The Washington times., 1917-10-17
By EARL GOODWIN.

More than five years ago Commissioners Rudolph,
Johnston, and Judson recommended as immediately de
srable street line Seventeenth street northwest
from o street to Pennsylvania avenue
Had this extension been made to the Capital Traction
Company lines the travelling public today would not be sub
ected to the gross and noierabe overcrowding which is
NV S.tr 81 tr.voI an an Etaantb streo4 linz bs
Commissioners men, and knew where the tide Of
traffic flowing for without the sudden increase in
sections car line to parallel the Fourteenth street line
would only be normal method of handling passengers
Today the limit Of travel the Fourteenth street line
has been reached Very little improvement be made
there Both the company and the Utilities Commission know
this The carry too many passengers and the
pany admits it No be operated with safety
to the public; the line is swamped.
The Fourteenth street line was torn up for several
mons getting tracks while the District resurfac
came the Fourteenth street neghborhoods received thou
sands of residents and the company put all the
could operate with the tracks torn up without running
them dangerously close together.
In December 1916 the Public Utilities Commission
approved the extension to the Capital Traction line which
about to result new route through what is known as
tthe old War Department neighborhood" The gangs Of
men putting In switch at Fifteenth street and New
York working that extension and this work
has caused congestion.
When the whole new line is completed there viii be
"short loop and long loop On the short loop many
Fourteenth street the Chevy Chase cars
will continue west Fifteenth street and New York avenue
run to Nineteenth street. down Nineteenth street to
street. and then turn east existing tracks and return to
Fourteenth street This will take them past the Interior
Department building the block at Eighteenth Nineteenth
E. and streets
On the long loop they viii turn west at Fifteenth street
and New York avenue continue to Nineteenth street. and
south on that street Virginia ayenue along that
to Eighteenth street and north again 10 street. where they
This win enable the Fourteenth street line to put on
several more Chevy Chase cars which now delay
somewhat when they stop at rsensn STREET @ ano
go straight ahead and to the tracks OF these two
loops
/ There win be smoother flow Of cars, and several new
cars may be added the line This does not hold out
extremely rosy promise of traffic relief In fact the
teenh street switch is not the complete solution to the
Icrowding on the Fourteenth street lines.
"A parallel line Seventeenth street. from street to
Pennsylvania had it been started when
ers Rudolph Johnston and Judson recommended March ~
1872 would be in running order today and presumably
there would be such ntoerabe crowdng there
right now The Public Utilities Commission has not ordered
it or authorized it. and viii not do until it completes
its work of valuation of the companies assets No matter
where the blame has been it lies right at the door OF
the Public Utilities Commission
The Seventeenth street hne if authorized today could
not be compeedin three and half because 1t would
take that long to get the steel rails under ccnd
tons If the War Department authorized steel plants to
make the rails ahead of orders there would be year
and half to wait even hen 50 great the press OF WORK
At the prices current the rails would cost enormously
and the addition to the capital invested would necesate
| larger return than usual This would tend toward .
higher fare So every way the cardng public seems TO
be in jam.
sbiities under the facilities offered by the Fifteenth street
switch and the loops but unless miracle occurs does
appear that the street car crowdg gong
to end abruptly There will be few more cars on the
Fourteenth street ae but not enough to hold out op
timistic promises to the present strap hangers
The Times holds brief for the Capital Traction Com
pany nor for anyone else and keeny alive to the over
crowded street car condition that line The purpose IN
publishing these facts is to enghten the public as to the
exact condition; and to remind the Capital Traction Com
pany and the Public Utilities Commission that once the pres
ent construction difficulties and other hamperng crcum
stances are cleared away Washington expects the best car
service in the United States
! HEARD AND SEEN