The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-11
REVIEW OF STREET RAILWAYS
 MASSACHUSETTS
 aOE TECHNOLOGY FOR 5 YEARS
Basic Questions Of Rate of Fare Length of Haul Zone System and other Features Treated in Exhaustive Manner in Bulletin Just Issued

1t is now four or five years ago that the Electrical Research Division of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology has had under consideration and investigation the various prob lems of transportation. Some of the results have already attracted public attention such as the comparison of motor vehicles in efficiency under va rlous conditions, one with another and with horse drawn ones. The latest report which appears in book form and as M. l. T. Research Divis- ion Bulletin. No. 14. concerns itself with street railway affairs, and takes up the basic questions of the nickel fare, length of haul. zone system and others in compI ohensive discus sion. which being of Technology, leaves no question of bias in its f1nd- ings. Moreover, many facts and fig ures are presented from which the interested reader may arrive at his own conclusions.
 Some of the statements in this vol ume are of greatest consequence. coming from an authoritative source, for example, the prediction of the passing Of the fiat rate and the com ing of d fare based on length of haul, an evidence that the single fare from one point on the line to any other one can no longer stand in the face of modern methods of business and mod ern extensions of transportation sys- tems.
 Half9a-dozen Tech men have been engaged in the research, Professor Harold Fender having charge in the beginning and on going to Baltimore his matitle fell on Professor Dugald c. Jackson, with !, assistants, H. F. Thompson, DAvidl D. McGrath, o. Rob ert Scharig. Thomas N. Buell. and Ed- mond W. Bowler, MT. McGrath being employed on the work all the time.
 It appears that density of traffic Is the most important factor towards success of street railway operation, and the, higher this. figure, the lower are the proportionate investment charges and the operating costs per passenger. esa8 sts
 Density of traffic is a factor that does not always follow expected lines, for example it is large in medium sized cities, but in very large cities is likely to be made less through the existence of long routes into sparse- ly settled suburbs This density Is the expression of the number of passengers carried per unit of track in aunit of time.
 Another important factor is the rate of fare, for 1t is distinctly true that the increasing of unit fares tends to discourage and decreaset traffic while lowering the rate of fare always increases the number of passengers fiat rate of fare over whole cities or over extended districts is custom ary today almost everywhere in this country, but these investigations show that 1t is in error in principle The nickel Is very convenient fare but If ft is to be used, limiting the distance which one may ride for one fare is suggested. The three cent fare within city districts has theoreti- cally it's advantages, but with its use there are rather important additiona costs in collecting and in auditing, and i difficulties in limiting the ride tc relatively short distances.
 Some of the by-products of the in- vestigations show curious relationship for example that the ability to take long rides for a single fare seems tc increase the. dis5anee which vie aver age passenger rides. The uniform fare throughout great street rail way system puts comparatively higher rate on short rides for the benefit of those who take long rides While 1t may seem that the rush hour traffic is of great benefit to the railways, it is to be remembered tna1 the returning cars are corresponding. " empty and thus the balance 1: uaintaihed. Then it'is interesting tc learn tfiatS the issue of transfers ac. tualiy lengthens the average rides or the pasnefisers Ts's4s
 With all these considerations 1t be comes evident that if the present up