Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-04
NEW FARE RATE
Washington Virginia Rail
way Announces New Fare
Rate to Encourage Eas-
Ter and More Frequent
Use of the Service.

The Washington-Viri'r Railway
Company will inaugurate .nday.
November 9th, new style OF fare he
tween Washington and Alexandria.
known as the Unlimited Ride. Trans
ferable Weekly Pass. Under this
form of transportation, the whole.
sale user of the service not only Sc
cures a reduced rate for himself. but
is at liberty to transfer this priyi-
lege to any other person when ne,
personally, has no need for its use.
The weekly pass, being transferable,
will be purchasable on the cars, as
well as at authorized ticket stations,
without the bother of having to sign
a communication book. Furthermore,
the purchaser need lay out only a
weeks fare in advance instead of
months, so that he stands TO lose
nothing in case of unexpected alb
sence, lay-ofTs, illness, etc.
The cost of the pass for unlimited
rides between Washington and Alex
andria for the calendar week, Mon
day morning to the last run OF sun
day night, will be only SLIGO. This
will afford a considerable reduction
even below the Communication rate. be-
cause experience has shown that the
transferable feature of the pass leads
10 its use or an average of four times
a day. Thus, if twenty eight rides
week are taken on pass, the tare
per trip will be only 81 cents COM
pared with the present Communication
rate of s12 ID cents on 26-tlcket
book and 1917 cents on 52-ticket
book, provided the same individual
has occasion to make the full number
of rides.
In discussing the reason for trying
this pass, Mr.. NJ. G.. StrattOn, Cen
eral Manager of the Washington-Nir
GINA Railway Company, said that 1t
was the desire of the company, not
only to make the purchase of ride
as agreeable as possible-as through
| the elimination of signatures, tickets,
change and the like-but also
| to make better use of the large
amount of service now being unused
during the non-rush hours of the day.
1t is anticipated that the principal
buyers of the pass will be people who
are already twice-a-day rush-hour pa
irons. The pass plan will permit
them to take extra rides, chiefly at
night and on holidays. If the holder
/ does not care to make use of the pass,
/ he can turn it over to his wife for
visit TO a card party, to his maid Tor
a trip to the grocery store, to one OF
his children for a ride to night school,
movies, etc. The economical use of
/ this pass, however, is not limited to
| the present cOmmuter, as its use is
economical, to a person desiring four
or more round trip rides per week,
who are now paying the regular
round trip rates. IL is also good for
! the family who makes a considerable
use of their automobile. There are
many times a week that it is more
convenient and cheaper for some
member of family to use the pass
/ than the automobile.
In practice, on the score or so rail
ways now using the pass, there has
been noted great increase in the
growth of personal shopping, in visits
to the moving picture theaters, in at
tendance at churches and night schools
indeed, to any and all functions to
which people are more inclined to go.
if their carfare is practically free.
Mr.. Stratton emphasized that as
each installation has its own local
problems, the company had decided
to try the pass only for the division
between Washington and Alexandria.
The intermediate stations are includ-
ed, of course. with the exception, that
the pass will not be good for 4 ride
wholly within the District of Column
bia This last condition is entirely
beyond the cOmpany's control, owing
to certain regulations of the Public
Utilities Commission of the District.
II the pass works out on this diyis-
ion, it will be extended to the other
divisions of the Company.
Passes will be on sale Friday. Sat
urday and Sunday of week previous TO
use, and up to, and including, We'd
nesdav of the week of use.
Finally, Mr.. Stratton emphasized
that the acceptance of the pass plan
is absolutely optional with the pa
irons of the company, as no change
whatever will be made in the other
forms of transportation now existing.
adv.