Evening star., 1935-06-21
Believes Buses Are Not
Better Than Street Cars

To the Editor Of The Star:
The citizens of the District are in
deed fortunate in having man of the
caliber of Peoples Counsel Roberts to
defend their interests. This was fore
IDLY demonstrated on Monday at the
Public Utilities Commission hearing,
when Mr.. Roberts effectively blocked
fast move TO put over the substitution
of buses for street cars on the Chevy
Chase line.
The difficulty in this case seems to be
that the people most directly interested
(the car riders) are not generally aware
of the proposed change. Perhaps that
is what is wanted by those endeavoring
to put the buses over. If the Public
Utilities Commission is really sincere in
wanting to give the form Of transpor-
tation demanded by the people, why not
find out what the demand is, allowing
time to give the matter wide publicfty2
A poll of the car riders over q period
of time would undoubtedly bring out the
facts. In this connection, the opinion
of experts, either from the traction
company or from the commission, Is not
nearly SO pertinent as the opinion of the
car riders. 1t would be interesting to
know whether the Commissioners or the
daily trips between Office and home. or
their automobiles.
Undoubtedly Connecticut avenue
apartment dweners, and others along
that car line, are greatly disturbed by
the terrific din of worn-out street cars
operating over extremely bad track. This
matter should have been taken care of
by the Public Utilities Commission long
ago.
In nearby Richmond and Norfolk car
lines have, in many instances, been re-
placed with bus lines. AS former resi-
dent of both of these cities I sincerely
hope the mistakes made there will not
be repeated here, for many people in
these cities discovered too late, when
the tracks were torn UP, that the So
called improvement was not an improve
ment and they wished they had the
electric cars back.
took the opportunity to ride the
extremely attractive and comfortable
new cars which have just been placed
in service on the Pennsylvania avenue
line, and must say the performance of
these cars was q revelation to me be-
cause of the very rapid pickup and
quiet operation It would not be unrea-
sonable to believe that, with cars of
this type, together with the track
changes and rerouting ordered by the
commission, the journey downtown and
to the outlying territory would be
greatly Speeded up When new buses
are compared to twenty or thirty year
old electric cars the comparison GER
tainly is not favorable to the old street
cars, but if comparison is made with the
~Rw. ffrNnW
Pennsylvania avenue line the picture is
decidedly different.
The bus has one point of advantage
In its favor and that is fieXibility, but
with this fexibility it has so many dis
advantages that much thought should
be given the subject before making
wholesale replacement, as is evidently
intended in the District.
My chief complaint against the bus is
due to the gaSSing to which the riders
are constantly subjected and, unfortu-
nately, the newest busses are the worst
offenders IN this respect. This fact
would indicate that gaSsing is not q
matter of maintenance, but is rather
inherent with the type of vehicle.
The car rider who has been accus-
toned TO reading the daily paper on the
pleasure cannot be indulged ON the bus
with any degree of satisfaction. If any
one thinks old buSSeS do not make noise
land they do get old, would suggest
a trip on some of the older buses now
operating on the best lines, for instance.
the So-called de luxe Chevy Chase line
or the Woodley Park line.
There was a time, several years ago,
when thought the bus an improve
ment over the street car, but the newly
developed street car greatly changes
this situation After several years ex-
perience in different cities as a rider
and resident along bus lines greatly
prefer the street cars. If it is a question
Of old busSes against old street cars, III
take the old street car every time. The
matter Of track need not enter into the
discussion, since this is clearly q matter
for the Public Utilities Commission to
handle. JOEL M. JOHNSON.