The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-07-26
BEELER PLANS.
STREET CAR.
BELT LINE FOR.
j. S. WORKERS.
BY BILL PRICE

serve the thousands Of Government
workers in the Potomac Park and
Sixth and B street sections Of Wash
tngton on a one-fare basis.
The plan, primarily intended to
meet the demands that have arisen
to care for immense numbers Of Gov
eminent clerks in the territory men
toned, is of significance to the peo-
pie generally OF Washington in that
It initiates, IL It should ever become
effective, universal" transfers and
Joint operation of the two independ-
emit car companies Of the city.
Plan Before OfncIaIs.
The scheme has been submitted to
the War and Navy departments by
the Public Utilities Commission.
which was originally requested to
have Mr.. Beeler study the needs of
the clerks In Potomac Park and in
the vicinity of Sixth and B streets
and make report.
Mr.. BeeIer finds that within a few
months. when buildings now in course
OF erection are completed. 24,200 en-
ployes OF the Government will be
working in the Potomac Park section.
OF this number the War Department
will have $3.50, the Navy 5000. the
War Trade Board 1000. food admins
ton 1000, fuel 300. Council of Ma
tional Defense 300, and the Red Cross
$50.
In the group of buildings in the
Sixth and B streets section. including
those in the park along Four-and-a-
half street and Ohio avenue, there are
oy soon will be 1880 employees. most
y belonging to the Ordnance Bureau,
Signal Corps, and Surgeon General
Of the War Department
One-LIne Service.
The thousands OF Potomac Park
workers are now served by the
Eighteenth street line OF the Capital
Traction Company, running to Vir-
gtnia avenue. This line, put in oper-
alton about June 1, was originally in
tended to serve pleasure seekers in
Potomac Park.
Employees who live on the lines OF the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany must walk from the nearest lines
OF that company to their work or pay
two fares. one over each line.
The War and Navy officials are anx-
3ous to have such extensions made as
v1n enable employees to be transported
% and from their work for one fare.
These officials recognize that the street
railways cannot be asked to bear all the
financial burden to serve what may be
temporary business only. and the plans
they have in mind are to furnish the
money for whatever scheme Is agreed
upon to supplement the existing trans
pOrtatiOn facilities, exceedingly meager
and poor.
Plans Belt Line.
Mr.. Beeier's scheme. as outlined in
the map herewith printed, is a belt
line connecting certain lines OF the
two railway systems of the city in
such a way as to give quick trans
portation to the employees Of the Gov
eminent. This would be done by
building a double track from the
loop of the Capital Traction Company
in Potomac Park along B street in
an easterly direction to Fourteenth,
where it would connect with the
Fourteenth street line OF the Wash
fngton Railway and Electric Com
pany; thence continuing east to Sew
enth street, using part OF the line of
the Virginia railway and part Of the
W. r. & E., where available. The
line would then turn north on Sew
enth street, to Florida avenue, and
thence west to Ninth and u streets
going west on all the way to U and
Florida avenue, where a connecting
link would be built in a southwest
erly direction to meet the Connecti-
cut avenue line of the W. R. & E,
following Connecticut avenue south
10 Seventeenth and H streets, where
another line would be put down to
Pennsylvania avenue, connecting the
Capital Trsction lines in that vicin-
fly.
The scheme would connect every
downtown line of the two roads and
would give the belt line cars trans
fers to eight points OF the Capital
traction line and twelve points Of
the ". R. and E. Company.
Pass Through City.
The neW route, Mr.. Beeler points
cut will pass through the most
thiclIy settled portions Of the city.
and put the great bulk OF all govern
mental and business activities within
a short distance.
The existing tracks that would be
used would be 81 miles OF the Capital
Traction Company, IL miles Of the
w. p and E. and require Is miles Of
new construction.
Thirty-seven minutes running time
would be required to go around the
entire belt
Mr.. BeeIer suggests that the route
could De operated jointly by Ihe Two
companies, or that the Capital Trac-
don might operate cars in one direc-
ZION and the Washington Railway
auc Electric in the other. He favors
the latter plan, because it would
make the two companies more or less
independent and the public would
have the option OF travelling as It
might desire, all the time maintaining
Important transfer privileges which
Il does not now get.
The construction work would prob
ably cost $3.50 900, in addition to GER
tain street work that might make
Ehe total run close to 100000.
Signs Of Scrap.
There were today signs Of a big
scrap in the air over the proposed
Rlan, one Of the car companies being
strongly opposed to it and the other
willing to enter any arrangement that
will prove beneficial 20 the public.
The people OF Washington, II the
service over the loop should prove
20 be good, would have the choice
of any Of several routes. Mr.. Beel-
Ger feels that the plan would divert
some Of the congestion over the
Fourteenth street line and turn the
traffic around by the Seventh street