Evening star., 1954-10-19
Shopping Token
From Nearby
Areas Proposed
D. c. Merchants to
Weigh Plan Similar !.
To CTC Offer

~ Mn SttCt
Downtown merchants this week
will consider asking Virginia
and Maryland bus lines to par
ticipate in the new shopper
special" plan being worked out
with the Capital Transit Co. to
bring more business to the CEN
trail area.
The plan, which now has off,
cial Capital Transit support,
proposes that merchants subsi-
die part of the fares for mid
day bus and streetcar riders who
come downtown to shop.
Vice President E. c. Giddings
of Capital Transit told the mer-
chants in writing yesterday just
how far his company would go
along.
With a firm offer in hand, the
next step will be up to the
Merchants and Manufacturers
Association and the Central Bus
nessmen's Association, who orig
mated the idea in the first place.
Giddings' Idea.
This is the idea put in writing
by Mr.. Giddings:
Between 10 am. and noon. bus
and Streetcar riders coming
downtown to shop would be
given a two-part ticket.
Upon a specified minimum
purchase, merchants participate
ing in the plan would redeem
one part of the ticket with a
token that would represent the
shoppers fare home.
The second part of the ticket
could be used on the way down.
town for a second free ride on
F and G street lines between
Seventh and Fifteenth streets
NV. Its purpose is to permit
riders to stop at one point, shop
and then continue the streetcar
or bus ride in the same general
direction to another downtown
point.
Mr.. Giddings sent copies of
the proposal to E. A. Pr;tchard,
Merchants and Manufacturers
Association secretary, and to
Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prentiss,
District Engineer Commissioner,
who got the merchants and
transit people together on the
idea.
Further Proposal Made.
Gen. Prentiss, in turn, pro-
posed to Mr.. Pritchard that the
merchants also ask Virginia's
A. B & w. Transit Co. and Arnold
Lines and Maryland's w. M. g.
w. Motor Lines, Inc, to consider
participation in the plan.
Mr.. Pritchard said he would
call meeting of the merchants
group late this week to consider
both the Capital Transit proposal
and Gen. PrentisS' new sugges-
ton.
Merchants. under the plan,
would purchase tokens at regular
rates to hand out to customers.
Since some Virginia bus fares
exceed Capital Transit's, there
was no indication how merchants
will respond to the new idea.
Capital Transit has agreed to
publicize the plan widely if it
goes through. Mr.. Giddings
warned, however, that it "only
can be successful if it has the
complete cooperation and back
ing of the merchants, particu-
larly the large department store
groups in the downtown area"
: The merchants association, by
the same token, has stressed
that no attempt has been made
yet to sound out very many busi-
nessmen about participation.
Mr.. Giddings said his firms
proposal also will depend upon
Public Utilities Commission ap-
proval of the "stop-over" trans
fer privilege that would allow
shoppers to get off a bus and
then resume the ride at the same
fare. But no commission objec-
ton Is foreseen by officials.
On another front. meanwhile.
Leonard B. Doggett, president Of
the Washington Parking Associ-
alton, said he hoped for a meet
ing with the merchants soon to
find ways off-Street parking OPP
orators can help entice more
shoppers to the downtown area.
Mr.. Doggett said his group has
formed a committee that is
ready to meet as soon as the
merchants designate representa-
tiveS to speak for them.