Evening star., 1942-08-09
Sixteenth Street
Bus Route Cut
Given Approval
Merrill Sees Money
Loss TO Tronsit Firm
In Off-Peuk Porkinq

Abandonment of the Eastern
avenue stretch of the SIS Sixteenth
street bus line of the Capital Tran
sit Company was approved yester-
day by the District Public Utilities
Commission as means OF saving
gasoline. oil and the vehicles them
selves for essential service elsewhere.
Coincidentally, Gregory Hankin,
utilities chairman, announced his
personal belief that much might be
accomplished in reorganization OF
suburban bus traffic, to bring more
persons to use mass transportation
facilities instead of depending on
private autos. This would save gas
and tires while improving transpor-
tation services, he pointed out. At
the same time he recognized that
jurisdiction in the case of such
lines rested with the Maryland or
Virginia agencies or with the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. He
suggested, however, that his calcu-
lations might prove of interest to
gas and tire rationing officials.
These developments came after
E. D. Merrill, president of the Cap
ital Transit Co., announced that. be-
ginning this week. buses will be
stored during off-peak hours on the
Polo Field and the parking lot south
of the Municipal Center Building.
as a means of conserving gasoline,
oil and tires.
Sees Company Loss.
While in favor of this wartime ex-
pedient and while estimating that
very considerable savings of gas.
oil and tires, would result. Mr.. Mer-
ril came up unexpectedly with CAL
culation that the net result to the
company would be an annual loss
of SIS, ,000
This additional net expense, he
said, would be added to the opera
ton costs Of the transit company, by
reason of its agreement with the
union representing its bus drivers,
for payment of wages until drivers
get back to their regular bus stations,
at rate of $l.05 an hour, plus the
cost of furnishing transportation to
the drivers from the downtown bus
parking places to their normal off,
peak stations. He added there would
be additional costs involved in run
ming the buses from the ends Of
their route trips to the Polo Grounds
and the Municipal Center parking
lot.
Mr.. Merrill did not offer this in
the neO plan; in fact, his concern
already had approved the sugges-
tions from transportation experts
seeking to promote savings in bus
mileage and therefore in gasoline,
tires and oil.
Parking Starts Tomorrow.
Beginning tomorrow morning, the
transit company will start parking
few" buses on the Municipal
Center area. east of John Marshall
place NV. under a contractural
arrangement with the parking lot
operator. Within a week or 10
days, Mr.. Merrill said, up to 100
buses day would be parked during
the off-peak hours at this lot, and
a similar number on the Polo Field.
Announcement that Navy officials
had agreed to permit use of por-
ton of the Polo Field for this pur-
pose was made last week by Chair
man Hankin.
Mr.. Merrill estimated that the
downtown off-peak Storage of 200
buses each day would mean a saving
of $4,000 bus miles year This
was interpreted to mean saving
of 2,274,000 tire miles and 94,750
gallons of gasoline year.
The Utilities Commission order on
the So bus line authorized the
Capital Transit Co. to abandon that
portion of the line between Georgia
avenue and Sixteenth street along
Eastern avenue. This is to go into
effect Immediately after the Joint
board" consisting of members OF
the commission and the Board of
District Commissioners, approves
the order, which may be tomorrow.
Route Remaining.
The So bus would continue to
operate from Sixteenth street and
the District Line down Sixteenth
street to Kennedy and then east via
Kennedy to Fourteenth street to
provide a transfer connection with
the Fourteenth street car line. Mr..
Hankin estimated that the elimina-
ton of the Eastern avenue section
of this line would result in an an
nual saving of $4,000 bus miles.
AS to suburban mass transporta-
ton, Mr. Hankin asserted that fig
ures taken from the recent COM
mission origin and destination
survey of services used by District
workers indicated many changes
that might be made in the interest
of the public. He said he already
had established liaison with the
Virginia State Corporations Com
mission and with the Maryland
Public Service Commission and
would send them his findings
Drawing on the figures compiled
by the origin and destination sur
vey, he said it was noted that while
only few more than 3,100 persons
came to work in Washington each
day by bus from suburban points,
there were more than 5000 who
reached the District each day by
private automobile.
IF mass transportation facilities
can be made adequate and avail
able tn them " he said "then there
is no reason why 5000 persons
(See BUSES, Page A-l5.)