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Show THE MOTOR BUS VS. STREET CAR By R E. Fulton. In 8 consideration of the reasons tor the growing acceptance of the motor bus as an economic necessity in passenger pas-senger transportation, it is wen to first examine the ultimate effect of increases in-creases in population upon traffic facilities. While the necessity for immediate action to solve serious con-gestion con-gestion problems is now being felt only by the larger cities, the requirements require-ments of smaller cities and their future fu-ture development deserves Just as much consideration to prevent this congestion in years to come. Traffic facilities may be divided into two classes, public utility tran portatlon lines, and highways to accommodate ac-commodate privately owned vehicles. It Is evident thai the traction lines are becoming more and more inadequate inade-quate to handle the congestion that is increasing every day Since the amount of traffic they will hold is limited by ihe tracks on Which they run, it will be impossible for them to keep up with the growing needs of transporta tion unle.ss new tracks are laid This, however, is prohibited by the increasing increas-ing congestion of privately owned vehicles on the highways. Increasing population on the one hand demands more public transportation facilities The Increasing number of privatel) owned passenger and commercial vehicles on the other hand demands better highway facilities. Can one factor be satisfied except at tho expense ex-pense of the other? The present serious financial condition con-dition oi these public utility corporations corpora-tions throughout the country is bound to mean increased fares, and the burdens imposed upon them by Increasing In-creasing population Is bound to mean more and more congestion. The motor mo-tor bus will not only solve tho serious traffic problem, but will provide the public with a more flexible satisfacl tor mode of transportation at a lower cost. In the majority of large cities It is I out of the question to lay more tracks for surface car lines in thickly popu lated hu.-iru s and residential .sections' there is no room for them In view1 Of this fact' it is only logical to as- sume that motor busses will be used to relieve the congestion, as they are free to operate on any route without1 tracks. And it is very possible that the time will come when traffic will have increased to such an extent that treets will seem unable to hold it In this event the only solution would be the discontinuance of surface car lines and the substitution of motor busses. This for tho simple reason that busses do not block the highways, being flexible and able to move about in traffic Surface cars, on the other hand, do block traffic this fact cannot can-not be denied As far as less thickly populated sections sec-tions are concerned, there is every reason to believe that future develp-menl develp-menl of transportation facilities win faor the motor bus The laying of tracks tor a surlace car. line tepre aeuts a huge initial expense for right oi way, bridges, grading and rails. If such a line does not prove profitable, it cannot be diverted. The flexibility of the mvjtor bus system, however, does not confine It to any one fixed route. Public utility corporations everywhere every-where are gradually losing the faith of investors Their inability to increase fare.s to keep up with increasing costs of operation considerably decreases their dividends In view of this, It is becoming increasingly difficult to find investors who will lend the money to build and equip new traction llne.s, while far better inducements are ottered ot-tered In oiher securities. Efficiency and economy of operation opera-tion are in favor of the motor bus. This has been proved in New York City by the success of motor bus lines established to take the place of trac" 1 ""i lines thai could not paj for th m selves. Then, too. when Brooklyn traction trac-tion companies raised their fares and people refused to pay the, advance, a fleet of motor busses solved the prob lem by taking the Brooklynites to their places of business They not only were able to operate profitably on "the lower fare basis, but proved to be quicker and far more comfortable than the trolley lines These economies are principally due ;to the fact that the tremendous overhead over-head expenses of the surface car lines ;are eliminated in the operation of motor mo-tor busses. The bus is its own power 1 plant and it consumes power only when j In operation. Since it is speedier than : the surface car. a bus can make more-trips more-trips per day thereby Increasing the revenue per unit of expenditure. Motor bus routes offer many con ! veniences that cannot be offered by traction lines. Another point they unload passengers al the curb whicn is much safer In care of a blocKaae. a bus can detour. This fact alone works as a ben. tit in two ways it makes a more dependable transportation transporta-tion system and tends to relieve the congestion incidental to blockades. Not being confined to tracks, busses can receive and discharge passengers nearer to their homes. Then, too, we have the obvious fact that, people would rather ride In a motor bus not only because of its conveniences, but i because of the suggestion it conveys of pleasurable outdoors. A movement that had its inception I in California and that is gradually spreading to other parts of the country i- i he use of motoi blisses to provide better educational facilities. By the ! consolidation of rural schools and the use of busses lo carry the pupils to and from them, a more complete curriculum cur-riculum is offered to the children in rural districts tun is but one in-ancs in-ancs oi the adaptability of the iu In the development of sparsely popu htied sections. Where a traction sys tem is needed, but is too costly to be profitable, the economical motor bus can be relied upon to fill the need. There are seasonable needs for transportation service that can only be filled by the motor bus. Summer resorts, re-sorts, for instance, often cannot support sup-port a surface car line the year throueh, while the bus can be div. rted to other channels out of the busy ea son. The motor bus Is also a big factor in solving the industrial problem Factory Fac-tory sites within city limits where la-rbo la-rbo is available, are scarce. The use of busses to cary employes to outlying sections where -it - an- obtainahle is gradually Ing recognized as the log H al solution to the problem. A short time ago a party of ladies left Easton, Pa., in a pneumatic tired motor bus to attend a matinee theatre performance in New "York City, a distance dis-tance of 73 miles bv train. They left In the morning, arrived in plenty of time for the matinee and returned to their home in the bus that same evening. eve-ning. Such illustrations of the poten Uallties of the motor bus make it easy to conceive the time when commuters will travel to business in busses more o,ul kly and comfortably than by means of suburban trains. Metal laid roads designed tor one-way motor traffic with no speed limit are Inevitable Inevit-able nn |
