Evening star., 1942-05-22
transportation 10 New
War Building C|ouded
By Jurisdiction Issue

Routes and Service
Come Up Today in
Meeting Of Officials
Solution to the problem Of provid-
ing adequate transportation for
thousands Of persons working or who
will be working in the huge new
War Department Building in Ar
lington County today was enmeshed
in jurisdictional question as to
what regulatory agency has power
of control over bus routes, fares and
service.
An issue has been raised, it was
made clear, as to whether or to what
extent the District Public Utilities
Commission, the Virginia Public
Service Commission, or the Inter-
state Commerce Commission has
jurisdiction over new service which
may be ordered between the Arling-
ton County area and the District.
New Route Recommended.
The District Co-ordirating Com
mittee met today and approved a
bus route between Washington and
the war building as q recommends
ton to the Public Utilities Commits
sion.
Passengers would board buses at
a terminal on Constitution avenue
west of Twenty third street. The
route would be on Twenty-third
street to Memorial Circle, across the
Memorial Bridge to the new heavy
duty road leading from Memorial
drive to the war building.
On the return trip. buses would
turn right at the District end of
the bridge and proceed under the
bridge on Independence avenue ex-
tended to the District terminal
This plan is designed To eliminate
two left-hand turns that would be
necessary under the original pro-
poSal.
The Co-ordinating Committee,
representing District and Federal
agencies, met at session repeatedly
called at the instance Of Engineer
Commissioner Charles w. Kutz,
member of the Public Utilities Com
mission. One other member OF the
commission, who asked that his
name not be mentioned, suggested
that action would be taken soon.
Hearing Scheduled Monday.
Finding that immediate steps"
must be taken in regard to trans
portation for workers In the new
Arlington war building and near
by Government establishments, the
District P. U. c. last Friday sched-
uled a formal public hearing to be
held in the District Building at 10
am. next Monday. This was to
determine what routes should be
established and what fares charged
for transportation between the Dis
trict and the Arlington area.
The District agency listed not only
the Capital Transit Co. as a party
to the case but also the Alexandria,
Bancroft & Washington Transit Co.,
the Arlington & Fairfax Motor
Transportation Co. and the WASH
ington, Virginia & Maryland Coach
Co.
This was taken to indicate that
the P. U. c. or at least some Of its
members considered that it had
Jurisdiction in this case not only
within the District but also over
service to and from the new War
structure and the District.
This move was countered by the
Capital Transit Co. by filing an ap-
plication with the Interstate Com
merce Commission Wednesday for
temporary permit to operate a
shuttle bus service between the new
War structure and q Washington
terminal at Twenty third street and
the Lincoln Memorial and within
walking distance Of three Capital
Transit Co. bus lines. The Potomac
crossing shuttle bus line would be
operated at 5 cents q trip as a sep
arate operation and passengers
transferring to a District bus would
have to pay a new fare.
p. u. e. Protest Possible.
The anonymous official of the
District P. U. c. said he regarded
this as a move Of the c. T. Co. to
escape regulation" by the commits
sion in this service, on the assump-
ton that If the P. U. G. decided the
issue, an extra charge for the trip
to the Arlington County area may
or may not" be permitted.
The Motor Carrier Act Of 1885
prescribed rules as to regulation of
buses in interstate and intrastate
areas involving commercial zones"
or metropolitan areas split by juris-
diction boundaries. Some lawyers
interested In the Arlington War
Building case declare the I. G. c. has
jurisdiction and others argue the
District agency has control on the
ground that Metropolitan Washing
ton has been determined by the I.
G. c. to be Commercial zone"
E. D. Merrill, president of the Cap
ital Transit Co., said his concern
would oppose the P. U. c. If it under
took to rule that it had Jurisdiction
over the service or fares for buses
operated in shuttle service over the
District boundary between Constitu-
ton avenue and the Arlington
County War Building since these
would be Interstate" in character.