Evening star., 1936-12-20
BUS ROUTE ISSUE
DIVIDES TAKOMA
Citizens Cite Why They Have
Opposed Capital Transit
=. Proposals.

divided on the question Of mass trans
portati routes from that suburb
10 the center of the city, brought
about by the filing Of q petition by
the Capital Transit Co. to the Pub
lie Utilities Commission to substi-
tut4 buses for the present rail sys-
TEN on Third and Kennedy streets.
Various routes have been advanced
for the buses In the event the tracks
are ordered removed. which now ap.
pears to be q certainty, since men,
bers of the commission recently made
0 survey of routes.
The Citizens Association of Ia
koma, D. c., voted for bus service in
lieu Of part Of the present car serv-
ice. but this vote was wholly con-
tingent on securing for the COM
rfunity an improved and adequate
mass transportation system. The or
sanitation has made 1t clear to the
Public Utilities Commission that it
believes the system proposed by the
transit company will not do so and
1t Is therefore opposing its adoption.
The one plan which the organi-
nation considers basic Is that there
must be two lines Of service, one on
Third street to the District Line, now
traversed by the rail system to Lau-
rel avenue and the other on Fifth
street to q terminus at or near Piney
Branch road and Dahlia street.
Ask All-Day Service.
The association demands an ex-
press bus rush-hour and all-day serv-
ice over the existing route on Fifth
street on l5-minute headway during
non-rush hours, but loop to be made
around Dahlia, Eighth and Butternut
streets; also express bus. rush hour
and all day, Laurel avenue to Sandy
Spring road, to Van Buren street, to
Third street. to Kansas avenue on
q 15-minute headway during non-rush
hours.
The transit company. on the other
hand. favors and has requested in
stallation of an express bus rush-hour
and all-day service via Laurel ave-
hue, Sandy Spring road, to Van Bu-
ren, to Fifth street and thence South
to the center of the city. While the
transit company does not seriously
object to the citizens plan for two
lines during rush-hour periods, it does
object to the establishment OF two
lines during the non-rush periods.
The street car line operating be-
tween Takoma Park and Fourteenth
street and Colorado avenue, via Ken
nedy street, provides six-minute
headway. but If busses are installed
q 15-minute headway is to govern,
which is meeting considerable objec-
ton. Citizens feel that at least q
l0-minute schedule should be pro-
vided. and less if possible. In giving
up q through service at token fares
the citizens are doing so only on the
understanding that they will receive
q bus service of a sufficiently out
standing character to warrant the in
crease to q 10-cent fare, similar to
that Of Chevy Chase and Anacostia.
Don't Want to Lose Line.
The citizens claim II the transit
plan was approved it would deprive
that portion Of Takoma Park on the
District side west of the Baltimore
e. Ohio railroad tracks Of the bus
line which they now have and offer
nothing in its place. The existing
line, now operated on Fifth, Madi-
son and Thirteenth streets to the CEN
ter of the city. it is claimed, is well
patroni2ed and any change in its
route would not be justified, but there
Is justification for it's extension to
an all-day service, irrespective OF
what may be done with the Third
street car line. In this connection
oil the citizens associations in the
Takoma area, including those oppos-
Ing the removal of the tracks, are
unanimous on this point. There are
q large number of citizens residing
In the area east of Third street. both
In the District and Maryland por-
tions of Takoma Park. They now
take the street cars direct to the
tenUeI Oh LQe Guy, WlIIlOuI IidllSlci,
1T q token fare and they feel that
they are entitled to through bus
yervice in the event the car tracks
are abandoned.
As an indication Of the divided sit
oation, the Takoma Park, D. C.-Md.,
Citizens Association. has requested
the Public Utilities Commission, that
II 1t orders installation of bus Serv-
lee in lieu Of the Third and Kennedy
street street car rail service, to route
the buses from the District line and
Laurel avenue to Sandy Spring road.
70 Van Buren, and Third streets and
thence Southwark to Kansas, New
Hampshire and Sherman avenues,
continuing directly South via Ninth
street to Constitution avenue, thence
westward to the vicinity of the Navy
and Munitions buildings, returning
over the same route. The association
points out that Ninth street has now
been cleared of all rails except be-
tween 6 street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and would make most desirable
route with less traffic than other thor
oughfares, including Seventh. Elev-
enth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets, which are now traversed by
either street cars or busses.