The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-04
CITY SHOPPING
AREA SPREAD
IS FORECAST
Engineer Moore in Favor of
Car Recruiting to Solve
Problem.
WOULD ABOLISH TURNS
Scientech Club to Study
Suggestions to Relieve
!; Downtown Jam.
WOULD ABOLISH TURNS

Indianapolis has outgrown its
downtown business district and is
entering an era of expansion in
which retail stores will flourish be-
yond present shopping boundaries.
This is the view of Alfred H.
Moore, city engineer. advanced II
support of his propose! for rerount-
ing of street cars in the downtown
area.
While officials of the indianapolis
Street Railway Company today con-
tinued consideration of Moore'S Sug-
gestions, part of the city councils
traffic plan, rumblings were heard
of an approaching storm between
washington street merchants and
others in the border area" of the
downtown shopping district, should
the rerouting plans be approved.
Outlining his tentative plan for
rerouting street cars, detailed in
The Times a week ago, Moore told
members of the Scientech Club, an
engineers society, at the Chamber
OF Commerce Monday, that enlarge
ment of the shopping district is GER
tain to come because of the present
congestion in the favored business
area,
Would RerOute Lines
Car lines so would be rearranged
as to eliminate much present street
car traffic from Washington street
and to eliminate all right and let
hand car turns onto or off Wash
ington street, between West and
Delaware streets.
Tnteru. BANS turning at Capitol
avenue and Washington street
would be one exception, and the
routing of College avenue cars south
on Delaware street, around the
court house on Washington street
and north again to Massachusetts
avenue on Alabama street, would
be another exception.
1.-THE only objections I have had
to the proposals." Moore said, were
from Washington street merchants.
Twenty or thirty merchants not on
Washington street have approved
it heartily"
However, I'm not defending this
plan, if it can be shown at fault.
1t was submitted to the traction
company as a tentative suggestion.
"Busses should be eliminated, ex-
cept as feeders, and possibly as
cross-town lines where they would
not enter the business district.
think street cars furnish the only
means of mass transportation and
this plan would give the street rail-
way company a real chance to fur
nish adequate service.
Mileage Saving Certain
"The plan would save the street
car company an immense amount OF
mileage and eliminate heavy main
tenance charges for the elaborate
system of turns they now have
downtown"
At a round table discussion, sew
eral Scientech members criticised
the plan because the College avenue
line would not come nearer Illinois
street than Delaware, and would
not continue to the Union station.
But as many favored it as disap-
proved, some indorsing it heartily.
D. j. Angus recalled that the club
once made a survey of the street
car system downtown, with a view
to suggestion rerouting, and con-
Guided that four objects were in
volved in the question: Service to
the shopping district, union station,
traction terminal, and convenient
transfer point.
The College avenue routing, as
suggested by Moore, violates all of
them" Angus contended.
Plan to Be Studied
The city engineer said the plan
would not entail any expenditures
on the part of the traction company,
would save it money, and at the
same time greatly increase the tax
able value of property along streets
just beyond the present heavy shop
ping district"
After traction officials have pro-
nounced their views on the plan and
downtown merchants have been
given further opportunity of ex-
pressing themselves, the Scientech
Club may name a committee to
Scrutinize the plan, with view to
giving its support to its adoption, ii
was indicated.