Evening star., 1927-10-23
HUGE AREA OPENED
| TOD. c. BY BUSES.
S~~s
Ready Access to Rich, Fertile
Sections of Great Eco
nomic Importance.
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.

BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.
characterized by an ever-increasing
tdegree of stability, bringing in its
wake more lines and rapidly expand.
| ing patronage. the network of motor
| bus lines which has grown up in
Washington to connect the National
+, Capital with points outside the Dis
trict Of Columbia now constitutes a
unit in the transportation chain whose
importance is of the most outstanding
/. Significance.
+. Through these lines operating from
! sWashington and penetrating often
quite deeply into surrounding country,
sthe National Capital is placed in close
Communication with areas rich, fertile
Sand of definite economic Importance in
their relationship to the District of
Columbia and its people. Sometimes
/, these lines are supplemental to other
seXisting forms of transportation, either
J rail or water, while in other instances
) the motor bus forms the only link
between a small but growing COM
immunity and the Capital City
Somewhat more than a year ago
] The Star made a survey of the bus
systems operating from Washington
sto points outside the boundaries of the
fcity. Today The Star publishes the
results of a second such survey, and
the facts disclosed form a highly in
rteresting and valuable commentary on
the progress of the motor bus in its
trelation to the National Capital.
Trend of Motor Bus.
Before outlining in considerable de-
tail the precise situation in which
Washington finds itself in this whole
connection, there are several main
points which are indicative of the
trend the interurban motor bus is
taking. They are as follows:
% There are fewer long g-distance
lines operating out of Washington to-
sday than there were a year ago, but
.the number of short lines has made
an appreciable advance. This devel-
opment, it is understood, has taken
place in many other centers through.
out the country.
/ ~ The number of passengers car
.ried is very considerably larger at this
stime than ever before, and the gain
fover. just year ago is quite impor-
stant.
(3) Much new equipment has been
purchased by Washington interurban
;motor bus operators and added to
their lines. In general, the individual
operator is using greater number of
buSSeS.
: The three points here listed cover
the broad trend as indicated by The
Stars survey, in the orga niZation of
(which it has had the helpful CO.
operation of officials of the Public
Utilities Commission. The reason why
Sthere are fewer long lines. as, for in.
stance. to New York, is that the op.
orators learned from experience that
HaSnifn sv.k, %
their de luxe busses, relatively few per-
sons found them comfortable for IL
hours of continuous riding. In addi-
lion, many were unwilling to give up
an entire day to the trip, since the
busses left at 8 am. and arrived in
New York at pm.
On the other hand, the bus is be-
coming strongly entrenched where 1t
is enabled to make a multiplicity Of
trips each day. where the haul is rela-
1iyely short ami, of course, where
pm insistent demand EXISTS for addi.
fional transportation service. The
Irend, apparently, is toward COM
pactness and solidity in bus operation,
Father than toward far-fiung lines.
1t is not to be gathered, however.
that Washington's interurban bus
service extends only TO points within
20 or Is miles of the city. That is
Tar from the case. While it. is true
that at the present there are no. tvkhi-a
Giles making daily trips to }centers
several hundred miles distant, there
Is regular service as far as Phila-
relDhia and over to Hagerstown, as
wen as to Leonardtown, Luray and
pown to Richmond. The territory be-
tween Washington and those points.
put particularly within a circle of, say
b0 miles, is intensively cultivated from
motor bus point Of view.
: No Absolute Figures Available.
In explanation of the detailed in.
formation to be set forth, it should
be pointed out that in speaking of
trips, round trips" thus are indi.
Gated throughout, and in giving the
estimated passenger totals, "round
trips" also are meant. In connection
with these figures, it is emphasized
mat they are estimates. made by the
Public Utilities Commission, and are
not infiexible. The reason there are
no absolute figures available is that
the interurban lines do an interstate
business, and as such the Public
Utilities Commission cannot require
the companies to submit reports, as
3.
Furthermore, the figures cited do
pot include such business as may be
carried between local points outside
the District, for example, as between
alexandria and Potomac Yards. While
the passenger statistics, therefore, are
not final ones, they :: are extremely
valuable in giving a. reasonably def
nite insight into the trend of interur-
ban bus traffic.
Points between Washington and
Alexandria are blanketed by the
busses of the Alexandria, Bancroft &
Washington hne, company which,
according to recent figures, operates
IS buses. These vehicles go over to
the Virginia town, passing Potomac
Yards, Rosemont, Del Ray and other
points en- route. for a total of lit
round trips daily, with an estimated
total OF 1882 passengers. This same
company, which 1operates the largest
number Of interburban busses, also
runs to Bancroft and Baileys Cross
Roads, Va. making 26 trips a day to
the former place and to the latter.
In addition to the two lines already
fited, the Alexandria, Bancroft &
Washington Company operates a bus
TO Richmond over the new Washing.
ton Richmond Boulevard, passing
through Alexandria and Fredericks-
burg. Four round trips are made
daily between the capital Of Virginia
and the National Capital. An esti.
mated average of $50 passengers
daily are carried. as against $50 on
the Bancroft trips. The buses of this
company leave the Washington bus
terminal, located at Little Ninth street
and Louisiana avenue.
In connection with this terminal, it
may be pointed out that while many
OF Washington's interburban bus
lines now start from that point, there
are some which take their departure
from other places for reasons Of their
own. For instance, the Annapolis
bus operated by the Washington,
Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Rail.
way leaves from that roads own ter.