Evening star., 1934-08-13
Hanna Says He Will Com
bine Best Features OF
Other Surveys.
WANTS TO AVOID ALL
POSSIBLE NEW TRACK
President Of Firm Finds Much to
Praise-WOuld Delay Bus
Programs.

President John H. Hanna Of the
Capital Transit Co. today announced
he intends to offer q street car re-
routing plan at the hearing before
the Public Utilities Commission We'd
nesday which would combine the six
plans already put forth, retaining the
best features of each.
A statement from Mr.. Hanna today
explained that it had been impos-
sible in the short time since publ
cation of the six plans to analyze
them completely. He suggested that
the question of establishing new bus
routes, intended to be part of the
hearing, be postponed in order to sim
plify the hearing and concentrate it
on the "all important" question Of
track changes.
Mr.. Hanna is opposed to abandon
ing tracks on Ninth street and said
that they should be retained at least
as far north as K street. All six of
the plans offered to date have sug-
geSted elimination of the Ninth street
tracks.
Studies BeeIer Plans.
Mr.. Hanna took up for considera-
ton the three plans offered by John
A. Beeler, transit conSultant retained
by the commission, and by Fred A.
Sager, the commissions chief engi-
neer. He said that these engineers
had worked in conjunction with COM
pany engineers and while in their
work he found much to praise, he
CRITICIZED several points in each plan.
Each Of Mr.. Beeler's plans" he
said, calls for the building of q con-
siderable amount of track on streets
In the congested area which are not
now so occupied. We have considered
track layouts very similar to those
suggested in his plans 2 and 3 and
have prepared and will submit at the
hearing certain notifications of those
two plans based on practically the
same track arrangement.
Would Limit New Trackage.
His plan 2 calls for two tracks on
Fl street, which is narrow between
Fourteenth and Thirteenth streets.
and two tracks on Thirteenth from H
to F, with an awkward crossing at
Thirteenth street and New York ave-
nue.. Plans l and 8 provide for two
tracks on Fifteenth street between H
street and New York avenue and also
on F street between Fifteenth and
Fourteenth streets, with additional
switches at Fifteenth and H streets
and Fifteenth and F streets. Plan 2
will, we believe, afford less interfer-
ence with the movement Of traffic
than plan 3, because it leaves Fiji
teenth street practically free of tracks
ana Simplif1es the intersection at
Fourteenth and H streets.
In view of the objection which
may be made to either of these plans.
we have endeavored to work out a
scheme whereby the amount of addi-
tional trackage Is limited, particularly
In the congested districts Mr., Sager;s
plans have been developed along this
line.
Our Investigations, as did Mr..
Beeler's and Mr.. Sagers', started with
the assumption that four tracks ON
Fourteenth street between H and New
York avenue and on New York avenue
between Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets should be eliminated; that
the greater number of Fourteenth
street cars should be brought straight
down that street to either F street or
pennsylvania avenue, and that cars
OF the Columbia line to New York ave-
nue. should be carried across on Penn
sylvania avenue instead of turning
back at a crossover."
Would Increase Congestion.
"The immediate effect Of this change
is to greatly increase the already heavy
congestion in rush hours on Four
teenth street between H and F streets
and on Pennsylvania avenue between
Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets.
Our investigation indicates that it is
doubtful whether these changes can be
made without additional north and
south tracks, as the present rush
hour load on Fourteenth street between
and G streets calls for about 43 cars
in is minutes, fully up to track ca
pacity.
I'm addition TO the notifications of
Mr.. Beeler's plans 2 and 8, we will
present at the hearing one addi-
tional plan, similar in some respects
to those of Mr.. Sager's, which does
not require tracks on either Fifteenth
street north of New York avenue or
on H street between Fourteenth and
Thirteenth streets. This plan will be
in the nature of a compromise of all
the various suggestions"
No matter which plan Is adopted,
Mr.. Hanna said, 1t would cost the
company well over $1,0OO,0OO in
building new track and changing old.
Therefore, he urged extreme caution
in reaching the final decision. as
track once laid usually stays where it
is put for long time.
viii Weigh ALI Suggestions.
While he said the company would
carefully consider all suggestions
made at the hearing, he warned in
advance that it would be impossible
to incorporate all desirable features
into any final plan which must in the
very nature Of Things be a compro-
mise
There is no conflict" he said, ain
the objectives of the commission,
public or the company. We are all
aiming to furnish such an arrange
ment Of tracks and such q routing of
cars as win give the public the best
possible transportation service con-
sistent with requirements Of traffic
other than street cars and buses and
without unnecessarily increasing the
very large amount of money which
will have to be paid for track changes
no matter what plan is adopted"