Evening star., 1932-03-27
BUS SERVICE USE
SHOWN IN REPORT
1,726,OOO, Paying Pas
SengerS Carried During
the Last Year.

The highway motor carrier industry
in 1881 transported 1,726, 100000 pay
ing passengers 10, 1885, ,000,0 miles and
earned S310000,00o, according to Bus
Transportation. Intercity operations
were the chief source of revenue for
the industry last year
disappearing companies in the
United States number $3.50, according
to the publication. The total compares
with 5,875 companies in 1880 and in
cludes 4,944 independent operators,
Isl electric railway companies and SIS
steam railroads. The number of buses
in public carrier service at the end
of 1881 numbered 45,400, an increase
Of $50 over 1880. The total is divided
into three groups, including 14,05O in
city service. 28.350 in intercity service
and 5000 operated by sightseeing lines.
Interstate Lines.
Interstate lines earned less than
$50, 100000 of the total revenue of the
bus companies last year. Buses in
interstate service, operated by $40
companies, carried 100000 passen-
gers a total distance of 1880, ,0OO. 900
miles. These companies operated $500
busSes over 10000 miles of route ex-
tending to all c: the States and paid
taxes totaling s5,04o,OO0 in 1881.
Miles of route covered by the busses
in public carrier service last year
totaled 800. 900, as compared with
367 900 in 1880. OF the total miles OF
route. independent operators served
81 $50, bus lines owned by electric
railways served 12,O50 and lines owned
by steam railroads operated over 1,5OO
miles of route. OF the total route dis
tance 10000 miles are in cities, 356, 400
in mtercity service and $4,000 miles in
sightseeing service.
Volume OF bus traffic fell off in the
course of the year from to 8 per
cent. The 1881 total of 1,726, ,000, 900
passengers compares with 1874 ,000, 900
in 1880. The average fare paid by
each passenger amounted to slightly
more than II cents. The average rate
of fare per nile last year was 285
cents. This compares with 289 cents
in 1880 and 3 cents in 1929. BY far
the largest proportion of bus passengers
in 1881 completed their rides within
the boundaries of the communities in
which they originally boarded the
busseS. There were in all 1926, 600, 900
of these city passengers Intercity
service bus lines collected 395, 900, 900
fares, while 6,000D0 persons patronized
the sightseeing busses of the Nation.
Local Bus Services.
All cities in the United States with
population of more than 100000 now
have local bus service, according to the
publications report. The total number
Of buSses operating in these cities is
1907, or slightly more than half OF
the total number of busses in city
service. New York leads with 1922
buSSes in the five boroughs. In two
cities in this population group busses
have entirely replaced street cars for
local rides. These communities are
Paterson, N. j., and Canton, Ohio. In
addition, two cities whose populations
total between $4,000 and 100000,
namely, Saginaw, Mich, and Durham,
N. C., have given up trolleys for busses.
In all, 673 cities, with population in
each case of more than 10000, now
use buSSes. In 1881 bus service was
established in AT cities in this class.
The number of cities having busses as
the only public means of local trans
portation, excepting taxicabs, now is
Z59, net increase of 81 communities
in the course of the year
Exclusive of revenue-earning buses
IN operation last year, there we're
l,500 buses in school service. These
served l6,7OO schools, operated over
100000 miles of route and carried
5oO, 900 900 passengers in 1881, as
against 46o,0oo,0O0 in 1880.