Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-23
UNION BUS DEPOT
PROJECTS ASSURED
OF SPEEDY ACTION
Utilities Commission Will
Give Consideration to Plans
for Terminal Here.
PRIVATE CAPITAL SEEN
AS SOURCE OF FINANCES
Chairman Childress Cites Advan-
tages of Such Proposal in Con-
venience to Public.

So DESTROYS is the Public Utilities
Commission to eliminate the Is scat
tered sidewalk terminals of motor buses
engaged in interstate transportation
that il will give special consideration 10
anv plan of the bus operators or real
estate investors to erect union term
inal in washington. it was announced
TODAY by John w. Childress, chairman.
The commission has long recognized
the need of bus terminal centraiiy
located. Mr.. Childress pointed OUT, noe
only as a public convenience, put 10
alleviate the acute traffic conoltlon IN
the downtown business section, wnere
virtually all of the buses terminate.
The commission, however, he explained
is without authority to create Such a
terminal. and must depend on private
capital to finance the project,
ChiIdress FavOrs Plan.
"Personally. I am strongly III iaVui
of a union bus terminal, declared M :
ChiIdress. In fact, l nave oeer HI
ardent advocate of such project from
the very beginning of my service VI
the commission. The present sltus-
49,, d,e to the lack of terminal with
bus lines terminating at Is dl1erenl
on the sidewalk. is ridiculous
Moreover. a stranger does not Kho"
where tn 90 to board one OF the ouSses'
and doubt. too, if very many peopie
in washington are familiar WIN VIZ
Starting noint of some OF the INES
Franklv I could not tell any one wnere
h,,s for MANY of the places 10 WHICH
thew onerate can be found without IlIS,
examining the files of the COMMISSION.
Mr., Childress laid particular stress
IN the fact that Washington is one u,
the few cities in the country from WILL Will
a number of bus lines raolate Vnst s uueH
anol;s Nashville and Atlantic CITY nave
fret-class terminals, he said, out .ne
one in indianapolis is ranked as 'ne
model for the Nation.
BUSINESS Increase Is Result.
Mr childress indicated that he mas
,,re,, considerable study to the ouS
TERMINAL problem In other cities as wen
as in washington and has learned tnat
in most instances the projects Wei, NJ
financed either by the motor pus Llies
themselves or by real estate opeIaooaa'
who leased the buildings ana cono
sions. In those cities wnicn repIse.u .
,rakeshift, terminals with mooerh
Isnots or stations, it was found,
stnadv increase in riding resulted, LOT
WHICH the improved facilities alone were
held to be responsible. -,
THE almost prohibitive cost OF rssi
estate in the business section propauy
would make a one or two sCory pus
tern,inal liability to the owner, rather
than an asset, Mr.. Childress 0eneVes'
where II most likely would prove 10 DE
eood investment If located under
Seea rtroent store. About year ago ne
revealed certain real estate interests
MANNED to erect a large department
Store in the downtown area ana reserve
the basement for bus terminal, ous
this nrouosed project apparently dio not
develop any further than the arcnlCec-
tural drawings.
Grant Idea Cited.
The most feasible plan yet suggested,
Mr. childress said, came informally
nearly two years ago from Lieut.. COZ.
IT S. Grant, Sd, director OF punlic
buildings and public parks OF the Ma
tional Capital, who conceived an loea
for locating a bus terminal unoeI-
ground in the square on the soutn
side of Pennsylvania avenue between
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets. IN
der the Federal Governments gigantic
building program the buildings on tnls
square are to be RACED and It Is 10 oe
developed into park approach TO the
New Department Of Commerce Building
on the south.
AN underground terminal at that
point would be ideal" said Mr.. Chill
dress. "A better location could not De
found. as a majority of the buses come
into Washington from the south ana
west. It also would be in close
proximity to the new Government
buildings.
Legislation Required.
THE underground terminal likewise
would take the buses OF the street In
an area that is not intensely con-
pested, and will be more so when the
new Government buildings are COM
pleted But legislation would be re-
ouired to build such terminal, and /
feel that 1t might take too long to pro-
vide station for the buses. The prob
lem is an acute one, which demands i'm
mediate attention, and 1t will continue
TO become more aggravated with the
steady increase in motor bus lines"
Aside from taking the BUSES off the
public streets during the layover period,
Mr. Childress emphasized that union
terminal would be great public con-
venience, providing shelter and lunch
facilities for long distance travellers
who are forced to stop in Washington
to make connections. 1t also could
maintain. he said, an information bu-
reau and eliminate the troublesome
system whereby bus riders are now re-
quired to call three. four or more bus
lines to ascertain bus schedules, fares,
etc