Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
HEARING ON BUS
TERMINALS CALLED
Utilities Body Sets Oct. %
to Discuss Routes for
Interstate Carriers.

The public Utilities Commission yes
terday decided on an attempt to settle
some Of the more acute problems Of
regulating interstate buses entering the
District by calling formal public hear
ing on the matter, TO begin at 10 o'clock
October %. Previous to this, however,
the power Of the commission to regulate
interstate bussesa at all, question never
satisfactorily settled. will be before the
courts again when Corporation Counsel
william w. Bride asks in Equity Court
for an fajunction to restrain the Nevin
Bus Lines, Inc, from using any route
In the District other than that author
lied by the Public Utilities Commission
In its orders.
Hearing on Terminals.
The public hearing will deal mainly
with terminals and routes to be used by
interstate buses here. The recent
rapid consolidation and changes in
ownership in interstate bus lines have
resulted In a welter Of applications to
the commission for changes in route.
Recently there was blanket request
REAnDeQ IOI y CtthIlBc III Vic OCtAiAA1oAo Va
number of lines from a terminal at
1921 Pennsylvania avenue to a new
terminal on the south side of New York
avenue between Fourteenth and Thir-
tenth streets. In addition to these
terminals, there Is one on the east side
Of Fourteenth street between E and r
streets, one at Twelfth street and New
York avenue and one at Little Ninth
and C streets. The last mentioned will
eventually have to move elsewhere as
the Federal building activities in the
Mall-PennSylvania avenue triangle con-
tinue. In addition to stopping at the
regular bus terminals, many of the lines
have stops at several hotels and the
commission is somewhat apprehensive
of the acute congestion that will result
II unlimited numbers of large buses
are allowed to wander at large through
the busy downtown section on their way
from terminal to terminal.
Centralized Plan Studied.
The question of a centralized bus ter
minal occupied much of the attention
of the commission before the present
personnel took ONCE. Trips were made
by Earl v. Fisher, secretary, to inspect
bus terminals in other cities. A public
hearing was held, but all that was ac-
complished was the offer, by numerous
real estate men, Of sites which were
described as ideal for union terminals
The bus men present listened, but said
nothing.
The commissions order, however, APP
parently comedies that several ter
n1inals will still be in operation after
whatever action may be taken, as it
states that the commission will under
take to fix new terminals at reason
ably convenient locations which may be
reached without the unnecessary move
ment Of buses through congested Sec
tons, either on paSsenger-carrying
routes or to and from garages"
Heretofore the commission has made
no attempt to control the routes to be
used by BUSES on their way to and
from garages before or after their first
run, and this new departure will I'M
doubtedly provoke much discussion. z.
D. Merrill, president of the Washington
Rapid Transit Co., which operates in
terstate BUSES to Silver Spring and
other points In Maryland, said at the
recent carfare hearings that the COM
mission had no jurisdiction over the
matter. The commission made no COM
ment.
Bus Line Adds Loop.
The commissions quarrel with the
Nevin Lines Is that the latter has added
to the route of their buses a loop
around the blocks bounded by Pennsyi-
vania avenue. Fifteenth street, New
York avenue and Fourteenth street to
the route as outlined in the commits
sion's 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 It's 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 z and
r streets,
Commissioner Harleigh H. Hartman
stated that when the Nevin Lines APP
piled for permission to make the extra
that the BUSES added it to their route
nevertheless.