Evening star., 1935-10-06
CONNECTICUT BUS
SERVICE POPULAR,
FIGURES DISCLOSE
Almost Twice as Many Ride
as Patronized Street
Cars.
SPACING OF CARRIERS
AND ROUTING STUDIED
Public Utilities Commission Is in
Conference Ironing Out
Problems.

4uc ACW NOIIlcCLICuL avenue DuS
service Is almost twice as popular as
the street car system which it re-
placed in mid-September, a compari-
son of figures on patronage indicated
yesterday.
During the morning rush periods, it
was revealed, the buses carry about
1000 southbound passengers as COM
pared to some 1000 formerly carried
by street car. Northbound buses in
the late afternoon transport an aver
age OF more than $500 daily, con-
trasted with less than the $500 who
formerly Travelled by street cars.
The increase was brought to the
attention of Public Utilities Commits
sioner Richmond B. Keech. who said
the problems produced by it were be-
ing Investigated by his commission.
The Public Utilities Commission met
yesterday with President John H.
Hanna and other officials of the Cap
ital Transit Co. to develop methods
OF spacing the buSSes more evenly.
rerouting and otherwise to improve
service. Complaints about various as
poets OF the system were discussed
and some remedies were propounded.
Bridge Routing Urged.
One remedy suggested was to route
some OF the busses across the new CAL
vert Street Bridge. down Eighteenth
street and then left on Massachusetts,
avenue to the downtown district.
This has been requested by many
residents near Eighteenth street and
Columbia road who now have no bus
service. They have pointed out the
Calvert Street Bridge will be con-
Siderably wider than the Taft Bridge
and better able to accommodate the
large busses.
keech said he thought the transit
company was furnishing adequate
equipment, despite constantly increas.
ing pay loads. Southbound bus trips
on this line have been increased from
203 to PIT since September %, he said.
Better spacing and some short-routing
will relieve the condition caused by
bus travel by thousands who never
used the street cars, Keech asserted.
AS an instance of the degree to
which travel has increased since sub
stitution of buses for trolloys, there
are these statistics: For three DAYS of
March. 1885. the daily average of street
car passengers counted at the Rock
Creek loop was 2.o08 southbound dur
ing the morning rush period and 1910
northbound during the late afternoon;
southbound busses during the same
time Of day last month carried an
average of more than 4,1o0 Counted
at Connecticut avenue and Calvert
street,, and northbound buses, 1882.
Speedier Service Given.
Keech attributed the increase to the
much speedier" service provided by
busses compared to street cars. Travel
time has been cut as much as one
third in many instances, he said.
LAS soon as we can get mass trans
portation to compete with private
transportation" Keech added, "peo-
pie are not going to subject them
selves TO the trouble of private trans
portation (using their own cars or
taxis)."
The bus service will be speeded up
still further, Keech said, when the
removal of street car tracks, repaving
and other repairs have been completed
along Connecticut avenue Another
advantage of the bus service, he said,
is that 1t gets passengers nearer their
ultimate destinations. Bus passengers
on the new line have increased almost
33la per cent since Connecticut ave-
nue. was motorized. he estimated.
The Public Utilities commissioners
called the attention of the transit
company to the fact that buses are
running too close together, in punches.
Better spacing is planned. Likewise,
it was planned to "short-route" some
busses, so that instead of going all
the way to Chevy Chase Circle dur
ing morning rush periods they will
stop at Van Ness street, turn around
and pick up southbound groups from
that point downtown. "Short-rout-
ing" of several northbound buses also
was proposed.
Curb Lanes Urged.
The company was urged to direct
their drivers to keep busses as close
to curbs as possible. This action was
in response to complaints that the
big. rubber-ti "dirigibles" were de-
laying traffic in the left and center
lanes. When busSes routed for the
same destination are travelling one be-
hind the other and the ones behind
can see that the vanguard" can abb
sorb all waiting passengers at a sched-
uled stop, the rear guard" will skip
that stop. If the first bus cannot ac-
commodate a stop crowd, the follow
ing ones will be expected to take
them on.
Two kinds Of bus signs may be
erected along Connecticut avenue,
Keech said-one designating express
stops and the other local stations.
Patronage Of the "de luxe" coaches,
fare 20 cents. has dropped from daily
average Of about 600 TO little more
than 200 since the general service
was established.
In response to a petition from Sew
enth street business men, the p. U. C.
decided yesterday to postpone work on
q street car switch on Seventh street,
near G street, until after the Christ
mas shopping rush. Work on the G
street section of the switch will begin
shortly after November !.
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