Highways and Highway TransportationChatburn, George R.
History
Highways and Highway Transportation
Chatburn, George R.
Roads; Transportation
There seems to be another feasible and legitimate use for the motor bus
which may help the street car companies as well. That is extensions
by means of buses at the ends of the car lines or into territory not
well served by them. The bus might collect passengers from an outlying
district and bring them to the car line where the trolley can take
them on to the heart of the city. Thus motor buses will become feeders
rather than competitors of the regularly established traction lines.
The car companies should attempt to take advantage of this sort of
thing, using either the trackless trolley or gasoline motor, as may be
thought the more suitable for the situation in hand.
Cross-country motor service has proven quite feasible and scores of
buses now leave every large city for the surrounding smaller towns.
The bus seems to negotiate a 50-mile trip very easily at a speed of
approximately 20 miles per hour including stops. These buses or stages
carry from 12 to 20 passengers and are operated by one man; they are
well sprung and equipped with pneumatic tires. For country traffic
seats cross ways of the car are much more comfortable to the rider than
lengthwise seats. Their usefulness seems to lie in suburban traffic or
as feeders to railroads.
Such buses are also largely used as carriers of children to and from
consolidated schools. The little red school house, wherein began the
educational training of so many of our great men, of which silver
tongues have orated, whose virtues have been painted in poetry, and
praises commemorated in song, cannot stand against the superior
advantages of the consolidated graded school brought near to the pupils
by the advent of the automobile. Since each consolidated school with
about five teachers replaces eight to ten ungraded schools, and since
it is easier and cheaper to maintain and heat one consolidated school
than eight ungraded schools, the advantage is economical as well as
educational.
Another place where the motor bus seems extremely well adapted is
in the transfer of travelers from one railroad terminal to another.
Railroads contract with transfer companies to do this and a coupon, a
portion of the traveler’s ticket, is detached by the bus-man when the
transfer is made. To one who is not used to the city this is a great
convenience. In the city of Chicago, through which many long-distance
tourists pass and through which no or at least few railroads extend
in both directions, hundreds of such transfers take place daily.
Passengers and baggage are thus taken care of on a through ticket with
despatch and little inconvenience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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