Evening star., 1936-11-19
BUS SUBSTITUTION
FOR STREET CARS
| DUE FOR TAK0MA
Commission Expected to
Order Change After Study
ing Evidence.
ROUTE FOR SERVICE
STILL IS QUESTION
Merchants on Lower Ninth Street
Insist on Being on Itinerary
of Line.

Substitution of bus service for one
Of the street car lines serving the Ia
koma. area probably will be ordered
after November 80 by the Public Utili-
ties Commission, observers were pre-
dieting today after a survey of testi-
mony taken by the commission during
three-day hearing which ended late
yesterday.
Members of the commission them
selves had no announcement to make,
stating they would reach a conclusion
after they had studied briefs and
analyses Of facts to be filed by oppos-
ing attorneys in the case by the end
Of this month.
Observers who have followed the
case, however, were convinced the
weight of testimony indicated spokes-
men for groups most directly al
fected were in favor Of Abandonment
Of the car line reaching Takoma via
Kennedy and Third streets.
Route Remains Question.
What route may be ordered for tho
proposed all-day express bus service,
should the street car line be ordered
abandoned, remained a question OF
doubt. Even the strongest propo-
nents of bus service differed as to the
route to be followed
The Capital Transit Co. suggested
use Of New Hampshire, Sherman.
Florida and Vermont avenues and
lower Thirteenth street, but mer-
chants along lower Ninth street in
sisted the buSseS should be routed
through that street. There also was
dispute over the route of the buses
in the Takoma area itself.
Fred A Sager, chief engineer to
the commission, indirectly posed the
question OF a fare increase as the
hearing ended late yesterday, when
he declared two of the major bus
lines of the Capital Transit Co. are
losing money, while some of the main
street car lines are turning in profits.
The company already has petit
toned for an increase in the token
fare from four for 80 cents to three
for 25 cents, or from IA to 8ls cents
per token fare ride, and for an in
crease in the street car weekly pass
from 81 to Sl.25. The commission
plans to hold public hearing in the
near future on that issue.
Saved or Chevy Chase Tracks.
More than a year ago the Chevy
Chase street car service was aban-
doned and bus service substituted.
This change saved the transit COM
pany the cost of relaytng long sec
ton of track which had been worn
out and would have had to be re-
placed.
Sager advised the commission, how
ever, that the bus service was losing
and made the pointed statement: IF
the Chevy Chase bus line had been
charging 10-cent cash fare or sell
ing passes at SIPS, it would have
made a profit of $400 during the
month of September"
In contrast to this he said he had
calculated that the street car lines
operating on Fourteenth street made
a profit during the past year of 3.38
per cent after deducting operating
expenses and depreciation from reve-
nues, figured on the basis of the in
vestment in tracks and other equip
ment. On the same basis the Georgia
avenue street car lines have profit
of 3.14 per cent, he said.
Study Urged.
Sager told the commission the Six
teenth street and Petworth bus lines
operated during the past year at q
small profit" He advised that a
study should be made of economic
fundamentals to determine "if the
public as a whole is served well by
the shifting of the losses of bus lines
to the patrons of street car lines"
His statements gave support to the
opposition to abandonment of the
Takoma rail service which had been
voiced numerous times during the
three-day hearing by william NICK.
Clayton, spokesman for the Bright
wood Citizens Association, who also
is chairman of the Utilities Commit
tee Of the Federation of Citizens AS
sociations.