Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-08
ALEXANDRIA GAR
Line UP'TO PARLEY
Operation Depends on Con-
hrenoes With Government
ar Now Being Held.
~ MoWARD "a. BAGGRTl
STAR CORRESPONDENT Of The NtaA


stan Correspondent Of The STAR
ALEXANDRIA, Va, January s.-Ths
NEtE1ra operation Of the Mount Vernon.
AlEandria & Washington Railway o..
&aich operates street car service BE-
tween this city and Washington. h do.
hnndent upon tbs outcome Of negotta-
Cons now under way between r. l.
1EAy. owner Of the road. and Govern
mant authorities In Washington over
Ne question Of rerouting the system In
Hha District Of Columbia or the posi-
BE abandonment of It entirely.
Another conference between Mr.. May
end Gardner L. Boothe, his attorney
Ind members Of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission Is
scheduled TO be held tomorrow morn
Aa9, and the future of the entire system
Hes with the decision which the COM
waiasion and other Government author4-
lies reach.
Wants 10 Keep In Operation
Mr.. May stated today that he Is very
hnueh opposed to abandoning the line
end wants TO do anything possible TO
keep it in operation. He feels that II
the Government will give him a new
route and terminal location In WASH
ington in exchange for the present route
and terminal, which must be aban-
doned to make way for the new Post
once and other Government develop.
HentS, the line can be continued.
Another factor in the retention OF
the line viii be the amount Of expendi-
ture the Government viii require to re-
condition the tracks within the Dis
trict of Columbia. This figure has pre-
ViouSly been set at approximately $780,
COO. including a proposed subway from
fourteenth and Water streets to Four
tsGnth and B streets southwest, IN
which the tnterurban line would par
ticipate with the Washington Railway
d Electric Co.
Mr.. May further stated that he now
has the electric line in excellent run
ming condition and he feels that the
road Is in better shape than it has been
al any time within the past IL years.
Cars have been overhauled and tracks
have been repaired. Four one-man
cars have been placed in service and
have proven most satisfactory, both
from the standpoint Of patrons and the
car operators, Mr.. May said.
Reported TO Favor Abandonment.
The Government authorities are
understood to be very much in favor OF
having the line abandoned, due in part
10 the problem faced In finding new
location for its terminal and in part to
q desire to free the artery from Four
tenth and Water streets to Highway
Bridge of the street car tracks. This
highway has bean more or less of
bottle neck for traffic for many years.
but should ne tracks be abandoned the
condition would be very much relieved.
II the car line goes out Of Washing
ton It win mean that It VIII be aban-
dcned entirely Mr. May does not feel
that . continuation Of the line 70 the
south end Of Highway Bridge. with Q
transfer Of passengers e that point 70
be feasible. BE also does not feel that
he can make an expenditure Of any
thing like the $500, zoo the Government
wants spent ID Washington.
Should the Ina la abandoned Il would
throw all of the traf1c On. Mr.. Mays
Alexandris.- BaEcSoft and Warrington
Rapid Transit Co. bus Hue ana would
necessitate the purchase of 80 add
tiorfal buses. At the present time the
bus line has So large buses in oper-
alton, having recently added six new
buses at cost Of $1,000 each.
Fairfax Line May Go, Too.
Abandonment Of the Alexandria car
Ane would also probably mean that the
Arlington & Fairfax Railway, which
uses the same trackaEe from Arlington
Junction to Washington and the same
terminal at Twelfth street and Penn
sylvania avenue as used by the Alexan-
dria line, woalid be forced to discontinue
operation.
II May is forced TO give up the car
line, he viii have on his hands the
right Of way from Temple Station here
TO Highway Bridge, about one half of
which is in this city and one-half in
Arlington County. May will probably
want the city to purchase the por-
ton here and use it for a city
street. On the other hand, he
would be required, under his franchise,
to operate the line here. to take UP ali
tracks on streets Of the city, or on
King Royal, Prince, Fairfax and Cam
eron streets, and replace the streets in
their original condition
MFR. May purchased the electric line
last March, when it was about to be
abandoned, paying $3.50 900 for it. He
subsequently sold the Mount Vernon
division to the Government for a right
Of way for the Mount Vernon Boulevard
for $3.50, 900. People of this community
are hopeful that the line may be re-
tanned The line is one of the oldest
street car systems in the United States
having started operation about 1890.