Evening star., 1918-01-16
REPORT IN TEN DAYS
ON TRAFFIC RELIEF
BeeIer Survey Soon to Place
Remedy for Congestion Be-
fore Utilities Commission.

Che Public Utilities Commission will
get its first report from the Beeler sur
vey before the end of next week as to
what may be done to relieve congestion
on local street railway lines.
1t will relate to conditions In the
downtown section, and will be followed
by other preliminary sectional reports.
the plan of the Beeler organization be-
ing to report to the commission as rap
idly as it concludes a study of condi-
tions at a particular point and decides
what steps should be taken to improve
them.
Whether the commission will release
to the public these recommendations as
they are received; whether it will decide
to hold hearings on various proposals,
or whether it will hold the report until
finally completed and give the puoHc
an opportunity to express it's views on
the plan In toto are questions that nave
not been settled.
Plans to Relieve Traffic.
Mr.. Beeler will not discuss the rec
in advance of submitting
them to the commission. but he let 1t
be known today that the two most I'M
portant plans for relieving congestion
which he has under consideration are
the 'skip-top' and "staggfr plans. the
former allowing for the elimination of
certain stops land the other providing
for varying opening and closing hours
tor government departments so as 10
distribute the peak load requirements
over a greater period. Both schemes, II
put into operation mere, Will oe lliue-
savers, he declared.
The question as to how broad a
period the rush service can be extend
ed over during both morning ana att
ernoon without interfering with gov
ernment business is a serious one and
must be given careful study, Mr.
Beeler stated. ~,
be saved in eliminating a great many
unnecessary stops, Mr.. Beeler sald
that the "skip-stop' arrangement WI VIII
lead to a big economy in coal con-
sumption He called attention to an
estimate just made by q committee
appointed by the electric railway war
board that if "skip-stops are put INTO
effect on Washington's traction sys-
in the capital will be saved annually.
He also directed attention to the fact
that the federal fuel administration IN
Detroit recently restored skip stops,
which had been abolishe3 by the CITY
council as a reprisal measure for the
raising of street car rates The fuel
administration estimated that SKIP
stops" were saving from fifty to seven
ty-fVe tons of coal DAY IN Detroit ana
..oyerrode" the council in the matter.
Praises Speeding Up Suggestion.
Mr.. Beeler praised the plan for speed
ing up car service that was adopted
Monday night by the Piney Branch
Citizens Association. 1t is an appeal
TO citizens to cooperate with the car
companies and the utilities commission,
TO acquire the habit of boarding and
leaving cars expeditiously and of NOV
ing to the front of the car promptly and
TO follow other simple rules designed to
afford relief.
"This cooperative spirit on the part
of the public is the encouraging thing
in the local situation" said Mr.. Beeler.
with the public helping. congestion
can and will be materially relieved"
In reviewing the work done by his
organization of traffic experts and en-
gineers Mr.. Beeler said that observa-
tions of traffic on all lines at all times
of the day had been made. as well as
observations of traffic generally: that
studies had been made and
maps prepared showing the points be-
tween which the heaviest travel flows
during rush periods. 1t was evident, he
said, within ten days after the survey
could be relieved, but that time has
been required to collect, assemble and
study data in order that the best and
most effective solution of the problem
might be presented.