Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-14
IS BUS CONCERNS
1SHY STATEMENTS;
ONE DAY REMAINS
D. C. Joint Board Has but
Five Responses to Demand
on Operators.
DOWNTOWN PARKING
PROBLEM TO BE FACED
Bulk of Vehicles Seen Obstruction
to Traffic and Night Noise
Disturbing.

Although tomorrow is the last day on
which operators Of interstate buses
entering Washington are to be allowed
TO file statements of their routes, sehed-
ules and terminals with the Public
Utilities Commission, only f1ve OF the
concerns in the business have thus Tar
done so.
The filing of the schedules was or
dered by the joint board July is. The
Joint board consists of the members OF
the Public Utilities Commission and the
District Commissioners sitting. At the
hearing before the Utilities Commission
June / there was evidence that there
were % concerns in interstate bus oper-
alton as common carriers, with a total
Of 572 scheduled trips per day, and it
was also in evidence that the number Is
constantly increasing.
: The five which have filed UP to date
are the East Coast Stages, the Wash
ington-Luray Lines. the Great Eastern
Stages. Inc; the Blue Ridge Transport
tation Co. and the Interstate Transit
Co. the laSt-named operating the Colo
NAL Stages. The East Coast Stages and
the Colonial Stages operate from 1871
Pennsylvania avenue, the Blue Ridge
and Luray Lines from Twelfth street
and Pennsylvania avenue and the Great
Eastern Stages from l349 E street.
Given a Classification.
These lines come in the Glass clas-
sifleation adopted by the Utilities Com
mission, and according to the terms Of
the order they viii not be allowed to
operate after tomorrow except along
routes and to terminals approved by
the Joint board. After April i, 1892,
none Of these lines will be allowed TO
pick up passengers within the first zone,
bounded by Seventh and Fifteenth
streets, Pennsylvania ana New York
avenues. and H street. nor will they be
allowed to have an off-street terminal
within this area. Beginning August i,
1882, none of the lines VIII be allowed
70 pick up passengers at the curb in
the second parking zone, surrounding
the first, although they will be allowed
to establish ofT-street terminals in this
zone If they wish.
Assuming that the regulations with
stand testing In the courts, this will get
the large interstate buses out Of the
congested downtown area, but there is
nothing In the order 20 prevent their
leing parked outside Of zone two. There
have been many complaints Of late
Of the parking of busses on the
streets at night, and of the nuisance
incidental to the stopping and starting
Of the heavy motors during the sleeping
hours The Commissioners and the
Utilities Commission are expected 70
make some attempt to solve this prob
lem, there being nothing in the laws at
present, which can be used in getting
rid Of it.
Parking Problem Serious.
while the probIefn OF night parking
has not received much of1cial attention
thus far, the seriousness or the problem
Of having these large buses parked on
the street during the day was in large
part responsible for the issuance OF the
order
In the finding OF fact by the COM
mission which served SIS a preamble
for the order 1t is stated. Testimony
of traflc officers and others cited In
stances when as many as five class A
buses were grouped about street ter
niIlals at angles approaching the per-
pendicllar with the curb line, with
the result that other vehicular traffic
was diverted and the movement of
streets cars delayed Other testimony
indicated that during periods Of pro-
fracted layover, or occasionally, when
access to the curb loading points was
impracticable, the vehicles parked in
the general traffic lanes or cruised
through the city, adding materially 70
the general congestion II was urged
on the part of the class A bus OPP
orators that their large carrying ca
pacity and the public service rendered
warranted unusual privileges in the oc-
cupation Of public space. They adj
mitted. however, that under the pres
sure OF intense competition they had
been obliged to locate their routes and
terminals at points Of maximum con-
gestior. and conceded that curb loading
f0pfnts. even under the most favorable
conditions. were announcement both 70
the operators and passengers and were
the occasion of dangerous diversion OF
kraffc"
: The Utilities Commission is now at
york on a study OF class F buses
sightseeing buses, which operate on a
common carrier basis over regular routes
in the city. Some effort win be made
70 regulate their routes and schedules
so as 70 eliminate unnecessary traffle
congestion and the other classes VIII
- 4ak frra Ar latnr time