Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-03-11
BUSES
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streets during rush hours, the
report says.
Among 88,676 day-shift Gov
eminent employees surveyed,
only 29,487 came to work by
bus only.
Lack Express Service
Most of the area envisioned
for express bus service do not
have true express service now,
according to Paul w. Foreman,
chairman of GSA's Federal
Employee Parking Task Force
which conducted the survey
in cooperation with other
Federal agencies, the National
Capital Transportation Agen-
cy, the Washington Metro
politan Area Transit Commits
sion and the. District Motor
Vehicle Parking Agency.
The detailed tables in the
493-page report showing where
employees live, where they work,
and how they get to work
should be useful to bus COM
panies and transportation au-
thorities in the Metropolitan
area for working out improved
schedules, express service and
routing, according to Matthew
Marmor, executive director of
the task force.
Widespread use of improved
mass transit could not be ex-
pected Immediately, however,
the report states. 1t would have
to be encouraged by the Transit
Commission and Federal agen-
cies.
Delmer Ison. executive direc-
tor of the Commission, said
that the data in the report
could be useful in two OF the
most important areas" of i'm
provement in public transport
neutrality-suspicious. of express
service and establishment of
through routes. A through route
means direct bus service across
bus company franchise lines
without transfers. Both i'm
provements are aimed at CIV
ing the rider faster service.
Unit Has Authority
Mr.. Ison pointed out that the
Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Compact gives the C, m
mission the authority to eStab-
lish through routes, but none !
have been established. One of
the reasons, he said, is that
the type of information con-
tanned in the GSA survey has
not been available in the Wash
1ngton area. After studying the
report, the Commission expects
to meet with the bus companies
to discuss establishment of ex-
press service and through
routes, he said.
A spokesman for the Meta
said that agency would jnte-
CRATE the GSA findings into its {
report to President Kennedy on ]
the areas transportation needs
scheduled to be made this No
vember. On the GSA survey
date, META queried nearly TO-
600 downtown workers for pri-
Vate employers on their COM
muting habits.
Unlike most origin-destina-
ton studies. the GSA's FEEDER
al Employee Parking and
Transportation Survey" covered
not a sample. but virtually all
Government employees working
downtown.
The report concerns itself
almost entirely with the 49,
676 day shift workers Of the
108,998 employees who were on
duty June 7, 1861, the survey
date.
Government employees prob
ably represent about 80 per
cent Of the total workers en-
tering the downtown area be-
tween 7:30 and $3.50 am, Mr..
Marmor said.
OF the 88,676 daytime en-
ployes surveyed. Sal per cent
came to work by car only, 1876
per cent by bus or combination
of bus and auto, 3.8 per cent
walked, IL per cent by taxi
and the approximately 2 per
cent remaining. by other means
or combinations Of transport.
Of the 58,133 who came by
car all or part of the way to
work. 44.252, or 76.1 per cent
said they could get to work by
bus. and 1914 or 27.8 per cent
said they would be willing to
ride buses If express service and
free transfers were available.
The car users, when asked to
check one or more of the fol-
lowing reasons why they did
not use the bus all the way to
work, responded in the indi-
Gated percentages:
Takes over so minutes for
one-way trip, 1913; no seats on
buses, 47.2; no shelter at bus
stops, 1872; poor bus schedules,
1872; two fares each way, 1876
(the survey was taken before
the Transit Commission es-
tablished joint fares Nov. /,
1861, reducing the basic cash
fare IS cents and token fare
6.25 cents), and too far to bus
stop 24.4.
The reasons checked varied -