The Washington herald., 1918-06-30
NEW SKIP-STOP PLAN.
Suggested That Alternate Cars Serve
E.yery Corner.

Editor of the Washington Herald:
While 1t is no doubt the opinion of
every one that the 'skipstops" sys-
tenn is one of the best plans ever
adopted for facilitating the congested
traffic OF the day in all large cities,
yet, from careful observation and ex-
perience, one is at once thoroughly
convinced that the recently installed
system in the District OF Columbia, as
adopted and put in operation. is far
away from reaching and overcoming
the serious difficulties which confront
the complacent general public
The idea OF all cars stopping at GER
tain designated places, and none at
all stopping at numerous convenient
places, does not Of itself appeal to the
public, for 1t most assuredly requires
more than one-half Of the travelling
patronage to travel in all kinds of dis
agreeable weather a greater distance
under the present system than they
would be compelled to walk If stops
were made at every corner. as of yore
Why could not a plan be adopted
whereby every other car would stop
at every other corner, arranging the
stops to take in each corner? More
time would thus be saved, as cars
would take on their passengers much
more speedily, since the crowds at
each corner would not be augmented
as they are by the present plan. Cars
would by this plan still have a run of
Two blocks, skipping a corner; yet
stops would be made at each corner
1t would appear that this plan would
be more agreeable and satisfactory to
the greatest number OF people, and
produce a considerable saving of time
in making the trips. On a morning
trip recently it was observed that
within a mile or so from Decatur
street station the cars would be grad
ually crowding upon each other until,
when reaching u street. there would
be from six to eight cars banked up,
while the trip from Park road was
one continuous creeping pace. not
much faster than the persons who
were walking were going.
On this morning it was observed
that at the southeast corner of Four
teenth and U streets there were about
go people congregated, and only one
car in sight to relieve the situation
Upon turning Thomas Circle there
were seven or eight cars between that
point and K street, and when Four
teenth street was turned there were
six cars between that street and the
Fifteenth street transfer point. On
turning into Fifteenth street there
were seven cars banked between New
York avenue and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. If this condition still exists, it is
not apparent that any improvements
have been brought about, for in the
crowded conditions of the cars slowly
creeping along. there is no time saved,
to say nothing of the discomfort ex-
perienced
1t is most certain that II a
change is adopted such as the plan
above suggested. there would be
great Joy in Washington. and the
public will loudly acclaim the bene-
fits.
Another matter which causes con-
siderable delay on the Fourteenth
street line is the Park road car,
which terribly congests traffic on
both tracks when it changes tracks
at Kenyon street from the east to
the west tracks. Crowded and pack-
ed cars are held for several minutes
extending for several squares, and
many of those nearing their destina-
tion get off several squares from
their destination. rather than suffer
the Inconvenience. It is surprising
that the company's officials have
not recognized this Inconvenience
and applied the remedy by placing
a switch so that the northbound
Park road car could be run right
onto the other tracks.
Another matter causing great
congestion which should be remed-
led by the District officials is the
allowance of the roads to use
streets as their terminals. There
seems to be no excuse for this un-
necessary congestion. 1t could
easily be overcome, as is done in
other cities. by requiring the roads
to provide barns for their terminal,
instead OF permitting the public
thoroughfare to be used for such
purposes.
CHARLES cTNFNEc