Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-16

Philadelphia street ears carried
900 900. 900 people in 1872. at which
time the iuadequacy of the transit
facilities was recognized. and in 1913
plan for system of subway and
elevated lines was developed. None
of the new lines then planned are
available to assist in carrying the
traffic of 1919. which bids fair to
exceed $50 .OOO. 900 passengers.
The approaching Christmas holiday
season will bring the heaviest trans.
portation requirement the city has
ever known. aud unless the greatest
possible use is made of existing ia
clities. u. most uncomfortable condi-
ton of overcrowded ears will be
upon us.
We now ask your help and coop.
Grafton in making effective certain
changes and improvements nS herein
set forth.
Traffic Interference
10 overcome the grCvouS delays
and Interruptions caused by coal
wagons and other vehicles obStructing
tracks while unloading parking of
automobiles on both sides of one way
strcets-the unnecessary dragging Of
cars by vehicles. and to increase the
track capacity, particularly of the
business district we are submitting
n proposed ordinance. which extends
the one way traffic control. now in
effect in the central portion of the
city. to all streets used by one way
ear lines within the district bounded
by the Delaware and Schuylkill riv-
crs. and Oregon and Erie avenues.
L., -.
streets the rule that vehicles be
parked at one curb only, and leaves
the other side of the street free for
the movement OF vchicuar traffic.
Provision is also made that ear tracks
shall, so far as possible. be kept free
of vehicular obstruction. This mac-
ticc has already stood thc test of Scv.
rral years application in the central
portion of the city and is known to
be not unduIy burdensome. The en-
forcement of existing ordinances and
of this proposed ordinance will nut
an end to the interruption of street
ear service by unloading coal wagons
ana do much to eliminate the DELAYS
which are now SO disastrous to regu
lar and prompt service.
City Hall Loop
The City IIall track laydut cous,i-
tut"S the greatest obstacle to maxi
mum car service in the delivery dis
trict Every vehicle passing through
irnn square must prrforcc cross our
tracks twice. Here the greatest cur
rents of Vehiculal traffic converge and
cross. 1t is proposed that the present
tracks be relocated directly adjacent
to the present curb line surrounding
city Hall, for which II proposed ordi
nance is Submitted herewith This
change Will enable vehicular traffic to
traverse Penn square without cross
ing or interfering with street ear
trattlc. excepting only vehicles cross
ing Market street between North and
South Broad street. 1t is estimated
that the number of vehicles crossing
our tracks will be reduced from the
present 10000 times daily to fewer
than 10000 times in the same period
Market street ut Fifteenth. west e
bound. is the point of greatest ear
congestion during the evening rush
hour, and this controls the amount
OF service possible to be operated over
Market street east of City Hall. II
is proposed that the wcStbound lines
which now turn north from Market to
/ Eighteenth and Twentieth streets. be
diverted during the rush hour to Fill
bert street west of the City Hall and
| thence northward These combined
changes will increase the track ca
/ pacity of Market street more than 80
| per cent during the hours of greatest
congestion.
Express Passenger Service
The CO. operation of the Depart
ment of Public Safety under the pro
posed ordinances will make ii posi-
BILE for us to establish and maintair
express passenger service on Tentl
and Eleventh streets between Eric
aveHuc and Market street, which vii
speed up and greatly improve the cal
service to the Germantown. Chest
nut Hill, Logan and Old York roac
sections.
1t is expected that because Of til,
shortened running time and the five
cent fare much of the traffic now cal
ried by the suburban railroads viii
be secured.
The GermantOwh- Chestnut Hill lin
will be equipped with green cars o
the new center exit tyne. the opera
tion of which makes necessary th
construction of turning looms at tn
Pelham car barn and on the Ranit
Transit COmpany's property at Beth
lehem pike and Germantown avenue
for which ordinances are now sub
mitted.
The service from Bethlehem pike t
Wheel Pump and City line will b
supplied bv heavily motored yellow
cars. specially equipped to operat
over the severe grades which max
the use of the two motored gree
cars impracticab'e.
8. Cent Exchange Ticket Elimination
The Stotesbury Mitten manage
ment. at its incoming in 1910
undertook with the city to maintai
the then existing rate of fare, as Sc
forth in certain communications +
and by Mr.. Stotesbury. and also i
the text of the $40. 1000, 900 loa
ordinance then approved by Councils.
. In 1910 the base fare was five cents
with 65j three cent exchange point
and 30 free trasfer points. Th
promises then made by this manage
ment have not only been fulfilled, bu
seventy five of the three cent eX
change points have been done ava
with and 40 additional points of fre
transfer allowed. The result of thes
changes. together with the wiping ou
of double fares by the rerouting o
lines, has served to reduce the aver
age rate of Alb cents per passenge
in 1910 to 3.9S cents at the presen
time.
There are now in existence 80
II f0nn fpo pafA tu aoh NKrhi