Evening star., 1961-01-11
Federal Aid Urged
For Urban Transit
$325 Million
Bill Is Offered;
D. 6. Aid Seen

Legislation calling for q
$3.50 million loan and a SITS
million grant program to de-
velop urban transportation
systems today was introduced
in the Senate by Senator Will
liams, Democrat of New Jersey.
He said he saw no reason
why the newly created National
Capital Transportation Agency
could not benefit from the
proposal.
The Williams bill won BIZ
partisan support. Eight Dem
ocrats and five Republicans
Joined him in sponsoring the
bill, which they hope will be
Endorsed by President-elect
Kennedy.
Already, a Kennedy task
force study on urban develop
ment has recommended imme-
diate enactment of program
of transportation planning
grants and loans along the
lines of a Williams bill passed
by the Senate last year.
Two New Points Noted
The fresh bill has been ex-
panded. 1t carries a kind of
"ShoW-me" clause requiring
urban centers to prove they
have long range plans and are
progressing in carrying them
out before Federal aid is started
or ccs:tinued.
Another new feature is pro-
vision for so-called "cost bene-
fit" studies. Federal officials
would assist metropolitan tran
sit experts in fixing costs of
commuter service, for example,
determining how much that
service meets transportation de-
mandS and estimating whether
any other service could meet
the demand at lesser cost.
This bill is national recog-
milton OF the Federal RESPONSE
bility for the crisis in metro
politan transportation" Sena-
tor Williams said.
The loans, limited to SlOO
million in the first year, would
be used to build such facilities
as terminals, parking lots and
central depots or to buy COM
muter cars and buses. Such
construction or purchase would
be dependent on coordination
Iof equipment with highway
construction and current
transportation.
PriOrities Provided
Areas making substantial
progress toward development of
a workable program and areas
threatened with loss of essential
service would be given first
priority by the administering
Housing and Home Finance
Agency. Senator Williams ex-
lplained.
He said Washington is in the
first category-that it has 10 a
degree paced other metropoli-
tan areas with the completion
of a $500.000 area tranSporta-
ton study and creation of a
transportation agency to i'm
plement recommendations of
the study.
The grant system in the Will
liams bill would allow unique
pilot demonstrations adaptable
to city like Washington. On
a trial basis, an express service
for shoppers with a special low
fare could be tried within an
appropriate section of the city.
Senator Williams noted that
I'VE know what happens when
fares go up-paSsenger patron
age falls-but we don't know
what would happen if urban
transit patrons were to be
charged a nickel or a dime a
ride today"
He was optimistic that
prompt hearings would be
scheduled before the Banking
and Currency Committee. Co.
sponsors were Democratic Sem
ators Clark of Pennsylvania,
Young OF Ohio, Engle of Cali
fornia, Long and Symington OF
Missouri, Douglas of Illinois,
Morse of Oregon and Bible of
Nevada, and Republican Sena-
tors Beall of Maryland, Javits
of New York, Kuchel of Cali
fornia, Bush of Connecticut and
Bridges of New Hampshire.