Evening star., 1936-10-16
TRANSIT CO. ASKS
ALL-DAY TAKOMA
|. EXPRESS BUSL|NE
Extensive Revamping in
Area Proposed to UtiIi.
ties Commission.
CHILLUM HEIGHTS
CHANGES DESIGNED
Shuttle Buses From Takoma to
Fourteenth Street and Colo
rado Avenue Included.

Extensive revamping Of transporta-
ton service to the Takoma area was
proposed to the Public Utilities Com
mission today by the Capital Transit
Co., in a petition calling for substi.
tuition of an all-day. 10-cent cash fare
express bus line for the Third and
Kennedy streets car service.
A second feature would be institu-
ton of a shuttle bus service from Ia
koma to Fourteenth street and Colo
RADIO avenue, where there would be
free transfer to the Fourteenth street
lines, ending there. The fare on the
shuttle bus would be the street car
token fare.
Of the present street car tracks from
Takoma, down Third street and west
On Kennedy street to Fourteenth. None
Of the proposals would affect the Geor-
gia avenue -Takoma street car line,
which would be continued as at pres
ent.
A fourth phase Of the proposal is
for re-routing of the present bus
service from Chillum Heights to the
downtown area, to send the busSes.
during the day, via Sherman, Florida
and Vermont avenues, without reach
ing Sixteenth street. These daytime
busses would be express between Park
road and Massachusetts, avenue. After
the end Of the afternoon rush period,
the busSes would be turned to local
service all the way and would be
routed through Sixteenth street to
Harvard, a route all but the express
rush-hour buses now follow.
Many Months Study.
The proposals were submitted after
many months of study, during which
the company said it had conferred
with civic leaders in the Takoma and
adjoining regions. The petition in
cluded suggestions for somewhat diff
ferent changes emanating from civic
spokesmen. The major difference was
that the civic spokesmen proposed an
additional express bus service from
Takoma to that planned by the COM
pany, the petition showed.
Whether the commission will find it
desirable to call a public hearing on
the petition will be determined in
conferences with leaders of civic
groups, Commission Chairman Riley
E. Egen said. Unless there is some
strong objection to the company plans
from civic leaders, the changes prob
ably will be approved, without major
changes, it was indicated.
E. D. Merrill, company vice president
and general manager, said the new
plans were drafted largely because of
"the evident popularity Of the express
bus service now being rendered be-
tween the Takoma area and the busi-
ness center"
Another factor, he said, was the
Substantial amounts of money which
would be involved in double-tracking
the present car line from Fourteenth
street and Colorado avenue to Takoma,
via Kennedy and Third streets, as re-
quired in a commission order of more
than a year ago.
Institution of the proposed new bus
services, Merrill said, would call for
purchase Of Is additional 40-pasSenger
buses, the total cost of which is esti-
mated at approximately s1so,ooo.
The present Takoma express bus,
which operates only in rush hours, has
seen sharp rise in patronage since it
was established about a year ago,
which caused the company to more
than double the number of busses or
the line.
Route Change Suggestion.
In proposing that this be made an
all day bus service, at the same rate
of fare, 10 cents cash or use of the
s125 weekly pass, the company sug-
gested the route be changed to the
following:
Southbound Along Eastern ave-
nue., Laurel street, Sandy Spring road,
Van Buren street, Fifth street, Grant
Circle, New Hampshire, Sherman,
Florida and Vermont avenues; Logan
Circle, Thirteenth street, Pennsyl-
vania avenue, Seventh street and
Constitution avenue to terminus al
Seventh street. The northbound
route would be almost the same, in
reverse order. The proposed route for
the evening non-express service would
have substantially the same route. ex-
cept that the downtown terminus
would be on Thirteenth street between
F and G streets.
The proposed all-day Takoma ex-
press bus service would not allow pas
senger stops between the intersections
of New Hampshire avenue and Park
road and Massachusetts, avenue and
Thirteenth street.
Likewise, the proposed revamped
Chillum Heights express service would
not allow passenger stops between
Massachusetts, avenue and Park road,
The shuttle bus service from Ia
koma to Fourteenth street and
Colorado avenue is offered to meet the
demands of Takoma riders who wish
to maintain transportation connec-
tions with the Fourteenth street car
line. This would be afforded by the
company plan, by use Of a transfer
at the proposed new loop ending Of
the Fourteenth street line.