Evening star., 1947-02-07
|HyattsviI|e Citizens
Demand Resumption
OF Direct Bus Lines

Demands for immediate restora-
tion of direct bus service from sub
urban Prince Georges County to
downtown Washington were voiced
last night by nearly 300 residents
of Hyattsville and adjacent areas.
At the same time they Endorsed
transportation plan of the Prince
Georges County Civic Federation to
restore direct bus service and pro-
vide a cross-county link for intra-
county routes.
The residentst who met at the call
Of the Citizens Transportation
Committee, also voted to organize a
citizens accusation to carry on the
transportation fight and study other
issues.
Arthur H. Koonce, chairman of
the Citizens Transportation Com
mittee, who presided, said his group
was formed in December to "do
something about the longer, more
incenvenient and more. hazardous
bus service foisted on the people In
this county under the high sounding
title uf. master plan"
Mr frooncc accused the Capital
Transit Co. and the Independent
Trade Association of figuring out
what they think would be best and
trying to force it down our throats. "
Apathy at Trial Hearing.
The Maryland Public Service Com
mission approved a 30-day trial plan
for rerouting Prince Georges County
lines into the Mount Rainier ter
minal last February. At PSC public
hearings only a few persons from
the Hyattsville area appeared. MIR.
Koonce said this may have led the
State agency to believe I'VE citizens
didn't care much what kind of bus
service we had. Maybe the PSC
through the Independent Trade
Association truly represented the
citizens"
The PSC approved the 30-day
trial plan last February, Mr.. Koonce
explained, but 1t was not put into
operation until November II. SUBJ
sequently the trial plan has been
ordered extended to March l.
Meanwhile the Citizens Trans
portation Committee was organized
and presented protest petitions bear
ing 600 signatures which, Mr.. Koonce
said, may have prevented the PSC
from making the plan permanent.
Since then, he said, the committee
has filed supplementary petitions
making a total of 1,461 names.
Mrs. M. A. McAnallen, Hyattsville,
introduced the resolution asking the
PSC to end the trial plan and
restore direct bus service Immediate
ly. Her resolution blamed the tenn
porary plan for increasing overall
travel time by 10 to is minutes per
trip through rerouting and transfers
at Mount Rainier and for creating
a traffic hazard around the terminal
at Rhode Island avenue, Perry
street and Thirty fourth street.
Arthur w. Brunei, Riverdale town
councilman, outlined the counter
proposals of the County Civic Fed
Grafton which were filed with the
PSC last April. The main differences
between the ITA's master plan and
that of the citizens, he said, are
that the TIA plan makes possible
transportation from most anywhere
in the Metropolitan Area to Mount
Rainier without transfer" while
the citizens plan makes it possible
to get from anywhere in the Metro
politan Area to Washington, without
a transfer"
Mrs. McAnallen also introduced the
resolution asking PSC approval Of
the counter proposal. It was passed
with only minor dissent.
Before adjournment, the mass
meeting named Mr.. Koonce Tenn.
porary Chairman of the proposed
Citizens Association. Roy G. Voor.
hees, Miss Martha Jane Davis anc
j. G. MacVeigh were named to q
Constitution and Bylaws Com.
mittee and Mrs. A. G. Havens, E. L
Walter and Norman E. Peterson
were appointed to a Nominating