Evening star., 1951-03-06
Passengers May Ask
Bus Hearing Transfer
To Washington Area

To Washington Area
Maryland bus riders, fighting
for continued operation of eight
Capital Transit lines, may petition
Gov. McKeldin to transfer a Pub
lie Service Commission hearing
from Baltimore to a point nearer
Washington.
Acting on citizens protests, the
PSC yesterday scheduled a public
hearing for 10 am. March 81 at
Baltimore's Munsey Building, CAL
vert and Fayette streets.
Capital Transit was directed to
continue service on the eight lines
connecting the District with Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
County points, pending an investi-
cation and decision by the COM
mission.
Company Cites Losses.
Citing revenue losses of more
than $105,000 on the lines last
year.. Capital Transit informed the
PSC of plans to discontinue serv-
ice effective April /.
The lines affected are N8, Glen
Echo; OF, Kenwood, Edgmoor and
Bradley boulevard; Y3, Piney
Branch road; F8. Hyattsville; G8,
Greenbelt; H3, East Pines; x8.
Sheriff road. and T4, Takoma
branch line.
Faced with prospects of no pub
lie transportation whatever, COM
muters in those areas have
launched an organized protest.
Three written protests reached the
PSC, enough to touch off the in
vestigation. and citizens groups
are circulating resolutions and Pc
titions.
L. Paul Coppinger. chairman of
the Montgomery County Civic
Federation's Utilities Committee,
said his group may petition Gov.
McKeldin to bring the PSC hear
ing closer home.
Calls 1t Reasonable.
"It is more reasonable to expect
four or five commissioners and
staff members to come here than
to ask $50 or more citizens to
travel to Baltimore, he said.
Albert L. Deem. the PSC's execu-
tive secretary, did not rule out the
possibility of change in hearing
scene, but recalled only one oc-
casion in 35 years when the COM
mission left Baltimore for a ses-
sion.
ANY request for a hearing in
or near Washington will be sub
mitted to the commission and
given careful consideration" Mr..
Deem said.
Mr.. Coppinger predicted zone OF
the, hottest sessions in long
time" when the Montgomery
County Civic Association meets at
8 pm. next Monday in the Wood
ward & Lothrop Auditorium at
Wisconsin and Western avenues,
Chevy Chase. Md.
Petitions Circulating.
He said many of the associated
groups were circulating petitions,
some of which may ask the County
Council to support request for
thorough investigation of "these
recurring crises" of the transit
company in the face of "unprec-
edented profits and double divi-
dends."
Protests to the PsC precipitat-
ing the hearing came from j. H
Sidebottom, chairman of the Brad
ley Boulevard Citizens Associa-
tion's Utilities Committee; E
Carlton Tatum of Greenbelt and
Stephen Grubb, a Takoma Park
attorney. Mr.. Tatum said loss OF
the Greenbelt line would put him
on foot, since he has no car.
The company contends it is on
sound legal grounds in discon-
tinuing the lines through the
simple expediant of not asking
for an annual permit. A spokes-
man for the PSC said there OBJ
viously was difference of opinion
of this conception on the board,
else the hearing would not be
called.
Last night the Greenbelt City
Council added its voice of protest,
as Councilman Frank j. Lastner
pointed out that the community
of 1900 would be completely iso-
lated" if the line is dropped.
Students Would Lack Service.
Pupils of Greenbelt High School,
living as far as miles away, would
be without transportation, since
there no longer is provision for
school bus service, he said. The
Council agreed to protest formally
to the PSC and public officials.
At Bethesda a transit company
official told the Chamber of Com
merce that service on N8 and o.
lines could be continued only if
they were made self sustaining.
Dean j. Locke, a staff engineer,
said he knew of no practical way
for accomplishing that. but that
the company "iS always open to
suggestions with a dollar sign at
Itached."