Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-19

maximum passengers for both is
in the mid-70s.
To replace abandoned street.
cars, Mr.. Ossanna said st. Paul
and Minneapolis have bought big
buses on "about q one-for lone
ratio" In Detroit, Mr.. Nowicki
said his system has purchased
about Is per cent more buses,
but for the purpose of increas-
ing service.
Mr.. Nowicki said two main
factors led to Detroit's streetcar
abandonment program in 1913:
high costs of operation, and a
desire for free-wheeling" buses
to route along new multi-mil-
lion dollar expressways under
construction in downtown areas.
Higher operating costs Of
streetcars he attributed to MAIN
tenance on vehicles. track main
tenance and repair (not in
volved with buses), electric pow
er (more expensive than diesel
fueD and labor savings in a sim
gle operation. Mr.. Ossanna. in
st. Paul and Minneapolis, said
his firms labor force was cut
from $500 to 1.700 as a result
Iof its 21a-year abandonment
program.
AS Mr.. Giddings pointed out,
officials in all three cities said
they faced major repair costs If
their rail systems had remained.
but they insisted that first
class" equipment also was sac
lrificed.
Cleveland'S Cars Old
Except for rs Pee cars. most
of the Cleveland systems street.
cars were old. 1--WE also had some
good track left" Mr.. Hyde said.
"but we decided the wisest thing
was to sell the Pee cars we had
while we still could get q price"
The rs Cleveland cars were
sold to Toronto for something
over 81 million" Mr.. Hyde said.
Other cities also have turned
largely to foreign markets to get
rid Of the Pee vehicles.
In the Twin Cities abandon
ment. 141 Pee cars were sold to
Mexico City and about 900 older
cars over the years were "vir-
tually given away" In Detroit.
Mr.. Nowicki said negotiations are
under way with Mexico City,
Alexandria. Egypt. and some
other foreign cities" for the sale
of his .l69 Pee cars. The bulk
of Detroit's abandoned street.
cars-unlike Washington's-alsoI
were older models and were sold
for junk"
Mr.. Nowicki. who hopes within
a few years to see streetcarsI
completely abandoned. said his
city has taken the leadership in
"meshing high-speed bus routes
with new expressways." Special
bus bays and even cloverleafsI
have been designed to take full
advantage of the new super
roads.
Transportation Speeded
On one converted line, the De-
troit official said. the normal
transit speed has increased from
11-plus miles per hour by street.
cars to IA miles per hour by the
new buses. And in transit opera
lions, he said, IAN extra mile an
hour really means something
in passenger attraction - and
money"
In all these cities, officials
cited general traffic improve
.ments with more bus operations
"a benefit District Traffic Direc-
tor George E. Keneipp said he
would expect to see anywhere.
I've always personally favored
AN all-bus operation" Mr..
Keneipp said. conditioned on
two things. One is that there be-
adequate off-street terminal fa-
|cilities. like the one at Thir-I
teenth and Pennsylvania avenue
NV. The other is that there bel
adequate bus bays on important
arterial streets like Sixteenth"
Reasons for his feeling, Mr..
Keneipp said, are that elimina-
ton OF streetcars and loading
platforms would permit a more
flexible" use of streets for one
way and unbalanced lane treat
ment. as well as to clear the
center Of streets for regular
traffic.
Chance OF Lifetime" Seen
City highway officials are ex-
pected to exert even more pres
sure than Mr.. Keneipp on the
Commissioners to get rid of
streetcars. They frankly view
this as the chance of a life
time" to free a number of streets
for one-way movement.
All three Of the midwestern
transit Arms have paved over,
rather than ripped up. street.
car tracks.
Although some of Washing
tons tracks, with overhead troll
leys, could be covered over. the
majority Of the system involves
conduits requiring extensive fill.
Capital Transit's franchise OBJ
legation, in addition. calls for
removal Of the tracks, a course
Capital Transit apparently is
ready to follow If directed.
Louis e. Wolfson, Capital
Transit board chairman, dis
cussing possible future steps,
told The Star this week he
thought he could do the job at
a 50 million net cost, after de-
Quoting recovery from scrap and
other sales.