Mill bridge shows 172 openings
in the former period against 585 in
the latter period; Stratford avenue,
1885 against 772 and Congress street
615 against 307 openings. The per-
centage therefore would be 200 per
cent for Yellow mill, 81 for Stratford
avenue and LOG for Congress street"
Other speakers were Lieut.-Gov.
Clifford B. Wilson, c. C. Elwell, pub
lie utilities commissioner and Carl
Foster, of the transportation COM
mittee of the Chamber of Commerce.
A musical entertainment was pro-
vided by an orchestra recruited from
the ranks of trolleymen of the city.