New-York tribune., 1919-09-22
Reserves Called to Prevent
Overcrowding ON Motor
Routes That Replace
Defunct Transit Service
S o me Are Overladen
Vehicles Accommodating Is
Travel With Twice That
Load; 40 in Operation

New York's newest bus routes, to
take the place OF four defunct cross
town car lines, began operation at 6
o'clock yesterday morning, the first one
getting under way on the Spring and
Delaney street line, after Grover
Whalen, Commissioner of Plant and
Structures, had given the signal
lines were started, and early morning
crowds on the East Side clambered
into the vehicles until traffic policemen
were detailed to prevent overlooking.
The Madison and Chambers streets, the
Avenue c and the Third Avenue lines
were started later in the morning.
after a feet of buses had descended
on the East Side following q short
dress parade" before the City Hall
Plaza.
Some of the buses were in recent
service in Newark and still bore the
old destination signs of New jerseys
streets and houlevards. These sign
were soon replaced with new placards
reading, "Madison and Chambers
Street Line. FIVE cents" or "Sprng and
Delaney Line, five cents"
Cheer for First BUS
Residents Of the East Side greeted
the first bus with q cheer as it rolled
across the Bowery at Delaney Street
Four riders were already in the vehicle
and before it reached the west side
terminal it was crowded.
Many were waiting for the old stor-
age battery cars to come along and
expressed surprise at seeing the new
buses rumble up to the corner and
stop for them. The electric cars had
stopped shortly after midnight.
Commissioner Whalen said forty
buses joined the service by the end
of the day, and twenty more will be
added to-day, making the full quota
Of sixty required by the Public Service
Commissions permit.
Shortly after noon the crowds began
to ride in the buses with the eager
ness of sightseers. One bus on the
Spring and Delaney street line was
Jammed with twenty-sx passengers
it was equipped to carry only fifteen.
The five minute headway was kept UP
on this line.
The Avenue C route, which runs over
Desbrosses Street to the ferry, cper-
ated on fifteen minute headway dur
ing the day. The buses on this line
turned up Eleventh Street en- route to
the West Side ferry.
~ Some passengers were taken to the
Twenty street ferry on request
Passengers Enjoy Themselves
The popularity of the buses did not
abate as darkness fell. Crossing the
Bowery the new trackless vehicles con-
tanned joyous, laughing groups of pas
sengers. Policemen were stationed
along the Delaney Street route with
orders to check up on the headwav
maintained by the new service. The
police were also told to watch over
crowding and to report any faults in
the. service, especially where persons
wanting to ride were left standing il
the street.
But first day crowds were beyond the
police The short haul kept the buses
busy stopping TO discharge passengers.
and it was noticed that many used the
vehicles to ride only a distance OF
three OR four blocks, more perhaps out
OF curiosity than for the need of trans
portation. An occasional bus would be
seen with thirty passengers crowding
into the seats.
A round trip on the Delaney Street
route was made in an average time of
forty minutes. This is one Of the
longest lines and goes cross town from
the East River to TIE North River
piers. The 'busses maintain lower
schedule throughout the night They
will have their first real test" this
morning, when they will be put on a
tive-minute headway during the rush
hours.