Evening star., 1942-11-08
Buses 10 Start Using
Terminal al Pentagon
Building Tomorrow
Capital Transit to
Enlorge Service at
Borney Circle

OuiuSy SHSIS
Capital Transit Co. buses will
begin operating in and out of the
Pentagon Building bus terminal in
Arlington tomorrow for the first
time, the company announced last
: night.
Heretofore buses Of this line have
0nloaded and loaded at two points
outside the War Departments new
structure, several hundred feet away
from the buildings new two-level
bus terminal.
Coincidentally, in new move to
speed up transportation to the
southeastern section of the metro
politan area, it was learned that
Capital Transit is planning to en-
barge the pus facilities at the Barney
Circle terminal which it shares
Jointly with the Washington, Marl-
boro and Annapolis line.
The Pentagon buses will start
operating from their local terminus
at Nineteenth and G streets NV.
tomorrow morning and will enter
the Pentagon's lower level plat
form for loading and discharging
passengers, the company said.
Fares to Be Paid at Boxes.
AS an innovation to Washington
bus riders, no fares will be accepted
on the buses loading at the build
ing. Instead, passengers will pay
their fares at special boxes located
at the top of stairways leading to
the platform.
There will be two fare boxes at
the top of each of three stairways
to be opened for use tomorrow,
with regular Capital Transit con-
ductors stationed at them. Eventu-
ally IA stairways will be in opera
ton. The fare will continue to be
; cents.
The first bus bound for the
Pentagon leaves the local terminal
at $50 am, with service continu-
ing until 9 am. Returning in the
afternoon, the first bus leaves the
building at 355 o'clock and the
last at $50 Evening buses will
leave the building at $40, 11:40,
HAS and 1880.
The Sunday service buses to the
Pentagon will be at $50, 1855, 8;05
and 1922 am, and back in the eve
ming at sos, $40 and Sis.
The company estimated yester-
day it was hauling about $500 pas
sengers to the building every week
day and is prepared to accommodate
even larger crowds.
Two More Lanes Planned.
With some $4,000 persons being
handled daily through the Barney
Circle terminal at Seventeenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue
S.E-and more to come as the Gov
ernment center at Suitland expands
the transit company is planning
to construct two more bus lanes
which will double the present ca
pacity of the station for loading
and unloading passengers, it was
learned.
An outgrowth of this move is ex-
pected to be an increase in the
shuttle service now maintained by
the w. M. & A. between Suitland,
Forestville and Barney Circle, where
passengers are transferred to the
Capital Transit system.
Dean J. Locke, staff engineer of
the transit company, said that after
months of negotiation in which the
Office of Defense Transportation
eventually intervened, approval had
been given by Federal and District
agencies for the contemplated con-
struction In issuing a permit for
the work after it was authorized by
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, the office of
National Capital Parks stipulated
that the circle must be restored to
Its original condition year after
the end of the war. The approval
of the District Highway Department
and of w. S. Van Duzer, director of
Vehicles and Traffic, also was re-
quired.
Mr.. Locke expects that the work
will get under way shortly, although
the contract is still to be let, and he
said the job should not take long.
The cost-still to be determined
will be borne by the transit COM
pany.
PUG Must Approve Transfers.
L. L. Altman, head of the w.,
M. g. A., said as many buses would
be used in the shuttle service-pro-
vided the Public Utilities Commis-
sion approves-as are found feasible.
He explained that because of the
shortage of equipment, whatever
buses are added to this service must
be taken out of the through service
the company now maintains during
rush hours between the Maryland
terminals and Eleventh street and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue NV. While
-s1e PUG approval must be given for
these intra-city transfers, that is
expected, inasmuch as the ODT is
making efforts, wherever possible, to
absorb bus traffic with street cars
In order to save rubber.
Mr.. Altman said, however, that
even should the WM&A use all of Its
buses in shuttle service, it still would
be short of equipment because of the
tremendous growth the southeastern
section is experiencing. At Suitland
now, he said, the Navy Department
and Census Bureau are employing
4,30O persons and 1900 more are to
be detailed there. There also is a
huge residential growth in progress
in that area, he added.
The Regional Committee OF the
ODT has recommended the alloca-
ton of eight more buses to the
WM8,A by the ODT, 1t was said yes
terday. Mr.. Altman said that he
could use from IL to Is more right