Evening star., 1942-07-12
New War Building Creates
Huge transportation Problem
$4,000 Workers to Need $50 Buses
But WPB Order Blocks Delivery

Dut WfD OT0er Dit
Before the last of $4,000 War De-
partment employees are transferred
to the new Pentagon Building in
Arlington, probably in October, more
than $50 new buses will have to be
put into service instead of the IS
Capital Transit buses now carrying
1000 persons daily on special trips
between the District and the new
building.
And the trouble is the transit
companies will not be able to pro-
vide. the additional transportation
facilities unless and until the War
Production Board releases orders for
the buses, virtually all Of which have
been frozen.
Altogether, about 5000 employees
already are stationed in the War
Department mammoth new office
building across the river. The re-
naming 1000 drive their own cars
or use the regular transportation
facilities Of the two Virginia come
panies that operate between the
PenfASon Building and the District.
fkNkf Needed At Closer Site.
uupalcially. III has been estimated
abou( no fewer buses would haye
been needed II the $50 .O00, 900 struc-
ture had been erected somewhere
within reach Of the Districts down.
town area.
Off1cials of the three transit COM
panies involved calculated that
about 10000 of the employees in the
new building will rely on buses to
take them from their homes in the
District or nearby Maryland to the
Pentagon Building and back again.
About 10000 will be carried by the
Capital Transit Co. The remain
ing 1000 will ride the buses of the
A. B. & w. Transit Co. and the
Arlington g. Fairfax Motor Trans
portation Co.
Capital Transit alone will need at
least 200 new buses, company offici-
ais say. A. B. & w. is trying to get
80 new buses and Arlington g. Fair
fax, 9. Most of this equipment
was ordered long ago in anticipa-
ton of the surge of traffic between
the new building and the District,
but virtually all orders have been
frozen by WPB.
ESQ Operators Needed.
Capital Transit estimates it will
need $50 new operators. About 100
of these, according to present plans,
will be recruited from among War
Department civilian employees, who
will be trained to drive their fel-
low-workers to and from the Office
aside from their regular jobs in the
department.
Civilian War Department en-
ployes accepted by Capital Transit
will be paid by the company apart
from their Government salaries.
This is the way it would work out:
An employe driver would pick up a
bus at the garage nearest his home
and make two round trips over es-
tablished routes before he reported
for work. After his last haul" he
would park the bus until he is ready
to leave the building for the day.
Then he would make at least one
trip back into the District with a
| load of passengers and return the
bus to the garage.
Class Being Trained.
The first training class of about
so cafeteria employees at the new
building is now being organized for
this service.
The cheapest fare now for most
District residents from their homes
to the Pentagon Building is IS cents
cash or token plus cents. Cap
ital Transit buses, running between
Twenty third street and Constitu-
ton avenue and the new building
charge straight scent fare, with
no transfer privileges. Straight
fare on the other lines from down.
town Washington is 10 cents.
Orders have been placed by Cap
ital Transit for 375 new buses, 100
of which are to be allocated to the
Arlington run If they ever arrive
Negotiations are in progress with
the Defense Plants Corp. to pro-
vide the transit firm with another
100 buses under five-year lease
with an option to purchase at the
end of that term. Such an ar
rangement would include an agree
ment with the Government agency
to furnish garage space large
enough to accommodate these l0C
buses.
Transit officials believe another
SO buses may be needed to handle
the loads.
Parking Space Limited.
Parking space is strictly limited
Aside from rationing difficulties
War Department workers who are
gradually being transferred to the
new building are finding that the
automobile area already Is ap'
preaching the saturation point. Al