Evening star., 1960-12-07

problem become that we must
solve it or see our cities become
ghost towns. What part can
railroads play in the planning
for more effective transpor-
tation Of commuters.
Today's interview is with
David I. Mackie, chairman of
the Eastern Railroad Presidents
Conference:
O., PORTER: The commuter
problem is an increasing worry
to millions. How can we solve
it?
A., MACKIE: Railroads can't
solve the commuter problem.
Nor can commuters. Nor can
parking or highway authorities.
Nor can city governments. The
commuter problem is an area
problem. It can only be solved
by joint efforts supported by
all levels Of government. Each
metropolitan area must develop,
and carry out, a co-ordinated
plan which makes sensible, use
Of all its transport resources to
bring commuters to work. These
plans cannot stop at city or
state lines but must encompass
all commuter zones.
Railroads Vital
Rail transportation obviously
has an important place in such
plans. A single railroad track
can transport $4,000 persons an
hour. 1t takes 20 lanes of
express highway to carry the
same number Of, people in
automobiles; more than five
lanes to carry them in buses.
But the mere existence of
rail facilities in an area will
not solve the commuter prob
lem, as we have discovered
in our large Eastern cities. The
New Haven Railroad loses
more than SO million a year
on its New York suburban
service. The Central Railroad
of New Jersey lost $7.5 million
on commuter services in 1859;
the Lackawanna. $3.8 million,
No free enterprise business can
long survive such losses.
O., PORTER: Why do rail-
roads lose money on commuter
service? t,. .s
A., MACKIE: The answer is
quite simple: Railroad COM
muters pay bargain basement
prices for the most expensive
kind of transport service.
Rail communication began as
an auxiliary to long pas
senger service. Railroads, oper-
ating intercity trains. could
afford to offer the commuter; a
special low fare. Commuter
fares are still low today. even
though intercity passengers
have turned to other modes OF
transportation and revenues
from long-haul service can no
longer cover losses on commuter
operations.
A commuter living in Green
wich. Connecticut, and working
in New York travels farther
on a $500 monthly COM
mutation ticket than from New
York to Nassau in the
Bahamas, for which the air.
coach fare is $3.50. II the
Greenwich commuter uses his
automobile. his Communication
costs about $3.50 a month plus
$50 in parking fees.
Commuter railroads must
maintain costly facilities and
enormous quantities of expen-
sive equipment for use only 20
hours a week: two peak hours
in the morning and two in the
evening for the five working
days. Crews working these 20
hours must be paid for the
period between split shifts.
And added to other COM
muter losses are the heavy
taxes imposed on commuter
facilities.
Answers Suggested
O., PORTER: How can these
losses be reduced? Higher fares
or removal of service are
certainly not the answer from
the commuters point of view
A., MACKIE: Higher fares
or the elimination of deficit
producing service-evn if regu-
latory agencies would permit
them-are not the answer to
the commuter problem. BY
diverting more commuters to
private car pools they would
only increase auto-strangula-
ton Of metropolitan areas.
But private enterprise rail-
| roads can No longer he