Evening star., 1943-01-26
Bus ServiceCuts
For Arnold Line
Are Threatened
ODT Aide Suggests
RossIyn Turn-Around
Evenings and Sundays

The Arlington County Chamber
Of Commerce last night heard an
Office of Defense Transportation
proposal that buses of the Arnold
operated line-the Washington, Vir-
ginia, Maryland Coach Co.-be
halted at Rosslyn on Sundays, or
possibly in the off-peak evening
hours during the week.
Complete suspension of Sunday
bus service on the Arnold line also
was favored by the ODT spokes-
man, "if there are no workers in
essential industries using the Sum-
day buses" Milton Diehl, ODTs
Northern Virginia Transportation
representative, who made the state
ment, gave the Sunday suspension
idea as his personal view.
Later, however, Mr.. Diehl told the
Cherrydale Citizens Association that
in his opinion the ODT would order
the Sunday or evening turn-around
at Rosslyn If the Arnold line docs
not show willingness to cooperate
in ODT conservation policies"
Chamber Names Committee.
The chamber, after hearing Mr.
Diehl designated committee to
confer with ODT officials on the re-
lease of 90 buses which are ready for
delivery.
Raymond Miller and E. L. Usilton,
both members of the chamber:
Charles R. Fenwick, delegate to the
State Legislature, and Frank l..
Dieter, county planning engineer,
were those named to intercede with
ODT.
Mr.. Diehl said the bus line had not
offered "one iota" of cooperation
with ODT conservation plans, ex-
cept to place bus stop signs along its
routes. He added that the Sunday
turn around plan is all right because
the majority of Sunday bus riding
is non-essential.
Discussing the possibility of a
turn-around order, he said:
"In my opinion, when and if the
order is issued, it will either stop
the Arnold buses at Rosslyn on Sum-
days or during the off peak traffic
periods at night"
Buses May Be Released.
Mr.. Diehl said he studied carefully
w. A. Van Duzer's plan to have
Arnold passengers transfer to Capital
Transit Co. streetcars at Rosslyn
when it was presented last summer.
He said at that time he argued that
the plan would not work as an every
day proposition, but added that
much of the Sunday travel 'is
pleasure travel" which could very
well transfer from the Arnold lines
on Sundays.
In answer to a question from
Julian D. Simpson II the residents
OF Virginia were not the ones caught
in the middle of the bus argument.
Mr.. Diehl said it was quite posi-
BILE that the ODT would release
the 20 new buses to the Arnold COM
pany and issue such conservation
orders it deemed necessary in the
future
Mr.. Diehl said $4,000 to 10000 bus
passengers had been added to the
Arnold load on Sunday at the time
the pleasure driving ban went into
effect"
Arnold Aide Tells Difficulties.
Arnold line officials said they had
been carrying 35, 900 passengers each
Sunday for the past three Sundays.
and that it would be impossible for
Capital Transit streetcar facilities
at Rosslyn terminal to take care of
the Sunday load. 1t was also stated
that the average Sunday now is 36
per cent heavier than the standard
week day six months ago, when
surveys determined that there was
a large excess of passengers on
buses over the streetcar capacity.
Denying Mr.. Diehrs charges that
the Arnold Co. had done nothing
to effect any savings, Arnold off,
cials stated that in spite of a 200
per cent increase in bus passengers,
they have effected a 5 per cent
mileage decrease and a 26 per cent
passenger mileage decrease by heavy
loading. They also charged that
ODT is using this new plan as "a
club over our heads to make us
rush into this thing without giving
us chance to investigate it."