Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-21
MAY ELIMINATE
TROLLEY CAR STOPS
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railways companies in the state. The
date for the conference will be an
nounced later.
Administrator Potter's letter fol-
lows:
To Executive Officers of All Street
Railway Companies in Pennsyl-
vania Outside of Pittsburgh:
At conference held at this office
to-day, it was unanimously agreed
that coal could be conserved by in
Producing economies in street rail-
way operations. Foremost of these
economies is the skip-stop system;
therefore, the following order has
been issued on all street railway
companies in Pennsylvania:
You are directed to meet with
the Fuel Administrator of your coun-
ty, and his committee, to arrange a
local program of street railway econ
omies, the first part of which is the
skip-stop system, in accordance with
the following suggestions:
"A-The system should. If posi-
BILE, be applied to the entire city, in
cluding the business district as well
as the residence district, and not
merely to the latter.
D. "B-The stopping points must be
located so as to serve the people to
the best advantage rather than to
secure uniform spacing or to follow
any arbitrary rule. This may bring
some of the stopping points on the
near side of the street, some on the
far side. and some in the middle of
block. 1t is better, however, to have
such a diversity, with the points
properly located, than to have uni
formity if convenience of location is
sacrificed to secure this result.
C The number of stopping
points must not be too great. There
should be not more than eight per
mile (averaging $50 feet apart, in
business districts, six per mile cav
eraging $50 feet apart), in residence
districts, and four per mile (averag-
ing 1920 feet apart). in the open
country"
Improves Service
The remarkable improvement in
the service which has been affected
in Washington by the skip-stop sys-
tenn has been largely due to the
proper observance of these princi-
pies.
In addition to the above, which
may be regarded as fundamental,
there are number of other items
which should, be carefully considered
in each case, but which, on account
of local conditions, may or may not
apply. These are:
i. If the system is inaugurated
gradually instead of all at once, 1t is
preferable to put it into effect first
in the congested downtown dis
friatc W n 6aY of
verge, and to make 1t apply to all
of the lines in that district. This
will effect an immediate improve
ment in service on all of the lines
and will prepare the way for
greater improvement when the sys-
tenn is extended.
2. The stopping points should be
plainly marked, preferably by signs
bearing the words "Car Stop" or
some similar designation which will
be clear to any one, rather than
merely by a colored stripe on the
pole or other designation which is
not lf-explanatory.
8. There should be a sign in each
car giving a list of the points at
which stops are made, where this is
practicable, or, where this is not
practicable. calling attention to the
ieNSS tiiob biit N1l obOpS OILY at GER
tain streets and suggesting that pas
sengers find from the conductor the
nearest stop to their destination.
4. Where lines diverge, the stop
ping points should be located SO that
the stopping of cars of one line will
not hold back cars of the other line.
A typical instance is where one line
continues on a given street while a
second line follows the same route
for a portion of the distance and then
turns into a side street. In such a
case, If the cars of the first line stop
in both directions beyond the point
where the second line turns off, and
If the cars of the second line stop
in both directions on the street which
they alone use, the above object will
be attained.
5. In many cases a staggered ar
rangement of stopping points, so that
IL the cars bound in one direction
stop at First street, Third street. etc
those bound in the other direction
will stop at Second street, Fourth
street, etc, will distribute the ad-
vantages of the system in a. more
equitable manner among all of the