FORTY-SIX BUSES TAKING CARE OF LOCAL TRAFFIC
Commissioner Connolly Says Service Satisfactory in the Main.
EMPTY BUS BURNS UP NEAR ARSENAL
The Public Service trolley strike in New Brunswick and throughout New Jersey on the Public Service lines is in full swing, starting shortly after midnight last night. Today the public had to rely entirely upon the jitneys and private conveyances for transportation. New Brunswick was not unprepared for the situation and at 6 o’clock this morning forty-six buses were set in motion to transport the army of workers to their places of employment.
Only two lines of travel in this section were held up this morning and these were the routes to Bound Brook and Milltown, the former because of the condition of the roads and refusal of the jitneurs to attempt to operate buses. The Milltown line, which was held up temporarily because of lack of cooperation from the officials of Perth Amboy. All other lines started off as per schedule and at noon, they were operating smoothly without mishap.
Commissioner Frank A. Connolly of the Department of Revenue and Finance, who has jurisdiction over the buses, and Commissioner William C. Jaques of the Department of Public Safety were out at 6 o’clock to direct the operation of the buses and the regulation of traffic. Advanced plans had been so perfected that there was practically no confusion and thousands of men and women were carried to their places of employment.
The Milltown situation will be straightened out before the day is over as Commissioner Connolly has arranged for the operation of a regular string of buses to that borough. Because of the failure of cooperation by officials of Perth Amboy, two big buses which had been chartered to transport the employees of the Michelin factory failed to put in appearance and the employees were delayed for fully half an hour in reaching their places of employment. The Codwise Avenue and Burnet Street buses were taken off their routes and sent to Milltown, making several trips and carrying several hundred men and women.
Detour Employed
Sufficient buses will be on hand tomorrow to transport the Milltown workers. The paving at Berdine’s Corner prevents the use of a portion of Main Street in Milltown and compels a detour through Ryder’s Lane. There is a bridge on this lane which will have to pass inspection before any of the heavier buses are sent over the detour.
The only mishap to occur this morning was shortly after 6 o’clock when a bus of the New Brunswick Auto Service Company, on its way to the Raritan Arsenal, caught fire and was completely destroyed. The driver of the car escaped injury.
The bus was empty at the time. It had been arranged in advance to have four buses to operate between New Brunswick and the Raritan Arsenal, two to leave New Brunswick at 6 and 6:15 and two from the Arsenal at the same time. The one bus which was destroyed was the first to leave the city.
There was practically no confusion in New Brunswick and after 8 o’clock many of the buses were traveling only partially filled. There was a big crush of people at noon but the buses apparently were taking care of the people in fine shape.
In addition to the Milltown and Raritan Arsenal routes, the other jitney routes operating this morning were those on Easton Avenue, Throop Avenue and Codwise Avenue. The Codwise Avenue route was abandoned during the morning when David Skidmore, whose extra bus had been assigned to this route, refused to operate.
Fair Schedule
The buses at noon were maintaining a fairly good schedule and practically no complaints were made as to the service, although about fifteen more cars could be used to good advantage.
The South Amboy and Perth Amboy lines had extra buses and throughout the morning a fifteen-minute headway was maintained, with this service being improved at noon. In addition to the regular South Amboy service, buses leaving New Brunswick at fifteen and forty-five minutes after the hour will, instead of continuing through Sayreville over the Parlin Road, switch off at Miller’s Corner and travel through Lower Sayreville along the trolley tracks.
The Berdine’s Corner residents were not forgotten this morning for two buses maintained a good schedule between that point and New Brunswick. The travel was not heavy, however, and at noon, one of the machines was placed on the Codwise Avenue line.
Four buses operated between Highland Park and New Brunswick on a five-minute headway. The buses operating on the Raritan Arsenal line were leaving the city this morning every fifteen minutes and efforts would be made to maintain this schedule.
The Throop Avenue and Remsen Avenue lines were working on a seven and one-half minute headway while the buses for Perth Amboy were leaving ten, twenty-five, forty and fifty-five minutes after the hour. Eight buses are operating on this line and during the rush hour extra cars will be placed on the line.
While Commissioner Connolly expressed himself pleased with the service provided by the jitneys this morning, he declared that tomorrow it will be improved. The schedules will be re-arranged to meet emergencies. Every bus this morning carried a large cardboard sign issued by the city, designating its route.
No Increases Here
Commissioner Connolly declared emphatically this morning that there would be no increase in the jitney fares within the limits of the city. Jitney riders are cautioned to pay no more than five cents for transportation in New Brunswick.
“I have no control over the jitneys once they leave the city limits but no increase will be permitted in fares here,” said Mr. Connolly. “It has come to my attention that some jitneurs charged more than the fare permitted by ordinance early this morning but they have been remonstrated with and repetition will result in revoking their license.”
Jitneys operating to Milltown are charging ten cents. The jitneys to the Raritan Arsenal are also charging ten cents, which is a boost of two cents over the trolley rates.
While jitneurs are charging two cents more per fare than the Public Service to Milltown and Raritan Arsenal, jitneys operating in New Brunswick are charging three cents less than the Public Service. For instance, a passenger on an Easton Avenue bus can ride from Buccleuch Park to the Squibb plant on George’s Road for five cents, while the Public Service charged eight cents for the trip.
Big Fare Increase Follows Strike Here
The suspension of trolley service hereabouts has resulted in some startling increases in fare. One of the most startling is that imposed on passengers to and from Bound Brook. Passengers in auto buses from Bound Brook this morning paid fifty cents for a one-way trip. The trolley fare was sixteen cents or fifteen cents if tokens were used. The bus fare to Milltown is ten cents, an increase of twenty-five percent.
The Bound Brook service is being provided by two Coney Island buses which operate on a twenty-minute schedule.
