Evening star., 1951-03-02
Citizens toFight
For 8 Maryland
Transit Lines
Company Proposes
Abandonment, Cites
Inadequate Revenue

and Montgomery Counties planned
today to ask Maryland Public
Service Commission hearings or
a Capital Transit CO. decision te
cancel service on eight buslines
in those counties.
The company announced last
night that, beginning April /, il
no longer will operate these lines:
No, Glen Echo; OF, Kenwood
Edgemoor, Bradley boulevard; Y3
Piney Branch road; F8, Hyatts-
vile; CO, Greenbelt; H3. East
Pines: X8, Sheriff road, and IA
Takoma branch line.
100 Passengers Reported.
While total population of COM
munities served by the lines runs
into the thousands, Capital
Transit said the lines carried an
average of $500 to 1,700 pas
sengers a day.
Only a part of the Hyattsville
area is served by other transpor-
tation facilities, which means that
practically the entire commuter
bus service to the eight regions
will be knocked out.
In applying to the PSC for an
nual renewal permits, Capital
Transit omitted the eight lines
from the application list.
A company spokesman said the
action was taken, after careful
consideration, because the lines
have failed even to meet opera
tors wages.
THE company feels that it is
necessary to take these steps in
order to preserve the service on
its other and more heavily patron
lied lines in Maryland" a spokes-
man said.
I'm the past we have been able
to maintain service on these Mary
land lines because the losses were
absorbed. However, constantly
mounting operating expenses make
it impossible to find the cushion
necessary to keep them going.
1--WE do not feel that we can
continue to ask our other patrons
or the stockholders to subsidize
the patrons of the eight lines af-
fected."
The company said operators
wages totaled almost $4,000 an
nually, about $4,000 more than
the revenues. Total losses on the
lines amounted to more than $105,-
900 a year.
County Survey Sought.
Reaction from civic leaders was
quick and emphatic. w. Paul
Coppinger, chairman of the Mont
gomery County Civic Federation's
public utilities committee, said his
group will meet soon and perhaps
propose that the County Council
institute a survey or investiga-
ton of the adequacy of the COM
pany's service in the county.
1--WE think the fringe areas
served by the company have been
Disseminated against" Mr.. Cop
pinger said. And many people
can't understand how the COM
pany, after getting fare increases
from the Maryland commission
is practically pleading bankruptcy
and at the same time declaring
double dividends and showing
other revenue gains"
Walter F. Mulligan, president of
the Prince Georges County Civic
Federation, said he will petition
the PSC today for hearing. He
will get the support of the county
commissioners and other organ
izations in fighting the busline
cancellations.
Usual Dividends Cited.
"Just day before yesterday the
company declared another, its
usual 81 dividend" Mr.. Mulligan
said. Under such circumstances
it hardly can be considered bank
rupt."
Mr.. Mulligan recalled that, two
years ago, the company abolished
a streetcar line between Branch
vile and Beltsville which had been
operating At years. Since then
he said, several hundred homes
have been built in the Hollywood
area, giving the company more
potential customers. He called
the policy of abandoning such
lines "short-sighted."
Legal authorities believed there
was small chance of petitioners
to the PSC preventing abandon
ment of the lines. They pointed
out that the commission has nc
authority to order service con-
tinued on the line, since they were
operated on a yearly permit basi.
and not through a direct franchise
The Prince Georges County
Civic Federation protested the
proposed bus service changes al
its regular meeting last night ir
Hyattsville.
Lines to Be Suspended.
1t was recalled that citizen.
protested to the PSC when the
Branchville e-Beltsville service wa.
eliminated. The PSC upheld tht
citizens protest and ordered thu
service continued, but Capita
Transit took the case to court
and the PSC was reversed.
Here is description of the
eight Maryland lines to be sus.
pended:
Route N8 Glen Echo, operate!
from Cabin John to Forty-nintl
street and Massachusetts avenue
NV, 4.93 miles.
Route OF, Kenwood, Edgemoore
Bradley Boulevard, operates from
Burdette road and Bradley boule
ward to Friendship Terminal a
Wisconsin and Western avenue
1853 miles.
Route Y3, Piney Branch road
operates from Piney Branch roae
and Sligo avenue to Fourth ant
Butternut streets NV 1.64 miles