Evening star., 1942-08-01
The Wrong Approach

The bus and streetcar route
changes proposed by Traffic Director
Van Duzer now seem to be headed
toward the District Public Utilities
Commission. There they will produce
. mass Of contradictory evidence and
the inevitable opposition of citizens
who very correctly fear a reduction
In what they regard as necessary
community service. After hearings,
the Public Utilities Commission will
approve or disapprove the plan in
whole or In part, doubtless substi-
tuting its own proposals for some
presented by Mr.. Van Duzer.
At the same time, the Capital
Transit Company is discussing bus
routes and service in Prince Georges
County with the Maryland Public
Service Commission in Baltimore;
discussing bus routes in Montgomery
County with the Montgomery County
director of defense transportation
and offering its own suggestions in
plans for the District. The Arlington
County Public Utilities Commission
Is conducting surveys in connection
with bus lines serving Washington
and the Interstate Commerce Com
mission recently renewed a tempor-
ary permit for operation of Capital
Transit Company shuttle bus service
to the new Pentagon Building in
Arlington.
Is this the right way to go about
reaching solution of the transpor-
tation problem now facing the Wash
ington Metropolitan Area? Cannot
the Once OF Defense Transportation,
With It's great power, set up some sort
Of agency which could deal with this
problem as a whole, instead of leav-
Ing 1t to be nibbled at here and there
by half a dozen different agencies,
al OF them possessing limited au-
thoeity. none Of them with adequate
power to cross State lines?
The ONCE of Defense Transporta-
ton very properly has sought to leave
the solution Of local transportation
problems to local authorities, after
laying down certain principles as to
general objectives in effecting mile
age economies. That is undoubtedly
sound policy. But the situation in
the Washington Metropolitan Area
ls unique. 1t involves two adjacent
States and four counties, in addi-
ton to the District. Upon it's equita-
bic solution depends adequate trans
portation OF Government personnel
Immediately involved in the war
ehoet; transportation not by one
line. but by a number of competing
lines serving the District, Maryland
and Virginia.
The bus and street railway oper-
ASors, like other citizens interested
In winning the war. are doing their
best to cooperate with the Office of
Defense Transportation. They know
more about the details of their busi-
ness than anybody else. They should
be included, with the appropriate
public authorities, in some agency
established to treat the transporta-
ton problem Of the Metropolitan
Area as one problem-not a number
OF small unrelated problems. There
should be adequate authority to
make necessary adjustment in fares,
when transfers between compet-
Ing lines are necessary to reduce bus
mileage. Pooling of vehicles, frozen
orders for new vehicles, priorities,
etc, all come within the scope of the
problem
1t is disheartening to see the way
the matter is being approached now.
Endless controversy misunderstand-
ings and bad feeling will result. Mr..
Van Duzers proposals are merely the
beginning Unless authority is Gre
ated to deal with the Metropolitan
Area as a whole, needless confusion
and minimum of accomplishment
will result.