The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-17
BY WILLIAM MGAUGHEN
Times Stan Writer


In Indiana polisl
BY WILLIAM MGAUGHEN
Times stan Writer
More than 10000 passengers
ride every day On street cars and
buses in Indianapolis
Both TO provide for the comfort
Of a vast army Of citizens and tc
facilitate traffic in the city. In
dianapOlis Railways has embarked
upon a complete modernization pro-
gram.
Results Of this $1,000 900 effort
are showing on trolley and bus
lines throughout the city
Unsightly, cumbersome street cars
are giving way rapidly to speedy
cars dressed in an attractive color
scheme Of royal blue and canary
yellow.
New Buses Used
LOw-slung buses Of the latest
mechanical design are replacing the
old-type bus that crowded the street
and filled the air with choking gas
fumes.
Trackless trOlleys, a type Of trans
pOrtatiOn vehicle that is coming into
vogue for light traffic purposes. are
giving the customers some curb
service" on several city lines and is
to be used more extensively in the
future
BY the end of the summer. Indi-
annapolis will have the largest track
less trolley system in the United
States.
FOrty-twO miles Of trackless troll
ley route Will be laid by fall only
Chicago, with tWenty-three miles
of track can be compared with In
dianapolis in this respect.
Buys New Street Cars
In the entire United States, 143
trackless trolleys were built during
1888 and 1884. Ninety-five of these
were for Indianapolis
Eighty-seven new street cars have
been built in the United States since
1881 OF this number. seventy-five
were built for Indianapolis.
As the foremost leader in the
country in the Improvement of the
public transportation system, Indi-
annapolis has attracted wide spread
attention.
Railway experts, city officials and
engineers have come to Indianapolis
from San Francisco. Chicago,
Winnipeg, Detroit, Toledo, Kansas
City and DeS MOineS to inspect the
Improvements made here.
Among the innovations on the
new street cars are seats uphol-
stored in genuine Spanish leather,
inlaid inoleum on the floor, an
Observation-Disclosures system controlled
by thermosSat, and individual seats.
In the interests of safety. the
new cars are equipped with the
latest type of compression brake.
The cars have two additional mo-
tors, electric windShield-w iperS and
are foot-controlled.
Public Is Enthused
The public has shown an enthus-
iastic response to the up-to-date
sharply increased as the result.
For the indianapolis Railways
system as a whole, the gross revenue
of the company has shown a Is per
cent increase in January and Feb
ruary of this year as compared to
1888.
Shortly after the installation of
the trackless trolley on the River
side South Meridian line, an in
crease of more than IA per cent
in revenue was shown.
On this line. the company bought
eleven trackleSS trOlleyS to find out
how the public would receive them
as a transportation vehicle The
response was so great and the
passenger traffic showed such a
marked increase that 1t vas neceS-
sary to provide four more cars to
handle the crowd.
Program Is Advanced
With such favorable reception on
the part IF the public, Indianapolis
Railways decided to 90 ahead with
their mOdernizatiOn program with
greater speed than originally in
tended.
BY the middle of the summer
there will be in operation in In
dianapohS seventy-five new street
cars. ninety-five new tracklesS
trolleyS and thirty new gasoline
buses
Under the original plan. the COM
pany was TO carry on a ten-year
rehabilitation program. This would
bring the modernization plan to
completion in 1912
The company has been carrying
out the program with such speed,
however, that company officials say
the transportation system will be
modernized completely by the end
Of 1884