Evening star., 1935-06-14
SERVICE CAPACITY
ONPROPOSED BUS
LINES IN DOUBT
Capital Transit Substitution
Plan on Connecticut Told
Commissioners.
PRONOUNCED SAVINGS
IN TIME ARE POSSIBLE
Citizens Association President
Questions Hanna About
Projected Service.

A time saving of approximately 10
minutes in travelling would result from
substitution of busses for Connecticut
avenue street cars between Calvert
street and Chevy Chase Circle, but
passengers could not be guaranteed
seats. it developed from testimony to-
day at the opening of the public hear
ing before the Public Utilities Com
mission on the Capital Transit Co. S
petition for the change.
Although we'll attended, no positive
civic opposition to the substitution de-
Veloped. Edwin F. Hege. president of
the Chevy Chase Citizens Association,
was permitted by the commission to
examine company witnesses, but said
his organization has not yet decided
what would be its attitude.
will it be the policy of the COM
pany to furnish a seat for every pas
senger, or will we have the intolerable
situation of having to stand up on the
long ride out Connecticut avenue?"
inquired Hege.
j. H. Hanna, president of the Cap
ital Transit Co., replied it would be
impossible to guarantee every pas
.senger seat at all times, but expressed
the opinion that most riders could get
seats.
Better Service Predicted.
Hanna frankly admitted the COM
pany was moved to make its petit
ton in order to save money, and
added that the substitution of buses
g.
public. The company would be put
to considerable expense, he indicated,
by installing new tracks on Calvert
street bridge, making needed repairs,
and rerouting street cars in ac-
cordance with the recent order of
the Public Utilities Commission, if it
continued the car service. The re-
routing plan adopted by the COM
mission would require cars coming
from Chevy Chase to cross Calvert
street bridge and then double back
so as to travel down lower Connecti-
cut avenue.
W. B. Bennett. assistant to Hanna,
was the mornings principal witness,
presenting details of the company'S
plan.
He said the local bus line which
would be instituted from Chevy Chase
Circle to Eleventh street and Penn
sylvania avenue would cut seven min
utes from the running time of street
cars between those two points in nom
rush hours and from to 9 minutes
during rush hours, while the express
bus service proposed would cut 10
minutes in non-ruSh hours and from
i to 13 minutes during rush hours.
This saving would result from the
greater mobility of BUSES rather than
lesser mileage. he said.
Proposes Three Services.
The Capital Transit Co. proposes to
substitute three bus services for the
street cars. and in addition will con-
tinue, at least temporarily, the de luxe
Chevy Chase coach line. Besides the
local and express services connecting
Chevy Chase Circle with Eleventh
street and Pennsylvania avenue, there
would be local line from the circle
to the east end of Calvert Street
Bridge.
A petition for a similar substitution
of buses north of Chevy Chase Circle
is pending before the Maryland Pub
lie Service Commission. No decision
had been reached by the company as
to whether it would continue ousses
from downtown past the circle to
Chevy Chase Lake They have sug-
gested, however, Inauguration of a
shuttle bus service between the circle
and the lake. This matter will be
considered at hearing in Baltimore
June 25.
Bennett told the commission each of
the three new bus services would run
on a 10-minute headway. making the
interval between each bus about three
and half minutes during non-rush
hour periods. This schedule is about
the same en- which street cars now
operate south from the Bureau of
Standards and a little better service
than now furnished north Of the bu-
reau.
Density Admittedly Heavy.
Hanna admitted the traffic on the
Chevy Chase line has density beyond
the usual limit for bus substitution,
but said recent developments in the
use of large capacity busses and the
increasing interference with the NOV
ing of street cars, make the use of
buses feasible.
Unless the commission grants the
company's petition 1898 900 in track
replacements between the circle and
Calvert street will have to be spent
during the next 10 years, Bennett
testified. Under questioning by
Chairman Riley E. Elgen of the COM
mission he admitted that replacement
of present rolling equipment with
more modern type cars would cost an
additional $4,000.
The total cost for instituting the
bus service would be in the neigh
borhood of 100000, he said, of
which 1881 900 would be spent for new
buses and $4,000 for plant extern
sion, which would include the build
ing of terminal at the Calvert Street
Bridge loop. The company already
has asked prices on go busses, some
accommodating 80 passengers and
others 40, which could be delivered
in six weeks to two months, he said.