Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-15
Steps Taken to Find Means
of Stimulating Trolley
Riding Habit.
COMPETING COMPANIES
ARE SEEN AS HANDICAP
Traction officials Expected to 0p'
pose Zone Fare Scheme-Cleve-
land Failure Cited.

The weekly pass system adopted by
the traction companies in Pittsburgh,
st. Louis, Milwaukee and a number of
other cities to stimulate street car
riding was taken under consideration
today by Washington's utility experts
In connection with studies being made
to determine what steps can be taken
to get the public back into. the street
car riding habit.
The zone system Of fares adopted in
Cleveland and Boston. and the inn
provement of service through the use
OF new types of equipment designed
for rapid transit service already have
been studied. The zone system was
looked upon as one medium of attract
ing to the cars short-haul passengers
who ordinarily walk to and from work
or ride in the cheap-rate taXtcabS, by
offering them q scent fare-one-han
of the present cash fare.
There are different types OF pass
systems-one which permits an un-
limited number Of rides and the other
which allows q maximum number OF
rides, but at q rate considerably lower
than. the straight fare.
Milwaukee, has the unlimited pass
system. The passes are issued for one
week and are sold at 81 each. The
holder may ride as often as he chooses.
The maximum ride pass system Is used
in st. Louis. These passes also are
issued for a week, and sell for 81 .50.
The purchasers, however, are limited
to a stipulated number Of rides.
Aside from stimulating car riding In
these cities, the utility experts have
been told that the pass system has
served to speed up the movement OF the
rare ei,ana the conductors ore mt de-
layed at stops by making change and
issuing transfers.
In addition to weekly pass system,
Pittsburgh also has what is known as a
special Sunday pass which sells for Is
cents. This pass Is good only on the
day issued and entities the holder to
ride all day and over all of the lines Of
the car system for IS cents. AS re-
suit street car sightseeing rides are
said to be in vogue in Pittsburgh on
Sunday and the cars, instead Of running
nearly empty, as they did before the adj
vent of the 25-cent pass system, are
picking up large number of special
fare passengers.
The pass system, It was pointed out,
probably would not operate as salts
factorily in Washington as 1t has in
other cities, due to the dual traction
interests. Both the Capital Traction
and the Washington Railway & Electric
Companies, it was said, would have to
adopt the system to make it a success,
but even then there would not be the
unrestricted riding privileges unless
some transfer arrangement could be
worked out between the two companies.
The car companies have not yet made
known their attitude on the zone sys-
tenn, but indications are that they prob
ably would oppose it. One traction ofh-
cial pointed out that while the zone
system has served to stimulate car
riding in some of the cities that have
adopted 1t, the car companies are not
benefting financially, because of the
lower rate of fare which prevails. In
Cleveland, especially, it was said, the
adoption of the zone system meant that
the car company there would be COM
PEELED to transport $4,000 more pasSen-
gers day 70 equal the revenue income
under nat fare, and the company had
been successful thus far in attracting
only 5000 additional riders day.