Evening star., 1942-08-21
.Suit|alld Office
Influx Raises
Bus Problem
transportation Crisis
Seen When 200
Workers Are Added
BY J. b. ZATMAN.

BY j. b. ZATMAN.
The expected influx of approxi-
mately 2,700 additional employees at
the new Census Bureau and Navy
Buildings at Suitland,
Md, within the next 30 days, is
causing officials of the Washington,
Marlboro and Annapolis Motor
Lines, Inc, to seek frantically
a solution to the already serious
transportation problem in that area.
Two more factors threaten to
complicate the problem still further.
They are:
/. Inability of the w. NJ. & A. to
obtain definite word from the War
Production Board concerning the
bus company's application for the
purchase of 40 new buses, filed last
January.
2. A ruling by the OfYice of Price
Administration that the Census
Bureau is not an essential war
industry and that persons driving
to work there. are not entitled to
G gasoline ration books.
While the ruling was issued after
almost all the applicants had al
ready received supplementary G
books, Census officials expressed the
fear that many, If not all, of the
books might be recalled by local
ration boards.
1900 Go by Car.
Many motorists drive to Suitland
from as far as Rockville, Md, Alex
andria and Falls Church, Va. and
take as many as five passengers in
each car.
There are now about 5000 Census
workers at Suitland, OF whom ap-
proximately 1900 travel to and from
work in automobiles. leaving 1,700
to be taken care of by public trans
portation.
OF of the 2,700 additional en-
ployes to be transferred to Suitland,
including TOO from the Hydro
graphic Office of the Navy Depart
ment here, about 800 will be added
to the already-overhurdened w. M.
& A. buses, company officials esti-
mated.
The bus firm now operates two
lines in Suitland. One, which
charges a straight 15-cent fare with
no transfer privileges to Capital
Transit Co. equipment, has it's ter
minal at Eleventh street and Penn
sylvania avenue NV. The other
is shuttle line operating from
Barney Circle, Seventeenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue Sc. Per-
| sons using this line must purchase
a 2-cent interline transfer from a
Capital Transit bus or streetcar
and then pay an additional cents
when boarding a w. M. g. A. bus.
4o% Use Express Line.
According to L. L. Altman, presi-
dent OF the w. NJ e. A., approxi-
mately so per cent of the Census
employees use the shuttle service,
with 40 per cent using the express
line from downtown Washington.
Census workers have complained
bitterly concerning the lack of free
transfers from Capital Transit
equipment to that of the w. M. & A,
One employe, who lives at Four
teenth street and Rhode Island ave-
nue. NV, said he had to walk ia
Eleventh street and Pennsylvania
avenue NV. to catch w. M. 81 A.
bus IN order to avoid paying an
8s cent fare to the Capital Transit
Co. and then 15-cent fare to the
w. M. & A.
Another, who lives at Fourteenth
street and Euclid street NV, has
to transfer three times before
boarding w. M. & A. bus at Bar
ney Circle. If there were trans
fer privileges between the Capital
Transit Co. and the w. M. & A..
the worker said, or if the 15-cent
fare on the express line were re-
duced. she would save at least an
hour each day "as well as wear and
tear on my health"
She added that Capital Transit
Co. streetcar operators frequently
run out of transfers before they
reach Barney Circle and passengers
have to wait for another streetcar
to obtain transfers to w. M. g. A.
buses.
Service Called Fair"
A third employe, who lives near
Boiling Field, said he had to nav
$3.05 for transportation each week.
He explained that he purchased a
Capital Transit Co. pass for SIPS
and paid an additional SLAB weekly
for travelling on the w. NJ. & A.
All three employees said the serv-
Ice was fair" Buses are jammed.
they said, and I'VE often have to-
wait for another one"
Staggered shifts have been estab-
lished at Suitland to spread the rush
hour as much as possible. The work.
ers have been divided into three
equal groups who report at 8. $50
and am. and leave at 4:30, 5 and
$50 pm.
Incidentally. so tremendous have
been the bus loads carried awav
from the Census Building at Suit
land that the asphalt pavement
used by the buses in lining up in
front of the building has been torn
Np NS ASetoo AANS CllIlCS III LI1c laSL
two months, according to Census Of
ficials.
The only way in which the w. M.
q A. could meet the anticipated in
crease in passenger traffic, Mr.. Alt
mann. said. would be either to dis
continue the express service from
downtown and use only the SHUTTLE
line to and from Barney Circle or to
reroute Bradbury Heights and Seat
Pleasant buses leaving Eleventh
street and Pennsylvania avenue NV.
so as to pass through Suitland.
Mr.. Altman emphasized, how
ever, that the express service will
be discontinued only by direct order
OF the Off1ce of Defense Transporta-
ton or IF it is found necessary to
do so thorough overcrowding."
William B. Bennett, vice president
and secretary Of the Capital Transit
Co., said the transit company is pre-
pared to handle any increased traf-
nc resulting from Mr.. Altmann's