Evening star., 1936-06-07
HOUSE TRANSPORT
PROBERS TO CALL
UPON COMMISSION
District Progress in Getting
Better Service to Be
Studied First.
ADEQUACY OF SERVICE
AND REMEDY SOUGHT
Speedy Gathering of Data to Pave
Way for Course at Next
Session.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

The first step Of the Subcommittee
on Streets and Traffic of the House
District Committee in its investigation
Washington will be to call on the Pub
lie Utilities Commission for a compre-
henSive report on the steps it has taken
to improve rail and bus service.
At least, that is the plan of Repre-
sentative Hull, Progressive, of Wiscon-
sin, who initiated the inquiry. He has
been added to the subcommittee during
the period of the investigation, and
probably will take a leading part in
its execution because the chairman,
Representative Patman, Democrat, of
Texas has indicated he will be too
busy before the adjournment of Con-
gress to devote much time to District
affairs.
Hulrs main objective is to de-
ternine the adequacy of the present
service and what steps can be taken
to improve it. He believes if the
Capital Transit Co. cannot give suf-
ficient service, the Government
should step in and provide additional
transportation facilities, especially Ior
its employees.
To Draft New Policy.
Although Hull realizes it will be
impossible to make an exhaustive in
quiry before adjournment, he is of the
opinion that data furnished by the
Utilities Commission will enable the
subcommittee to determine course
that could be followed at the next
session of Congress.
The commission, it was disclosed
by Richmond B. Keech. vice chair
man. has voluntarily offered to CO.
operate and aid the subcommittee in
its investigation.
Keech pointed out that ever SinW
the merger of the mass transporta-
tion units, the commission has been
striving to force the transit company
to give the public the best possible
service at the most reasonable cost"
He explained that car lines had
been rerouted in some instances, that
buses had been substituted for rail
service in others, and that at present
the commission is making careful
study of operating schedules and fire.
quency of stops-all with view to
facilitating and improving service.
May After Stop Plan.
AS result of the study of operating
schedules and frequency of stops,
Keech indicated the commission may
order a number of changes in both car
and bus stops, placing them at more
advantageous points, both from the
standpoint of providing better accom-
modations for the public and at the
same time expediting the running
schedule. In effect, the plan is to
adopt a modified skip-stop system that
was used during the war period to
speed up car service. The stops, how
ever, would not be spaced two blocks
apart as under the former system, but
would be located at points that would
be convenient to the greatest number
OF passengers.
Keech explained that other steps
taken by the commission in recent
months to improve transportation con-
ditions included an order fixing the
maximum capacity on busses and cars
and an order assuring better ventila-
ton.
Regardless of the outcome of the
subcommittees investigation, Keech is
confident that both rail and bus Serv-
ice will continue to improve as the re-
routing plans are carried out, and
other moves made by the commission
begin to produce 100 per cent results.