The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-05-31
ROUTE CHANGES
COMPLETED
BY ?. j. {.
Delay on Subway Project
Recommended As Cost Is
Regarded ProhibitiVe

warning Tie NdPAGdA A4dAA0AV
Company that unless street car
service is improved the system
will be forced out of business
through lack Of patronage, the
Public Utilities Commission today
issued it's final rerouting order de-
filming the routes of all of the
street car lines.
It was pointed out that for years
the street cars have been losing
patrons who preferred to use
automobiles, owing to poor service
by mass transportation agencies.
The commission declared:
"There is no such thing as
an irreducible minimum Of pas
sengers which will permit the
Capital Transit Company to
exist in the absence Of attractive
service. Disregard of what has
gone before will, If ignored,
mean failure to the company
and detriment to the public"
Today's order completed the
technical phases of combining
the routes of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company
and the Capital Traction Com
pany which were merged into
those Of the Capital Transit Com.
pany December l, 1888.
New Routes Ordered
Several new routes were made
possible through use of the COM
bined trackage of the two COM
panies, and the order issued to"
day gives direct street car service
between Cabin John CMdO, and
Beltsville (Md); Fourteenth and
Colorado Avenue Northwest and
Water Street Southwest; the
Chevy Chase area and Brookland
and the Takoma Park sections
and Georgia Avenue area to the
downtown area by way OF Seventh
Street instead of Ninth.
Track changes connecting the
two lines and simplifying the
street cars routes have been
ordered and will cost approx
mately $2,6OO,0oO.
Holding that the future Of mass
transportation in Washington may
call for abandonment of large
sections of track to be replaced by
bus routes, the Commission pointed
out that subway construction may
be the ultimate solution to the
problem.
Urge Subway Delay
However, it was pointed out,
cost of subway construction Is
high and planning of such con-
struction is made difficult by the
physical characteristics OF the
city. The order stated:
"The cost of subway cOnStruc-
ton in any city is large, and an
important question is whether
such cost would be prOhibitlve
in the District of Columbia"
The commission stated that it
is doubtful whether the Capital
Transit Company could finance
construction, and stated that the
cost to local taxpayers would be
high. The order said:
ut is within the realm Of
possibility that private inter.
eSts may desire to construct or
operate a subway within the
District of Columbia"
Consideration of SubwayS in the
District, according to the COM
mission, should be held in the
background as a last resort.
Traffic Segregation
The order recommends:
ut is the view IF the com.
mission that the matter Of sub
ways should be held in abey-
ance. When it becomes ap-
parent, however, that the varf-
GUS methods discussed proved to
be impracticable, then . COM
mittee consisting Of the Public
Utilities Commission and other
governmental officials should be
appointed by COngret- for the
purpose of making a thorough
engineering and financial study
of the matter of subway con-
struction and operation in the
District of Columbia"
The commission recommend o
segregation of streets used by
street-car traffic and those used
by general vehicular traffic. The
order stated:
"Such a course would result
in freer movement Of traffic
generally and tend to promote
safety Of pedestrians"
Recruiting Of street cars will be-
come effective as soon as the
track changes ordered have been
completed.
The Cabin John-BeltSville line
was effected through abandon.
ment of the P Street Northwest
track. The cars will travel along
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