Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-24
Detroit in Second
Move for City
Ownership St. Rvs.

| btlGbIt, MILL, NV. -O-INctCIII ut-
cision at the polls on the part of De-
/ 1roit voters to Gust the Detroit Unit
ed Railway from parts of Woodward
avenue and Fort street, two of the
citys most important thoroughfares,
! marked another step in the long fight
! for a complete municipal street rail-
! way system.
1 Controversy between the Detroit
! United Railway and the city has been
; almost continuous for more than two
decades, the fight cropping out at all
municipal elections in one form or
| another.
! This struggle reached its height
some time ago when the voters ap-
proved a proposal for a municipal
railway system to compete with the
railway company. The approval was
contested by the Detroit United,
however, the company carrying the
fight to the United States Supreme
court on The grounds of iliegality in
the election, but the city was upheld.
The latest angle of. the traction
fight had its inception more recently,
when the city offered the Detroit
United Railway s3SS,600 for its tracks
and overhead equipment On the Fort
street and Woodward avenue lines.
The company refused this offer, de-
claring it would tear up the tracks
rather than dispose of them for such
a sum. Franchises held by the COM
pany on these lines had expired and
Mayor James Couzens, champion of
municipal ownership. submitted the
custer amendment to the voters at
the recent election. The voters up
held the mayor by almost a two TO
one vote.
The ordinance requires the COM
pany to discontinue service on the
two lines in question by about No
vemher % and A. F. Edwards, the
traction organizations vice president,
announced as soon as the results of
the election became known that such
action would be taken. Ninety addi-
tional daJs are granted the company
to remove it's tracks and trolley
wires.
Although Mayor Couzens has NOT
announced his plans for meeting the
transportation problem that will
al iSN IL NI'G 10 SuSpCHuCt. IL is
known the city expects to depend
upon buses and jitneys during the
period of several months required to
lay municipal tracks.
Woodward avenue is described by
local police authorities as the most
congested city street in the world
Detroit has no rapid transit, depend
ing upon street ears, motor busses
ana lltney buses to move its popu-
lation. AS a large number of street
railway lines center in Woodward
avenue the traffic congestion result
ing has placed a great burden upon
the police departments traffic de-
partment. To overcome this conges-
ton the proposal has been made that
the city lay its Municipal tracks on
avenues near Woodward and thus
leave the city's chief thoroughfare
free for vehicular traffic. No definite
decision has been made regarding
this matter, however. The Wood
ward avenue street car lines at pres
ent extend through Highland Park.
an exclusive Detroit suburb that also
contains several important automo-
P'N''-'' hot PAL vi StIGeI
from which the Detroit United Rail-
ways must remove its tracks extends
from Artillery avenue to the heart of
the city. distance of approximately
four miles. Several automobile plants
are located in the Fort street district
beyond Artillery avenue The De-
troit United has announced it would
attempt to rc-route it's cars on the
Woodward and Fort street lines,
bringing them into the downtown
district over round about routes.
Ousting of the Detroit United
Railways from these two streets will
add about seven miles to the munich
pay railway system, that now com
prises approximately 100 miles of
tracking.
Franchises on other Detroit United
Railway lines will expire within the
EeXt few years.