New Britain herald., 1929-09-23
Wants Trolley Company to Pay for Work Following Track
 Removal
UTILITIES COMMISSION
 WILL CONSIDER PROPOSAL
Substitution of Buses for Present Type of Service on Pennington Avenue and on Francs Street Route Approved Today - Latter Will Have New Terminal at Wells Street.
Especial to the lIerald)

Hartford, Sept. 23 - Officials Cf the city of New Britain who attend ed a hearing at the office of the pub lie utilities commission today intro duced a new thought into the rela- tonship between trolley companies and municipalities when they sought to have an order issued that the for mer must not Cnly remove rails on lines where buses are substitute l Tor trolley cars. but also must con- tribute toward the cost of the high way repairs which follow.
 Chairman Richard T. Higgins and Commissioners (. E. Elwell and Joseph Alsop explained that the pro- posal was a new one to them and they took the suggestion under ad- Nlsement.
 The hearing was called 10 consid- CT the Connecticut COmpany's re quest for permission to discontinue trolley service On the Farmingt on avenue line and on the F'rancIs street line, and to substitute bus service therefor.
 Iarmins;on Ave. Line
 A representative of the petitioner set forth that to continue rail service on the Pennington avenue line will l,cCcssitate an expenditure of $J,500 to repair the roadway on both sides of the rails since the city is plan hing to reconstruct Grove street. IL is planned to take out the rails and lies along that highway. Further improvements in the highway will cost an additional $30,00O if the rails remain. On the Francis street route, the company faces an outlay Of SIG, 800 in the North street re- pair job if it is not privileged to remove the rails and use buses.
 Corporation Counsel John II. Kirkham of New Britain made it known that the city does not ob-' icct to the plan, but feels that there should be an amendment to the permit the municipality to order rails removed from any highway where buses are 10 be operated, and 10 charge the company with a DOT tion Of the cost of road repair. This, he explained. could come Tn the form of an assessment for the work done proportionate with the space on the highway which for merly served as trolley car road he'd. This is justified, he argued, by the fact that the company will hcnceforth have q free road with no maintenance cost.
 Pay Utilities Tax > Representative of the company answered that the use of the high way is not free since a tax is as sessed on utility companies amount ing to three cents mile travelled, one cent Of which is given to the city.
 Alderman David l.. Nair said that the city would not order rails re. moved from highways where there is permanent pavement, such as Hartford avenue.
 Mayor paonessa presented tn" resolution passed by the common council approving the change. Ha also urged an order covering the trolley rail situation which, he said had been responsible for many ac- Cidents
 The Connecticut COmpany's repre- sentative expressed willingness 70 remove rails wherever highway con- struction is to take place. hut1alllcd on paying for restoration of the roadway.
 But Substitution Approved
 The substitution of buses for trol- Icy was approved with an extension of the Francis street line to Wells street. Mayor Paonessa asked that the route have it's terminal at Lyle road, but the trolley officials pre- ferred to make an investigation first to determine the demand and also find out whether that distance can be covered without interference with schedules and fast driving.
 At the suggestion of the mayor
 Continued on Page TWo)