The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-06-20
Works for
CarPasses
in Tacoma
Expert VIII Report on
Possibility Of Netc
Fare System


q study Of street car conditions
ia Tacoma 20 determine n II h
feasible 10 put In the weeisly pass
system such rs II now la force
In Youngstown. Ohio. and eight
othcr American cities. Walter
jackson. OF Mount Vernon.
N. H.. nationally known expert
oa electric railway fares aud
service. In now nj work In this
city. lie was brought here by
Richard r. sullivan. general
manager Of the 7. H. . Y. Co.
| jackson was former auditor OF the
Electric Railway Journal. and has
travelled turnout the country and ex.
tensiveiy In Europe 10 study street
railways and fare systems. lie spent
last year In England investigating
the tracklsrs trolley.
II am not absolutely certain that
the weekly pass system would do
for Tacoma" said jackson. II be-
iieve. however. that conditions here
are favorable. All street railways
have one failing IN common--the
tremendous waste Of service. The
Tacoma street railway, have found.
II no exception.
RIDEs INCREASE
ON SYSTEM
~In Youngstown the pass system
has increased the weekly rides from
200. 900 10 SOC. 900. The average
fare 10 pass holders in the cities
whrrs the system II heins used Is
from al 10 cents n ride Transfers
have been cut away down. and near.
~ all Of the petty irrftations have
Vanished. The pass system has
brought goodwill. more travelling.
cfwapcr travelling. and a real effort
on the part Of the companies TO sell
rides on their cars"
| Manager Sullivan announced that
he had made no definite plans on
a pass system here. but simply want,
ed n detailed study Of conditions
made. The probable price Of week.
~ street car pass In Tacoma has not
been estimated.
/ jackson stated that the pass syn.
tern. tho used with many restrictions
In European cities for years. was
first tried In America In 1919 when
II was installed In Racine. Wis,
since that time the weekly pass has
been put In uss by street car com.
panics In Kenpsha- Wis. Terrc
Haute and Fort Wayne. Ind. Mead.
vllis and New Brighton. Pa; Fort
Smith. Ark: So. Johns. n. r.. and
In youngstown. O. The smallest city
using the weekly pass Ia New
Brighton. Pa. with a population Of
ts.ooo. and the largest Is youngs
town. whers the street railway
serves $4,000 people. The system
has been successful everywhere
PAss MEANS
MORE Rides
'-rhs weekly pass means more
rides" Jackson said 1T mean.
more people attending the sheasvrs
and going TO the sizes. II means
less delivery expense by the storvs.
and fewer transfers. II brings more
people TO tho parks. IL has bull,
up fine goodwill and the people like
the plan first rate. In youngstown
the pass riders are increasing even
during the months We expected a de-
crease.
Tho I havs been In Tacoma b.
fore. put IN Sunday walking all
over the city. first want 20 put
myself In the position OF the citizen
who patronizes the street railways.
have not gone into any Of the fig.
lures with Mr.. sullivan as yet. but I
win do all that later"
Jackson declared n would b. folly
10 tear up the street car line and
Iput In the trackiess trolley here. lie
said that his close study Of tracklcss
sroileys shows they arc too cxpen.
sive. too slow. and cannot give fast
scrvico.
There IL much more vibration 70
the bus or srnckiess trolley than
There II 10 the electric car" no said.
They require two wires instead Of
one. They are heavy and they break
up tho pavement II takes twice as
much power 10. pull 4f-seat track.
less trolley as II does 10 move an
electric car on tracks.
In England the companies that
operate traoklcss troileys also run
them very slowly. not more than
nine miles an hour. ana they 60
thru open country where they do not
have 10 make more than two or three
stops per miis. This English com
panies are still laying tracks. They
do not regard the trackless trolley
aa sufficient to care for heavy travel
BIGGEST EXPENSE
ALREADY MET
in Tacoma the rails are laid. That
In the biggest expense. and that IN
vestment 10 in. n you were 10 tear
up the rails and put in the trackiess
trolley It would cost Just twice as
much. You would have to pay for H.
In Leeds. England, the company puts
on buses where the traffic is light.
trackless troileys where II Is heavier
and greater service In demanded. and
track trolleys where fnst and fire.