The Washington times., 1918-03-31
STAGGER STOP
SYPTEM BEST
SAYS BEELER
ny BILL PRICE.

by BILL
Declaring point blank that It is
futile" TO expect adequate or even
passable transportation on the street
car lines or Washington so long as all
Government and private business be-
gins at 0 o'clock In the morning, John
A. Beeler. the traffic expert, has sub
mttted TO the Utilities Commission the
fourth section,of his recommendations
on car service conditions in this city.
Beeler submits the most convinc-
Ing array OF figures to back UP his as
sertion that the only thing to be done
to guarantee an absolutely certain
satisfactory service is for executive
heads of Government departments.
bureaus. and other establishments.
business houses, offices, schools, ETC.,
to adopt staggered hours of opening
and closing so as to relieve what he
calls an unprecedented strain on the
street car lines.
Much Work.
Beeler and hIs assistants put in
months collecting data concerning the
working hours Of Washington. obtain
ing statistics ss to the number. OF
employees in every Government 9insti-
tuition. in stores, offices, schools. and
other places. These experts were
startled at "the magnitude OF the task
imposed, on the car lines'T in trsns-
porting such q large proportion OF the
population to work almost at the
same minute each morning. The
strain is not so heavy in the after
noon because there 10 some difference
In closing hours, and the population
is more leisurely in starting toward
home in the afternoons.
Mr.. Beeler asserts that Washington
Is unlike any other city in the coun-
try in the transportation question as
in others. A universal opening hour.
OF economics so far as city transit
methods are concerned" BY changing
the opening hours he gives assurance
of material Improvement Ia ear serv-
ice, "and a foundation will be estab-
lished upon which can be operated
ultimately a system of urban trans
portatlon worthy of the Capital City
of America"
What Proposition IL.
Beeler's proposition. which is con-
sidered highly important by the Utii-
;ities Commission. is to break up the
heavy peak" load on the car lines
by asking Government departments
to begin business at hours ranging
from $50 o'clock to $3.50 o'clock: pri-
vate offices to start at ESQ o'clock;
high schools at $50 O'Clock. and busf-
ness houses at 30 o'clock -
This would distribute the rush
hours so thoroughly that the car lines
would be able to meet the problem
Ii
would be given thousands of people
who now walk rather than try to
board the packed cars. Beeler is sure
there are many thousands of people
now walking to work who wish to
ride, but refrain from doing sos They
are not only denied THIS privilege be-
cause Of conditions. but the car lines
are cut out OF profitable short hauls.
The improvement of the service that
will follow will distribute some OF
the city's congested population into
suburban parts of the District. Fear
as to the car service has had much
20 do. he says. with bringing about
an overcrowding near the center of
the city, Government clerks refusing
to take the risk OF going distances
from their work.
Beeler finds that washington's
population is excessively dense in the,
older sections as compared with the
suburbs, and much of this is due to
the preference of people for living
within easy walking distance of their
places OF employment The worst
street car congestion comes from the
northwest and northeast sections Of
the city. 'twhere the density of popu-
lation Is greatest"
Beeler finds. from figures obtained
from all Government institutions,
that there are 10000 employees of the
United States Government in Wash
ington. The number, he thinks, ex-I
ceeds that now. The stores of Wash
ington employ 10000 people. The
Navy Yard, Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing, and Government Printing
Office. with their thousands of en-
ployes, fortunately start work at 81
o'clock in the morning, tut to the O.