Evening star., 1935-12-10

Hundreds of specific complaints
against bus and street car service
rendered by the Capital Transit Co
have been filed with Peoples Counse
William A. Roberts in anticipation Of
the public hearing to be held by the
Public Utilities Commission next Mon
day.
Other complaints also have been
flooding into the commission since
Roberts appealed, last week, to citizens
associations to fill out QUESTIONABLE
so the complaints could be specifically
listed for presentation at the hearing
Roberts has called chairmen Of the
Public Utilities Committees of citizens
associations to meet with him Satur.
day night at the District Building tC
plan q course of action at the hearing
The commission plans to order E
series of Improvements in service aftel
it has analyzed developments at the
hearings.
Protest Overcrowding.
Letters of complaint filed with Rob-
ertS revealed today the company is
taken to task by many individuals and
groups for overcrowding of street cars
and buses, gaps in service, dirty
equipment, lack of heat and ventila-
ton in some cases and complaints
that present routing does not fit the
needs of some riders.
Meanwhile it was announced that
direct bus service to the Randle High
lands. Hillcrest and Benning areas
will be started Sunday, through merger
of the lines now serving those sections
with the East Washington and South
Washington lines.
The changes were ordered by the
commission in approving a petition
by the transit company. The action
previously had been forecast, after
the company revealed plans for i'm
proved service. The principal benefit
will be elimination. of the transfers
now required at Barney Circle and
at Seventeenth street and Pennsyl-
Vania avenue southeast.
Excerpts From Letters.
Excerpts from some Of the letters
received by Roberts follow:
Sydney r. White, 1901 Connecticut
avenue, concerning Connecticut ave-
nue bus service: Il waited for a north
bound bus from 1855 am. until 1917
pm, November 80, at Connecticut ave-
nue. and H street. Two women there
waiting, one of whom was slightly i'll,
informed me that no bus had passed IN
five minutes prior to my arrival. A
bus passed at 12:14, but the driver did
not stop to pick up passengers. At
1917, after I had waited % minutes.
bus 3705 passed without stopping The
condition Of the i'll woman being I'M
satisfactory, shouted twice at the bus
driver, who then stopped his bus about
half block beyond the stop sign and
permitted us to enter his vehicle"
Harold S. Huggins, secretary. Rhode
Island Avenue Citizens Association: ::
"On November 26. boarded a car,
run No. 407, at South Dakota avenue
northeast, at 9:18 am The car was
considerably overcrowded and a spe-
cific citation shows at Fourth and T
streets northeast there were "a pas
BengerS standing, while at First street
and New York avenue there were 20
standing"
A Haring, 170G Newton street: II
have no statistics on overcrowding (on
Mount Pleasant line), but twice re-
Gently have had buttons torn off my
coat while struggling to get of the
car"
William e Ryan, 1926 Sixteenth
street: From pm until $50 or z
pm. one cannot get seat on a Mount
Pleasant car. Must stand from Four
teenth and F streets to Eighteenth
street"
Mary A. Beadle, 2512 @ street: "I
waited at stop at 2512 @ street on
November 81, from sos to nearly 20
minutes after. while six buses passed
without stopping. Had to take taxi
to get TO work on time. Never able
to get seat on this line"
Mrs. Neenah G. Payne, president
Northeast Women's Club: 81 have
been directed to request favorable
consideration be given to removal Of
the unsatisfactory one-man cars now
largely used on the Florida avenue
via Eighth street northeast to the
Navy Yard line. This type of car is
most undesirable, especially in the
morning rush hour. and even retards
progress Of automobiles, which are
compelled to wait for the motorman-
conductor to make change. issue trans
fers, ETC., although the traffic lights
indicate go"
r. L. Blake, jr, 1912 r street:
"Rousing all busses going west Of Con-
necticut avenue through their Rock
Creek terminus would compel them to
cut out that perfect death trap stop
on Connecticut avenue as you turn OF
Calvert street. That stop should be
where the car stop was on Calvert
street. No one crosses Connecticut
avenue In safety because that stop Is
way behind the traffic lights on Con-
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