Evening star., 1935-08-25
Street Cars or Buses.
Chevy Chase Citizens Cautious.

THE Executive Committee of the
Chevy Chase Citizens Associ-
alton Is rather skeptical as to
buses on the Chevy Chase route
being an adequate and satisfactory
substitution for the present trolley
cars. The change over was sched-
uled to be made on September /.
but due to delay in the delivery of
the number Of new buses the
Capital Transit Co. has been
granted an extension Of time to
September Is. II Is the desire of
the company and also of the COM
mission that the change over to
bus service be complete and not
a partial change, as would be the
case If the limited number Of
busSes available were put into serv-
ice and some of the trolleys were
continued. Such service, it is
thought, would not be a fair test
and might have the effect of
arousing prejudice against the new
system at its inception.
The Chevy Chase Executive
Committee has written the Utili-
ties Commission expressing appre-
hensio1 that the bus service will
not meet the quality and quantity
standards" Of service needed for
their section: that the present bus
equipment does not provide SUM-
cient ventilation to meet require
ments Of comfort and health" and
that the 40 per cent allowance for
"standees" would be intolerable on
buses.
The committee further request
that the present rails and trolley
wires be retained until the substi-
tuted bus operation be demon
strated as being satisfactory.
The commission has taken up
with the transit company the mat
ter of better ventilation on the
busses and, inquired whether there
Is any such improvement contem-
plated in the case of the vehicles
yet to be delivered. President Hege
OF the Chevy Chase body points out
that the cars are equipped with
movable sash, both front and rear,
that may be opened to permit q
free circulation of air, which is
badly needed when car is crowd
ed. The busses, he points out, are
not provided with movable sash,
but completely closed both front
and rear. except for small ventila-
tors which open in the front dash.
Commissioner Keech of the Utili.
ties Commission has been much i'm
pressed with the results shown in
the substitution of bus operation
for street cars in New York City.
Here the load carried by the buses
shows an enormous increase over
the old street-car load, which ap-
pears to indicate a decided prefer
ence for the bus, as well as the
practical availability of the bus for
handling substantial part of mass
transportation in a great city.
Local evidence Of the growing
popularity of the bus is shown in
the operation of the Takoma ex-
press line. Here this superimposed
service has resulted in a falling of
in the number of riders on both of
the Takoma trolley lines. However,
the count shows the number of bus
patrons is substantially greater
than the losses in trolley riders.
This Is thought to indicate that a
number who formerly used private
conveyances now ride on the bus.
When the bus actually supersedes
the Chevy Chase cars it has been
predicted that there will be a big
boom In the sale of alarm clocks
to the dwellers along Connecticut
avenue. The removal Of the noisy
cars will induce such sound slumber
that only good alarm clock will
return the residents to a conscious
state, and this is said to be particu-
arly true as to those dwelling near
the Klingle Bridge.
Fair Treatment for District