New Britain herald., 1930-06-04
Proposal to Keep Vehicles Out of City's Business Center Meets With Op- position-Suggested Ter minals Would Free Gen. tral Park of Independent Lines.

proposal by Alderman J, Gus tave Johnson, approved by Chief W. (. Hart of the police department, to keep buses out of the business cen- ter of the city, met with vigorous opposition from Councilman Samuel Sablotsky at the first meeting of the special committee appointed to con- slider the matter, last night.
 Comptroller William H. Day, representing the independent bus line owners, said he knew of no good reason why the buses should not continue to circle Central park in order to serve the public and if the purpose of the proposed change is to get the buses off the streets to make room for through traffic, he consider ed it"ridiculous." Last year the buses carried approximately $500, 900 pas sengers to and from the center, he said, and the average number per trip was II. He doubted that the merchants would favor a change whereby passengers would be dis charged at terminals away from the business center.
 Councilman Sablotsky contended that the buses were a convenience to the public and they did not congest traffic, therefore they should be al- lowed to so around Central park. + passengers riding on the Oak street line, for instance, were Comnelled 10 get off at the New Britain National Bank corner and walk to the South church 10 meet another bus to take them to the southern part Of the city, they would be greatly incon- VenienCed, he said.
 study situation for Two Years
 Chief Hart and Sergeant King Of the traffic department said they have had plan under consideration TOT two years to relieve congestion about the center and they favored giving consideration 10 ideas which might occur to members of the con- mlttee before taking final action. A map on which proposed lines were marked was studied and at q meet Ing next Monday evening further consideration will be given 10 the matter.
 lt Was believed by Alderman Johnson and some Of the other mem- hers that buses coming through Arch street should stop at the South church and return by turning 10 the right into Main street. right into Glen street, right into West Pearl street and left into Arch street Buses coming through Park street could stop at Central Junior high school, turn right into Chestnut and right into Elm street on the return trip.
 The Seymour Park line bus could come In by way of Commercial street. turning right into Main street right into East Main street and re- t1rn' while those from the north end of the city could discharge pas sengers between the railroad cross ing and New Britain National bank corner, returning through West Main and Washington streets.
 Calls situation Satisfactory
 Throughout the meeting, Council man SablotskY claimed the con- mon council should not consider any change whatever, as the present ar engagement was satisfactory. He pointed out that there We're com paratlNely few accidents on the streets caused by buses, which Ser geant King agreed was so. Alderman Joseph Mlynarski favored holding hearings for the public and he was especially concerned with what the merchants in the center of the city would think of the proposed change.
 The committee also considered the situation which will present itself when the Connecticut Co. replaces the trolley cars now running on the Chestnut street, Pennington avenue and North End lines with buses. It Will be necessary to provide termi naIs for the buses of the company unless the present car barn on Chest nut street is used for that purpose. The possibility of using the west side Of Central Park for a bus terminal and cutting away the side walk on that side Of the park 10 make more room for traffic was also discussed.
 Suggests Common Terminal
 4 plan for bus stations. which would keep buses Tn the center of the city. use common terminal and eliminate many of Main streets con- gestlon problems has been devised by T. L. Prosser, an architect in the office Of Perry &; Bishop.
 He proposes the building of new street, starting with a tunnel under