Evening star., 1942-08-05
Shift in A. B. W.
Terminal Slated
Within 80 Days
Easier Bus Loading
Forecast; A. & F.
Head Opposes Move

Commuters who have found diff
Guilty boarding buses on Tenth be-
tween D and E streets during peak
hours today can look toward the
prospect Of relief.
Recent developments on the Dis
trict terminal front include the fol-
lowing:
l. The Alexandria Bancroft Wash
ington terminal at Tenth and D
streets will be moved within 80
days" to new terminal in front of
the old Post ONCE building at Penn
sylvania avenue and Twelfth street,
according to r. T. Mitchell, traffic
manager OF the A. B. w. company.
2. A second proposal to move the
Arlington and Fairfax Motor Trans
portation Co. terminal from Tenth
and E streets to Tenth street south
Of Pennsylvania avenue is under
consideration by the Public Utilities
Commission. though strongly op-
posed by the company's president,
Franklin K. Lane, jr.
Solution Suggested.
3. The Evening Star. in its editorial
columns Of Monday, pointed to one
solution to the problem by suggest
ing that the block of Eleventh street
south Of Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween the old Post ONCE building
and the Internal Revenue annex be
converted completely into bus
terminal. It is now used as a park
ing lot for officers and employees OF
the General Accounting Once and
Internal Revenue Bureau, according
to a Federal Works Agency spokes-
man. One lane of the block has been
allotted to Capital Transit buses.
Only on one point, apparently are
terminal experts agreed today-that
the confusion and congestion on
Tenth street during peak hours must !
be eliminated.
To what extent it will be elm
mated depends on the future plans
Of the Public Utilities Commission,
which has already authorized the |
A. B. w. terminal shift and is con-
templating, over the sharp protesta-
tions of Mr.. Lane, the moving OF |
the Arlington Fairfax terminal.
Shift Awaits Platforms.
Gregory Hankin, PUG chairman,
said yesterday that the shift to the |
new A. B. w. site awaits only con-
struction Of three loading platforms
by the District Highway Depart
ment.
Present use of the triangle in front
OF the old Post ONCE Building as
taxi station will be abandoned under
plans which call for the division Of
the area into three lanes, each lane
to run adjacent to loading plat
forms. The three platforms will ac-
commodate approximately IL buses.
The new A. B. w. bus route will
move north on Twelfth street to the
triangle terminal, east on Pennsyl-
vania avenue to Tenth street and |
south on Tenth street, where it |
will pick up with the old route into
Virginia.
The present A. B. w. terminal
building at Tenth and D streets
will be maintained for the duration
of a five-year lease which has three |
years to run, said Mr.. Mitchell.
More Buses Expected.
Mr.. Mitchell also announced that |
the A. B. w. Co. now has lis buses |
In operation and expects to add 40
more to this total within the next |
few weeks, stepping up service to
Virginia points.
Meanwhile. Mr.. Hankin said he is
tussling with proposal to move
the Arlington and Fairfax Motor
Transportation Co. terminal from |
Tenth and E streets to Tenth street |
south of Pennsylvania avenue.
In voicing his objection to this
move yesterday, Mr.. Lane said he
hopes Mr.. Hankin will see that
moving both A. B. w. and the
Arlington Fairfax terminals will
serve no useful purpose
"The bus business survives by its
midday and night business, its off
beat business" he said. "It is not
profitable to run transit line only
for it's rush business.
Foresees Congestion.
"By moving our terminal farther
away from the F street theater and
shopping areas, we are going to
lose business to our competitors who
come closer to the shopping areas
"Our terminal should be left
where it is. II we are moved to
Tenth street below Pennsylvania
avenue, we will be forced to play
leap frog with the A. B. w. buses
on the right-hand turns from
Twelfth street into Pennsylvania
avenue from Pennsylvania avenue
into Tenth street.
Instead of eliminating congestion.
the shift of our terminal would
merely move congestion to another
location"
* H