Evening star., 1942-08-26
Trial Scheduled
For 18th Street
Express Buses
Hearing Called on
Elimination of
Alaska Ave. Route
BY DON S. WARREN.

Alaska Ave. Route
BY DON S. WARREN.
Institution of rush hour express
bus service on Sixteenth street NV
rs wartime conservation measure
awaits only a public hearing, set for
10 am. September s, on a proposed
"short-routing" of the So bus, under
plans announced by Chairman
Gregory Hankin of the Public
Utilities Commission
Off1cials of the Capital Transit Co.
already have accepted the express
bus plan for trial, Mr.. Hankin said
and barring unexpected develop
ments at the hearing, the plan calls
for the PUG to order the service for
an experimental period.
Involved in the proposed modifica-
ton OF the So bus route Is the
elimination of the northern end of
the line, along Alaska avenue be-
tween Georgia avenue and Sixteenth
street, which the PUG chairman said
would mean that during both the
morning and evening rush hours
about l,100 bus passengers would be
shifted from the So buses to the
Georgia avenue streetcar line.
Walking Distance Factor.
The PUG origin and destination
survey. recently completed. Mr..
Hankin said, indicated that many
persons, in walking distance" of the
Georgia avenue service, would
change to that service, and that
others in the area north of Walter
Reed Hospital, would be within
walking distance of the revamped
Sixteenth street bus service.
Were it not for this proposed
change In the So bus service, the
of1cial said, a hearing would not
have been necessary He added that
regardless OF institution of the ex-
press bus service along Sixteenth
street, elimination of this section of
the So bus would be necessary in
his opinion as means OF conserving
gas, tires and bus equipment for
essential service.
The program for Sixteenth street
and other programs yet to be based
on the origin and destination survey.
he explained, have the objective of
saving gas, tires and buses, and en-
tails maximum loadings under the
wartime, iberalized standards of the
PUG.
As to loading standards. Mr..
Hankin proposes that each indi-
vidual express shall be loaded to not
less than the PUG approved rush
period value on departure from the
last stop in the local pickup area.
Lesser loads, If continuing, he said.
SHOULD be proper basis for discon-
tinuance Of the individual trip So
affected.
Crowding Of local buses with pas
sengers seeking express service. he
added, would be a proper basis for
increasing express service. Local
buses, both rush and non-rush, he
said, should be scheduled so as to
have 100 per cent load factors as
nearly as practicable.
Is Express Trips Minimum.
At present 202 local bus trips now
are made during rush periods on
Sixteenth street. Mt. Hankin pro-
poses that no less than IS express
bus trips be ordered, and he be-
lieves there will be bus mileage
saving-as yet observation-disclosures
fewer than l27 locals then would be
needed, and since many of the ex-
press buses would begin their runs
at points south of Eastern avenue.
The plan for express service, in
calling for reduction in the number
OF through" locals in rush hours,
provides for starting of expresses at
various. points, these buses to run
local for short distances before
'highbailing" to selected downtown
points. They would go to three
different terminals in the congested
area-the old Post Office Building;
at Constitution avenue and Eigh-
teenth street, and at Sixteenth and
! streets.
Details of the plan made public
late yesterday call for nine different
groups of express buses.
Group A would start at Eastern
avenue, picking up passengers at all
stops down Sixteenth street so far
as Underwood street, and then
would run express to Eleventh and
K streets NV, and then make stops
for discharge Of passengers, but not
loading, between there and a ter
mtnal at Eleventh and C streets
NV, adjoining the old Post Office
Department Building.
Group B buses would start at
Underwood street, run local to Tay-
lor street. then express to Eleventh
and K streets, then discharge pas
sengers between there and the
Eleventh and c streets terminal
Group c buses would start at
Taylor street, run local to Euclid
street, then express to Eleventh and
X streets and discharge between
there and Eleventh and c streets.
Group d Buses.
Group D buses would start at
1sdSlCi IL dFClluC, IuIi luCdl W OIlQeT-
wood street, then express to Twenty
first and G streets. then discharge
passengers along Twenty first
street and Constitution avenue to
Eighteenth street NV.
Group E buses would start at
Underwood street, run local to Tay-
lor street, then express to Twenty
first and G streets, then local along
Twenty-first street and Constitution
avenue to Eighteenth street.
Group F buses would start at
Taylor street and run local to Euclid
street, then express to Twenty first
and G streets, then local to Con-
stitution avenue and Eighteenth
street.
Group G buses, outbound in the
evening rush period from the new
War Department Building, would
start at Twenty-first and D streets
NV, run local to Twenty-second
and G streets, then go express to
terminals on Sixteenth street at
Euclid, Taylor or Underwood streets.
Group H busseS would start at