Evening star., 1921-12-22
GAR LINES NEARER
STANDARD SERVICE
Some Local Routes Are Now
at Capacity Limit-Extra
Cars for Shoppers.

! The two street railway systems of
| the District are now closer to COM
! pliance with the standards of service
! fixed by the Public Utilities Commits
! sion than they have been for several
{ years. Walter c. Allen, executive sec
retary of the commission, revealed
! today.
! Mr. Allen also announced that the
! Washington Railway and Electric
! Company on the first two days of this
week placed twenty-five extra cars in
! service on its various lines during the
! uon-rush hours to handle the Christ
| mas shopping crowds.
The Capital Traction Company, he
/ said. has been keeping watch on 1tS
! service, but so far has not found II
, necessary to add cars for the Christ
: mas period.
No More on 18th street.
| Mr.. Allen explained that the Capital
: Traction Company cannot use any
i'lnore~cars on its lfth-strcet line dur
/ ing the period of peak load. the track
! capacity of that line having been
! practically reached.
, The 9th street line of the Wash
| ington hallway and Electric Com
F.! pany is in a similar situation, having
! reached point in growth where not
; many more cars could be used during
! rush hours without retarding head
! way.
| Connecticut avenue during rush
| hours likewise is operating close t.
| track capacity, the secretary OBJ
| served.
To show how the commission has
gradually raised the standard OF
. service this year. MIR. Allen recalled
! that in. April the Washington Rail-
! way and Electric Company was II;
| cars short Of the commissions stand
. ards and tn. Capital Traction Com
/ pany 80 ears short.
{ In July, he said the Washington
/ Railway and Electric shortage haG
been reduced to Ga ears. and in Dc
| tober only 81 ears We're lacking. ln
! October the Capital Traction was only
! is cars short of the standards JON its
! system.
| An official Of the Washington Rail
+; way and Electric stated today tina,
| since October his company has fur-
! ther increased service, SO that the
! shortage on, those lines is now some
F.: what less than 81 cars
; Stringent Requirement..
/ The commissions standard of service
f; rule calls for seven square feet pei
/ standing passenger. averaged over a
: thirty-Einute period. aud is regarded as
one of the most stringent requirements
/ yet fixed by commission
This does not mean, MI. Allen eX-
! planned. that every car must have seven
! square feet per standing passenger. but
1 t1i.. there must be an average of tha!
much SUaGe over Il half-hour period
! figuring on the total number of cars
and the number of passengers carried
: Persons in touch with traction condi
tons realize that additional trackase
, will Socn he icce sSary to improve serv-
/ ice to certain sections. notably those
communities served by tfe l4th street
and 9Th street lines.
About a year ago the commission
held public hearings to consider pro-
posed track extensions, including a new
p; line west of l4th street. No action was
taken, however, in view of the fact
F; that rail and other materials entering
into track-building were still at a high
price Level.
An official OF the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company, discussing
the 9TH street line. said that I: few
more cars could be used there during
! rush periods. but that any extensive
addition to service during rush periods
! would SO cOngeSt the tracks as to re-
+, tard the headway of the cars.
William Nick. Clayton of the Bright
/ wood Citizens Association wrote to
| the commission last week relative to
( the ordering of extra ears for Christ
/ mas shoppers.