The Bismarck tribune., 1921-11-26
DETROIT y j!El'|'l' ! | R R VOTERS
WANT MUNICIPAL
STREET RAILWAY.
Have Been Fighting Detroit
United Railway For More
Than Two Decades
OLD q coMp'NY ,,l QUITS TO-DAY |, l,l

! SA~D NNAANA ASA VOAAD AOOAAA
Detroit, Mich, Nov. 26-Recent de-.
cision at the, polls on the part Of De-
troit voters to oust the Detroit United
Railway flom parts Of Woodward ay.
enue and Fort street, two of the city's
most important thoroughfares, mark
ed another step in the long fight. 10:
a complete municipal street railway
system. l>
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 an
other. .s ;|a saos 5s., \. .s55s "a
This struggle reached it's height
some time ago when the voters ap.
proved 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 llegality4 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 $685., 900 for its tracks,
and overhead equipment on the Forl
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
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 upheld
the mayor by almost two to one
vote. *
The ordinance requires the company
to discontinue service on the two lines
in question by about November 25 and
A. f.. Edwards, the traction organiza-
tioYs vicepresident, announced as
soon as the results of the election be-
came known that such action would
be taken. Ninety additional days are
granted the company to remove its
tracks and trolley wires.
Although Mayor Couzens has not
announced his plans for meeting the
transportation problem that will arise
il service is suspended, it is known
the city expects to depend unon buses
and jitneys during the period of sey.
eral months required to lay municipal!
tracks. .ss-ss# 3ss, ~
Woodward avenue is described by
local police authorities as the most
congested, city street in the world.
Detroit has no rapid transit, depend a
ing upon street cars, motor busses anu
jitney busses to move its population.
AS a large number Of street railway
lines center in Woodward avenue the
traffic congestion resulting has oplac-
ed a great burden upon the police de-
partment'sa traffic department. N T0
overcome this congestion 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 ,f0r yehicular
traffic. No definite decision has been
made regarding this matter, however.
The woodward avenue street car
lines at present extend through High
land Park, an exclusive Detroit sub
urb that also contains several I'M
.
mart of Eorst street from which the
Detroit United Railways must remove!
it's tracks extends from Artillery Jsav'
enue to the heart Of the city, q dist
aiice OF approximately -four miles.
Several automobile plants are located
in the Fort street. district beyond AT.
tlllery avenue, The Detroit United
has announced it would attempt TO- re-:
route its cars on the Woodward and
Hort street: lines, bringing them into
the downtown district over round
about. routes. ss3 s;s., :, /,
Ousting of, the Detroit United Rail-
ways from, these two streets will add
about seven miles to, the municipal
: railway system, that now comprises
approximately 100 miles ef tracking.
Franchises on other Detroit United
Railways lines will expire within the
next few years.