Evening star., 1951-07-02
Most Workers Get
To Jobs Despite SnorI
From Transit WuIkout

AddIflonol pictures OF strike effects.
Poee B-l
tions without buses and streetcars.
The result was the greatest num-
Der of autos ever seen downtown,
Police Supt. Robert j. Barrett said.
It was the second day of the
strike of 3,400 Capital Transit Co.
employees. But it was the first
weekday test for this area Of
nearly Is million people.
The expected absenteeism in
Federal Offices did not develop,
as workers demonstrated ingenu-
ity by getting to work-most Of
them on time. Summer schools.
however, reported a sharp drop
in attendance.
In a special meeting this morn
ing, police and the Commissioners
worked on tentative plans to ease
the jams caused when the 425,000
autos-125,0 900 more than normal
showed into the downtown area.
Lights May Be Turned.
They announced that traffic
lights probably would be turned
out along the main routes, and
the intersections controlled solely
by policemen. They urged work.
ers who are driven downtown by
their wives or others to get out
of the cars as far from the mid
die of downtown as possible.
They asked for more co-opera-
ton from the motorists in obey
ing parking and moving traffic
regulations. Maj. Barrett said
more police will be pulled into the
downtown area from outlying
precincts to patrol the intersec-
tions. Seventy-eight intersections
were manned by police this morn
ing.
Traffic Director George e.
Keneipp backed up the police
statement with an estimate that
city traffic was 40 per cent above
normal today. He characterized
the situation as "a mess"
What's more, he added, things
could be worse tomorrow.
"I cannot be a pollyanna," he
declared, land as long as the
transit strike lasts we are going
to have a mess on our hands. II
people would use their heads more,
it might help"
intersections Blocked.
In many cases. Mr.. Keneipp
said. police complained motorists
parked cars so that intersections
were virtually blocked.
He again stressed a plea for
more car-pool arrangements. say
ing he had been told that many
motorists made their trips down.
town today alone.
In another move to relieve the
congestion, the w. M. & A. bus
line and the w. v. M. (Arnold)
line, asked the Public Utilities
Commission for permission to pick
up and discharge passengers in
the District.
Commissioner F. Joseph Dono-
hue said the proposals are under
Present regulations
forbid the pickup of passengers
by the lines at other than widely
separated spots.
Routes into the district were
jammed during the rush hours.
Traffic which began ambling into
the city as early as 6 am. later
slowed to a crawl as snarlS de-
veloped at intersections.
All Police Leaves Cancelled.
The biggest forces Of Metropoli-
tan police ever on duty in the city
at one time-according to Maj.
IBarrett-Was stationed at strategic
spots to handle the heavy influx.
More than TOO individual officers
including all inspectors and cap
tains, and Maj. Barrett himself
were directing the flow.
All police leaves and days of
had been cancelled, and the mid
night shift was held over to help.
The last of 963 busses and 615
streetcars serving the District
and parts of Maryland came TO
a halt at 2::38 am. Sunday as
the transit workers struck over
wages and other considerations.
Thus the wheels Of transporta-
ton were halted for nearly half
a million persons, who had to
look to taxicabs, lifts, and car
pools for their ride to work today.
Full effect of the strike on
downtown merchants had not yet
been fully felt. The stores, how
(See TRANSIT, Page A-3.)
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