Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-12
DISTRICT BUSL|N
SUBJECT OF PROBE
BY UTILITIES GROUP
Public Hearing on Routing
and Other Problems Set
for October %.
WILL ASK COURT AID
TO RESTRAIN CHANGE
Whole Phase of Service and Traffic
Conditions Will Be
Taken Up.

The Public Utilities Commission to-
day ordered a complete inquiry into
all phases of the Districts prob
lens of dealing with the large interstate
buses that enter washington, to start
with a formal public hearing at the
District Building at 10 o'clock Wednes-
day, october %. The interstate bus
situation here has been in more or less
turmoil for some time, owing to fire.
Ouent changes, attempted changes and
rechanges In routes and terminals of
the bus lines, and many complex prob
lens have arisen as the result
Meanwhile the corporation counSeFS
Office has been requested to sue out an
Injunction in Equity Court to restrain
the Nevin Bus Lines, Inc. from using
any other route than that prescribed
for it in the commissions orders. Cor
poration Counsel William w. Bride said
today that the injunction will be sought
some time next week, and that 1t would
bring to the fore the entire question
interstate buses.
Reason for Hearing. -.
The reason for the public hearing, as
stated in the preamble Of the commits
sion's order, Is the growing traf1c con-
nestion in the downtown section OF the
city and the receipt by the commission
of requests for the rerouting OF numer-
Gus bus lines and changes In bus ter
nninals." The investigation Will center
mainly on routes and terminals In the
downtown contested area, and the
order states that the commission VIII
undertake to fixs"new terminals at rea-
sonably convenient locations which may
be reached without the unnecessary
movement of buses through congest-
ed sections, either on passenger carry
ing routes or to and from P'rrgrr
The commissions order states that the
commission viii investigate 1.-The most
reasonably direct routes of buses to
and from such terminals and garages. "
The attempt to route buses to and
from garages will mark the first direct
effort in this direction to be made
by the Public Utilities Commission.
Some reference was made to 1t in the
recent carfare case when President e.
d. Merrill of the Washington Rapid
Transit Co. stated that the commission
had no authority to control the routes
of his buses when they were return
ing to garages from the end OF run
with a mo passengers" sign showing.
The commission made no comment at
the time.
Bus Line Adds Loop.
The commissions quarrel with the
Nevin Lines is that the latter has added
to the. route of their buses loop
around the blocks bounded by Pennsyl-
vania avenue, Fifteenth street, New
York avenue and Fourteenth street to
the route as outlined In the commits
sions order. This extra loop allows
the buses to stop at the terminal on
the north side of Pennsylvania avenue
between Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets, In addition to its stops at the
terminals on the south side of New
York avenue between Fourteenth and
Thirteenth streets and on the east
side Of Fourteenth street between e
and F streets.
Commissioner Harleigh H. Hartman
stated that when the Nevin lines ap-
piled for permission to make the extra
loop, it was specifically refused, but
that the buses added it to their route
nevertheless.
In addition to the three terminals
named above, there are two others in
use by interstate BUSES, one at Little
Ninth and G streets, and one at
Twelfth street and New York avenue.
The terminal at Little Ninth and G
streets will eventually be forced out
Of business by Federal building activi-
ties In the Mall-Pennsylvania avenue
triangle, and the commission feels that
the time is ripe to make an attempt
to settle the whole vexed problem of
interstate bus terminals now.