Evening star., 1935-02-26
CITIZENS VOTE 81
TO 0FAVOR BUSES
Rockville Line Meeting De.
cides Area Would Be
Better Served.
BY staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY Stau correspondent OF Inc star.
BETHESDA, Md, February 90
BY a vote of almost three to one,
mass meeting of citizens in COM
munities served by the Washington
Rockville trolley line last night in
dicated they believed their transpor-
tation needs would be better served
if the trolley line were abandoned
and fast bus service substituted.
The meeting was called by Col. o.
P. M. Brown of Edgemoor. chairman
of the Public Utilities Committee of
the Montgomery County Civic Fed
Grafton, to which committee the fed
Grafton has referred resolution ask
ing for either this or some other
change in order to improve transit
facilities.
An alternative proposal, that the
line be abandoned only from Rock
vile to Alta Vista, substituting busses,
did not meet with favor. Only two
voted in favor of it, with IA regis
tering themselves as opposed.
Vote is 81 to 19.
The vote on abandonment of the
entire line was 81 ayes. against 19
noes.
The vote was taken by an informal
showing of hands," called for by
Col. Brown. The meeting was in the
nature of public hearing, to which
representatives of every community
served by the line were invited by
Col. Brown.
After hearing lengthy discussions
by citizens as to the advantages and
disadvantages of retention and aban-
donment of the line, John Hanna,
president of the Capital Transit Co.,
which operates the line, told the
meeting II want this thing settled"
He said the company is spending
money to improve the trolley line
now, but not so much as it would
spend if it knew whether the desires
of the people we're for its retention
and that it would stay.
Line Does Not Pay.
The Rockville line, he said, has never
paid for its operation. and never will,
whether by trolley or bus. 1t is a
part of the system, and the company
expects it to be carried, in a meas
ure, by more heavily travelled parts
of the system, as are all such sub
urban lines.
c. Melvin Sharp, executive assist
ant to the president of the Potomac
Electric Power Co., also attended the
meeting with Hanna as a representa-
tive of the railway line.
Division of opinion over the senti-
mentS of the citizens of Rockville con-
cerning abandonment almost resulted
in a debate between DR.. G. L. Ed
monds, representative of the Rock
vile Chamber of Commerce, and
George H. Lamar, Rockville citizen.
Dr. Edmonds said his organization
believed the community favored abo-
lition of the trolley system in favor of
busses, and told of a recently con-
Quoted poll showing sentiment of more
than 3 to for bus service.
Lamar maintained that the commu-
mites have been built up along the
car line because it was there, and that
it should remain.
Another argument heard against
substitution of busses was that bus
service would cost more to the rider.
Opponents of this argument said that
busSes cost more now because they
operate on the line as a de luxe class
Of service. travelling express" from
the District line into the heart of the
city. If busses were substituted for
cars, they said, they would not op-
crate as express" buses
Proponents of the busses pointed to
the quicker, less noisy service, and
said they believed the day of the troll
ley car is passing. Opponents answered |
this with the argument that the troll
ley line pays large sums of taxes each |
year, but that the buses, travelling
over public roads, pay nothing to the |
county.
As on all points argued at the meet
ing, there was a distinct division of
opinion as to whether the car service
now is better or worse than 20 or Is
years ago.
The committee will report on the
resolution at a meeting of the fed
GRAFTON early next month.