The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1937-03-05
Claim Trend IS
Toward Rubber

~ q cCHtCo H tOftkJft nc MUM
Uest Enterprise has outlined for
It's readers the salient points OF
the Street Raila0ay rehabilitation
program. The voters t0iH be
asked to pass upon this program
Tuesday, March T, a0ben they
ballot Yes or mo" on propo-
! sition A.
Urban transportation has
shown a definite trend toward
trackiess vehicles in the past de-
eede, it is revealed by figures just
received in Seattle. With this
city preparing to vote Tuesday on
the vital question of undermining
and refinancing the Street Rail-
way. the statistics presented by
The Transit Journal are of the ut
most Importance to every citizen.
This magazine, which IS the Bible
Of the urban transit industry,
shows that the street car has been
on the way out since 1923. Last
year, traekless vehicles constituted
80 per cent of the transportation
equipment purchased for Amer
lean cities. While 5,288 rubber
tired vehicles were bought by
urban operating companies in
1896, only s99 street cars were
acquired.
Many of the street III
bought merely to comply with
special provisions in the franchise
or to meet peculiar local sit
uations, some of them of n poll
teal nature. The 800 street cars
were distributed among only six
cities.
On the other hand, some 40
cities in the United States have
gone to all-rubber operation. OF
these, 16 are in the population
class of 100. 900 to 100000.
Showing the march of progress,
The Transit Journal points out
that, in 1890, there were $4,000
horse cars in the United States
and only 1,346 electric cars. In
1907 there were 1896 electric
cars operating, a handful of horse
cars and no rubber-tired coaches.
In 1927, street cars had dropped
to 1881, and there were 1884
motor buses. Today, we find the
number of street cars cut almost
in two, with only S7,868 remaining
in operation, while the number of
trackess vehicles has jumped to
%, 259.
One of the big easons assigned
for this rapid change-over is the
increased patronage that the new
type of transportation, with its
smoother riding, greater speed and
jeAibility and new safety features,
brings to the lines on which it is
installed.
In the Borough of Manhattan,
New York, patronage on the First
Avenue line Increased more than
200 per cent. The Madison Ave-
nue. line showed an increase of
91.3 per cent, Eighth Avenue,
1857 per cent and Ninth Avenue
1893 per cent.
If, after complete rehabilitation,
Seattlc's system shows only 20
per cent increase in revenues, that
would amount to $S75,O0O the first
year.
New York's experience is note
worthy, in that Manhattan has
a population of 100000 persons
in a closely condensed After
replacing virtually all her street
cars with rubberized vehicles, she
has found that the traffic is han
died in much less time and with
less congestion than before, de-
spite the amazing increase in the
number of riders.
Chicago is considering a similar
step. The Transit Journal quotes
Mayor Edward ]. Kelley of that
city as follows:
THE trolley car is outmoded.
Our local companies must give us
new surface trackless transported
ion"
London, England, Use nor bus
equipment than any other city in
the world.
Newark, N. j. recently wrote off
$38, OoO, 900. covering the remain
ing investment in street cars and
rails, preparatory to complete
modernization of the system with
trackIess vehicles.
A. R. Williams, general manager
of the United Electric Railways of
Providence, R. L. says:
From our experience, extending
over several years, we have made
up our minds that the trolley-car
is out. We have decided that as
far as mass transportation in
Providence is concerned it win be
.trackless trolley"