Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-20
bus-or-Tro|Iey
Fight Labeled
As'Academic'
P. U. c. and Citizens
Unable to Agree
On Best System

vi DeSt SyStem
The city's Streetcar-versus-bus
controversy was virtually buried
yesterday as one that is rapidly
becoming academic"
This was almost the only
agreement that came out of a
two-hour session between staff
officials of the District Public
Utilities Commission and seven
members of the Federation of
Citizens Associations executive
board and public utilities COM
mittee.
The meeting was suggested by
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane, En-
gineer Commissioner. who criti-
cized a February 18 report of
the Federation as one in which
lit appears your committee has
accepted some misleading data"
The report had assailed the
Commissioners decision to try
to set up an all-bus system next
August is, after the scheduled
death of the Capital Transit Co.
franchise, urged the city heads
to hold public hearings on the
issue and to make a careful
study of the proposed change.
Col Thaddeus M. Nosek, As
sistant Engineer Commissioner,
presided at the meeting in the
Board Room of the District
Building. He assured the Fed
Grafton representatives the COM
mission staff members Just
wanted to present the facts and
refused to agree with a comment
that the utilities commission
had considered one side and we
considered the other SIDE"
Copy Requested
When John A. Remon. fed
Grafton president, asked for q
copy OF what you think are the
facts" as stated in a lengthy
document from which the colonel
was reading, Col. NoSek prom
ised to ask the utilities commits
sion if he could let the fedora
ton have it. 1t was, he said,
compiled entirely from records
of public testimony by the staff
One highlight was an assur-
ance to Mr.. Remon from Gen
Lane that the commissioners
have not made an irrevocable
decision to abandon Streetcars''
because such a change would de-
pend on the type of system die
tated by the circumstances.
Mr.. Remon sought repeatedly
to keep the discussion from de
generating" into a discussion be-
tween experts" on the technical
problems involved in evaluating
streetcars and buses.
His position was epitomized by
Robert L. Banks in commenting
on commission figures purport-
ing to show savings that re-
suited when Detroit converted
its Jefferson avenue streetcar
line to an all-bus operation.
Figures Dishonest"
Mr.. Banks, citing several
omissions from the figures, de-
clared: There are approx
mately 200 people in town who
make their living manipulating
figures. I am one of them
These figures are dishonest, and
could prove it if it were worth
the trouble to do So"
He argued that the city should
keep its street railway system
for possible use in a rapid transit
system of the future, contending
such a suggestion might come
out of the present $500, 900 area
wide transportation study now
being conducted by the National
Capital Planning Commission.
Mr.. Remon finally got Col
Nosek to concede he would agree
with the first point of the FEEDER
atoms February resolution, OPP
posing "the precipitouS and IT.
revocable decision to abandon all
streetcar operations in the Dis
trict of Columbia and its en-
virons." Col. Nosek refused
however, to agree there should
be public hearings on the issue.
The only complete agreement
was with the conclusion of T. A
Sonnenberg. head of the COM
missions transit bureau, that I'm
view of the shortage of time
the whole Streetcar- bus issue is
rapidly becoming academic"