Evening star., 1960-01-03
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Cabin John line yesterday to
take care of residents who
turned out for a last ride before
the conversion deadline.
Many of the streetcar buffs
had cameras to snap final pic
lures of the scenic route.
Scheduled last night was a
last-hour streetcar ride over all
three routes in a 1918-year car
chartered by the Washington
Electric Railway Historical So
ciety. 1t was to leave the Navy
Yard at 1910 pm. for the
excursion.
Delay Attempted
1t was the question of the
adequacy of this substitute
service for the Cabin John
streetcars which set off an at
tempt by the Palisades Citi-
zens' Association to win a delay
on the conversion.
The Public Utilities Commits
sion, which had approved the
company's request to switch to
buses today on the three routes,
yesterday rejected pleas by the
citizens group to reverse this
decision.
The PUG first turned down a
petition filed Thursday asking
that it reconsider the conver-
sion order. Later, the commits
sion listened to appeals from
four spokesmen for the associa-
ton and again stood by its de-
cision to permit the changeover
to bus operation.
I One OF the spokesmen, VIII
liam G. Smith, chairman Of the
associations District Govern
ment Committee, reported later
that no attempt would be made
to seek a court order for delay
ing the conversion. This idea
was dropped. Mr.. Smith ex-
planned. because the group
would have had to post a large
bond to cover any financial
damage from such a postpone
ment.
At yesterdays special PUG
session, the association repre-
sentatives argued that they had
not received adequate warning
that the Cabin John cars would
be abandoned today.
The Cabin John line should
not be discontinued, the as
sociation contended, without a
thorough study OF the conse-
quences.
The PUG members, however.
said they could not grant a
delay in the conversion. which
Is a step toward the require
ment in the company's fran
chise FOR an all-bus operation
by August, 1863.
A close check will be made on
the substitute service, the PUG
members said. and, they added,
II the citizens group wishes to
have a hearing called in the
future on the adequacy OF the
transit service 1t will no doubt
be granted.
Steps will be taken to remedy
the bus service If 1t is found
to be below par, the association
SpokeSmen were assured.
The position Of the citizens
group, however, is that the
present Macarthur boulevard
and Georgetown streets cannot
support enough buses to supply
service which is equal to the
streetcar operation.
New Schedules
The company's announced
schedule for the changeover is:
The first bus runs on the
Cabin John line were to be at
5:55 am. from Macarthur
boulevard and Manning place
to Cabin John: 6:18 am. re-
turn. Georgia avenue Seventh
street line, 4::30 am. from
Seventh street wharves to the
Georgia avenue terminal; $40
am. return. Wisconsin ave-
nue. route. 5:25 am, Barney
circle to Friendship; 5:37 am.
return.
The last Cabin John car was
scheduled to leave Union Sta
ton at 1910 am. and Cabin
John at los am. On the Wis
consin avenue route the final
run from Barney circle was set
for l:04 am. and from Friend
ship Heights at Isl am. On
the Georgia avenue line the
last car was to leave the
wharves at 1927 am. and from
Georgia and Alaska avenues at
2:10 am.