Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-01-29
Higher 1akon1a
Express Bus
Fare Sought
Straight 10 Cents
Charge Without
Transfers Proposed

transfers Proposed
Establishment of a straight 10.
cent fare without any transfer priv.
lleges for the il, the J-3 and the
J-5 Takoma express buses was pro-
posed today by the Capital Transit
Co.. in a petition filed with the
Public Utilities Commission. calling
for various changes in its routes ir
the North Washington area.
Anticipating proposals from the
company for changes in the serv-
ices for Takoma. PetWorth anc
Chillum Heights, the commission al
once issued an order for investiga-
ton and said public hearing would
be called before any action is taken
The company requests were filed
by President E. D. Merrill The
proposal for straight 10-cent fare
on the three express lines. if ap-
proved, would re-establish a policy
of higher fare for express service,
abandoned some years ago follow
ing merger of the old street car
companies and establishment of
the uniform fare with universal
free transfers.
Six Other Changes Proposed.
The Takoma express il goes to
tho continy, vic w y,
street. J-3 via Ninth street and Us
via Third street and Thirteenth
street. Six other changes in its
transportation service were proposed
by the company, some of which have
been urged by civic groups. Mr.
Merrill made clear the company
agreed to undertake these changes
only if the commission approved the
stepup in the fare on the three
fakoma express lines
The six proposed route changes
were:
I. Extend the periods of operation
OF Route J-6-the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
express bus line-to provide service
for approximately IS hours a day
every day of the year. This line
now provides service only during off,
peak hours, Mondays through Satur-
days, but does not operate on Sun
days or holidays.
2. Extend the periods of operation
of Route K-4, the Chillum line, and
Route Pa, the Petworth express bus
line, to provide service for approx
mately Is hours day every day IN
the year. These lines now operate
only during rush hours and the mid
day non-rush periods week days.
Mondays through Saturdays, but
do not operate on Sundays or holi-
days.
IT, Route Extension.
). Extend the route of To-, the
Takoma MD line, from the Dis
trict line to connection with Route
70. the Butternut streetcar link of
the Georgia avenue-Seventh street
car line, at Fourth and Butternut
streets, via Carroll avenue. This
Maryland bus now connects only
with buses at Laurel street and
Carroll avenue.
4. Move the southern limit of
Route J-6, Takoma-Petworth, Route
K-4, Chillum, and Route Pa, Pet
worth, express bus lines from New
avenue and Park road
to the north side of Grant Circle
The company argued that with the
present system of permitting pas
sengers to board these buses as far
down as Park road, there was an
unnecessary duplication" of street.
car and bus service.
5. Discontinue operation of route
P-2, Petworth, and route K-2, Chill
lum, these being local lines which
were left over following merger of
the old Rapid Transit Co. with the
Capital Transit Co. Buses on these
routes now are carried west to Six
tenth street, although in recent
years the number of buses on Six
teenth street below Harvard street
has been increased. Commission ex-
perts anticipate that if these routes
are discontinued additional buses
will be placed on lines serving the
Petworth and Chillu mareas.
6. Designate routes J-6, K-4 and
PA as limited stop lines and pro-
viding for stops within designated
areas only for alighting passengers
when bound downtown and only for
boarding passengers when outbound.
Area Declared Well Served.
"A glance at the guide map of
Washington issued by this COM
pany" said Mr.. Merrill, will show
very clearly that the Takoma-Pet-
worth Chillum area is at least as
well, and perhaps better, served,
than any other similar area in the
District. In fact, there is con-
siderable duplication of service, in
volving unnecessary expense be-
cause of the illogical combination
Of routings.'
He said this resulted partly from
the requirement of the commission
for the continued operation of the
Butternut street link of the Georgia
avenue line, and partly because Of
continuation of routes of the old
street car and bus companies left
over from pre-merger days.
I'm addition" Mr.. Merrill con-
tinued, "a situation has developed
in connection with operation of il
Takoma express buses via Thir-
teenth street which has had the
effect of increasing materially the
cost of service and creating a de-
mand for preferred type of service
that is more expensive to provide"
Transit Suit Attacks
DisopproovI of Conversions
The battle over whether the Cap
ital Transit Co. should be permitted
to convert Is two-man street cars
Am x~,or tuna far