Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-10
UNION BUS DEPOT:
PLAN S|DETRACKED:
BY D. c. UTILITIES
Commission Now REVEALING
Properties of Street Trac-
ton Companies.
LACK OF FINANCES
HOLDS UP TERMINAL,
Favoritism Feared in Offer Of Rail
Firm to Build Station
Here.

In the midst Of revaluation of the
properties Of the washington Railway
and Electric and Capital Traction
Cos, the Public Utilities Commission.
It was learned today, has temporarily
sidetracked its interest In the move
ment initiated more than year ago
for the establishment of union mo-
tor bus terminal.
In the meantime, interstate motor
buses In increasing numbers are COM
ing into Washington, picking up and
discharging passengers at points in
various sections of the business area,
intensifying traffic congestion, and
parking on the streets during the lay
over period.
Hope Diminished.
Up to a few weeks ago there had
been lingering hope among the COM
mission attaches that one of the large
terminal, large enough to accommodate
the vehicles of all Of the interstate lines
operating into Washington, but this APP
pears to have dissipated.
The campaign for establishment Of
a union bus terminal was started by
the former Public Utilities Commission
under Chairman John w. Childress,
and reached point where the bus
operators were actually looking around
for suitable location somewhere IN
the vicinity Of the business district.
But there the movement ended, chiefly
because the bus operators were not
willing to undertake any cooperative
scheme Of financing the project.
In the last few months, however,
there had been recurring rumors that
one Of the country's large railroads
which is operating an interstate line
into washington had planned to build
a bus terminal for its own vehicles and
Lease s space to operators Of other ne, lines.
ect apparently has been abandoned,
and the commission now finds itself
in the same position with respect 70
bus terminal facilities as 1t was more
than q year ago. And with the street
railway valuation engrossing its atten-
ton, there is little likelihood that the
commission will find time to stimulate
interest in another movement for es-
adjustment Of . union terminal.
Terminal Favored Now.
The new commission under Mai. Gen.
Mason M. Patrick Is known to be Just
as strongly in favor Of bus terminal
Is was the former commission headed
by Mr.. ChildreSs And like the old
commission, 1t has no authority to re-
quire the erection of q terminal, and
unless 1t can by persuasion get the bus
operators to finance the project the
present sidewalk terminals probably
will continue to exist.
The old commission had an idea It
could force the buses into o union
terminal II one existed. even against
their wishes. The plan under considera-
ton was to have private capital finance
o terminal building, which the COM
mission would compel the buses 30
use, through an order directing them
over a route which would lead directly
to the building. The commission has
the power to control routes used by mo-
tor buses.
Rail Plan Protested.
There Is some doubt among public
utility experts as well as the bus opera
tors themselves that the commission
could legally enforce such an order.
even II private capital should come
forward at this time and offer to build
terminal.
Some Of the bus operators, it was
learned, never did look favorably ur1on
the plan Of using terminal financed
and under the control Of O railroad
operating an Interstate line into WASH
1ngton. The principal objection to such
. terminal, it was said. Is that the
railroad operating It could control the
sale Of tickets, and route passengers
over its own lines instead of competing
lines, which might be using its terminal
facilities.