Evening star., 1917-09-24
STREET CAR STOPS
MAY Be LESSENED
Plan for Speeding Up and Improv-
ing Service Subject of Hearing by
Public Utilities Commission.

!: Washington soon may follow the ex-
!. ample Of Cleveland. Buffalo, Detroit,
: Baltimore and other cities In eliminat-
ling certain street car stops that street
=: car service may be speeded up and i'm
. proved
= The public utilities commission. at a
: hearing this morning considered a
(. plan presented by the Connecticut Ave-
!. nue. and Chevy Chase Citizens Associa-
= tions. which has the approval of the
Capital Traction Company. for trying
: out the so-called "skip-stop" system
: on the Chevy Chase line, between Rock
). Creek loop and Chevy Chase circle.
I: Alternate System Favored.
:. Reference was made to the "stagger-
= ed" or alternate system. under which
: cars going in one direction would stop
(: at every other corner, and those travel
, ing in the opposite direction would
stop at the alternate corners. This plan.
:. which would give every corner a car.
: was recommended as the preferable
4: one Of the two by Clarence P. King,
!. president of the Washington Railway
'-and Electric Company: John H. Hanna,
: vice president of the Capital Traction
Company. and Herbert B. Flowers, rep
resenting the United Railways of Bal
timore.
The particular suggestion considered
> at today's hearing which was presided
over by Commissioner Brownlow, was
. that twenty-one of thirty-eight stops on
: the Chevy Chase line. between Rock
. Creek loop and the circle. be elimina ted
Ito avoid 1engthening the time required
Tor cars to reach the city. Vice Presi-
= dent Hanna stated that the plan, which
is tentative. had been worked out at
COM erences OF the company and the two
citizens associations mentioned. and
: the streets proposed to be eliminated
from the present schedule of stops 1t
.. was pointed out that streets in the
Chevy Chase section are closely spaced,
. would mean better car service. He de-
--clared that similar systems are operat-
ing satisfactorily in Cleveland, Balti-
more. Detroit and elsewhere, and that,
. 5ine should be q success, the plan would
be recommended for the city as a whole.
+. Al-comers on Equal Footing.
President King said that the pro-
posal was step in the right direction
: but he expressed the opinion that the
staggered" system would be more sat
:. isfactory. because it would put all
= comers on an equal footing and elm
: mate criticism that partiality had been
shown in abolishing certain stops and
retaining others under the .skin-ston"
arrangement. He also said that the
utilities board should eliminate fire
stops in the interest of shortening
schedules.
Others who spoke at the hearing
= were b. NJ. Offutt, resident on Con-
-.necticut avenue, who stated that he
approved the proposition as a whole,
but thought local conditions should be
considered before stops are eliminated
"A. T. Gage protested against the in
clusion of Legation street in the list
of proposed eliminations, while resi-
dents of Porter street submitted a pc
titfon in opposition to the elimination
OF that street Commissioner Brownlow
said the utilities board would consider
the matter. with the idea that il the
experiment is allowed and found to be
satisfactory the plan will be adopted
= Tor all the street car lines operating
An the capital.