Evening star., 1942-08-02
Knox 10 Allow
Bus Parking
On Polo Field
Vehicle Storage
In OFF Hours Seen
Saving Gos, Tires

SOVIuS 0uSs IUSS
Secretary Of the Navy Knox, who
has steadfastly refused to relin-
quish any portion of the white
elephant" parking lot in Potomac
Park, now has agreed to reserve
space in the area for between-rush-
hour storage Of at least s6 buses
and thus save bus mileage in ac-
cordance with a plan acceptable to
the Capital Transit Co.
This was revealed yesterday by
Gregory Hankin, chairman of the
Public Utilities Commission. Mr..
Hankin had previously received no.
tification from E. D. Merrill, pres
ident Of the transit company, that
the company was willing to CO.
operate with the plan to store the
buses on the old Polo Field.
Gas and Tire Saving.
Earlier In the week Mr.. Merrill
had said that the storage plan
would not reduce cost of operations,
but might save tires and gasoline.
He declared against any plan where
by the company would have to rent
between-service storage facilities.
Mr.. Hankin said the Navy agree
ment was reached with Vice Admiral
H. v. Butler, administrative onlcer
to Secretary Knox. Downtown stor-
age of buses had been advocated by
Trafic Director William A. Van
Duzer as well as spokesmen for the
Capital Transit Co., as means Of
saving bus mileage by avoiding
"deadheading" back to outlying COM
pany garages.
Mr.. Hankin added that mo doubt"
It would be possible to find storage
space in the eastern portion Of the
congested zone for 200 additional
buses, and he mentioned the large
lot south Of the Municipal Center
Building, now used for automobile
parking.
Secretary Knox had described his
former stand rs security move"
when District recreation leaders
urged that the area be returned for
recreation use. He proposed to fill
up the vacant area with automo-
biles parked elsewhere but did not
at the time disclose where the auto
mobiles were to come from.
Express Bus Plan.
Mr.. Hankin also outlined yester-
day proposals for operation Of "A
express buses on Sixteenth street
NV. along with other changes In
bus service he believes will con-
tribute TO saving bus mileage.
The Hankin plan Is based upon
the origin and destination survey,
figures recently e6mpiled BY the
PUG. It calls for express buses
to start ct different points down
the line Of Upper Sixteenth street,
the buses to 60 to different points
In or near the congested zone, some
stopping short OF what now are the
terminal points.
The PUG chairman emphasized
that success for his plan would de-
pend upon the willingness Of the
public to cooperate" and learn the
departure schedules.
His plan was developed after study
Of the proposals of Mr.. Van Duzer
and those from the transit company
in the light of the PUG survey
figures. His suggestions are being
submitted to the other PUG MEM
bers and to the transit company for
consideration.
Stop to Larger Program.
He suggests the Sixteenth street
express bus plan as a first step of
. larger program, and for an ex-
perimental period; that II it proves
successful In saving bus miles while
providing better service than now
prevails, its principles should be
applied to other mass transporta-
ton services.
There now are some 200 bus trips
from the upper Sixteenth street
area to downtown each morning, he
said. His plan calls for "A express
bus trips In the morning rush period
and for supplementary use of an as
yet unspecified number for local
service.
The origination and destination
ngures, he said. show that 13 express
buses should be started downtown
from Georgia and Alaska avenues
and 81 others from points along
Upper Sixteenth street, in the morn
ing rush hours. AS to the latter
he said, three would start at East
ern avenue and run as locals t1
Madison street and then go express
from there on down; 81 would start
at Madison street, go local to Spring
road and then become express; and
~ would start at Spring road anc
go local to Euclid street and then &c
express on to town.
Different Destinations.
Some of these express buses woule
70 to either Seventeenth and
streets NV, or to Seventeenth
street and Constitution avenu,
NV; others to Eleventh or Twelfth
and I streets NV. or to Eleventh
street and Pennsylvania avenue TO
o turn-around back of the old Pos
once Department Building; an,
still others to Eighth street at I
or G streets NV, or to a termina
at Ninth street and Pennsylvani,
avenue NV.
Some similar plan of operation
would be invoked in the evenin
rush hours, for the return trips
Details were not at once available
Mr.. Hankin said he was sure hi
plan would result q saving in bu
mileage since express buses woul
have maximum loadings. thus re
ducing operation OF local buse'
Also, he said, express buses woul
replace many runs that now mus
be made by locals all the way fror
Eastern avenue down to the con