BusTalk

[Mr. Linsky]

I have had the good fortune to stumble upon the complete volume number 1 of Bus Transportation Magazine for the year 1922.

In it, are hundreds of interesting articles richly describing an era in which rubber wheeled surface transportation was really taking a foothold across the country.

In this thread, I will concentrate on the New York scene but will eventually create threads for other geographical areas.

Herewith is a brief summery of Fifth Avenue Coach operations for the year 1921;

'Fifth Avenue Coach Company Has Big Year'


According to the report of the Fifth Avenue Coach Company for the year ended June 30, 1921, given out by the New York Transit Commission, the traffic for the year was the largest since the company commenced operations in 1885.

For the year, 52,840,135 passengers rode the buses and paid 10-cent fares. To handle this traffic the company operated 9,472,327 revenue bus miles and picked up on an average 5.57 new passengers for every mile run. The cost of service on a passenger basis was 8.2 cents exclusive of dividend payments.

BTW; there's enough information in this volume to keep me busy for the next fifty years! (if I live that long).

Enjoy.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[HwyHaulier]

Mr "L" -

Well, don't get into reading it with all sorts of snacks at hand! Your doctor wouldn't like it! <G>

Trivia note: So, the cover shot of the long ago publication shows us, "...the latest and greatest..." thing of 1922? In the same year, local Baltimore
operator instituted a fairly short, trolley coach line on a route northwest of the city for a suburban service. The coaches had bodies much like the
photo shown in the noted publication.

The actual United Railways & Electric route had limited success. In service, surviving reports tell us the equipment, "...shaken to pieces..." by state
of the roads where it operated. The past practice survives. Now equipment gets beaten to pieces by the City streets!

On a side note, it gets so tiresome of endless bickering with the "rail foamer" element. Highway transport a reality since the start of the nation.
Whether the "new fangled" later rail equipment a panacea? Long realized as not the case at all...

.....................Vern..................

[Mr. Linsky]

From the December 1922 issue of Bus Transportation;

Long Island City Mothers Demand Bus Line

The Council of Mothers' Clubs of Long Island City, N. Y., have asked the city officials to operate a municipal bus from Long Island City to the Jamaica Training School for the accommodation of the girl students who aim to become public school teachers.

There are nearly one hundred of these girls. At present they have to change to three different trolley lines or use the Long Island Railroad, which means a long walk to the school. The mothers say that the hardships of the journey are so great that the girls are unfitted for study, and some of them have been made ill.

The bus lines in Queens have been stopped by injunction secured by the electric railway interests on the ground of unfair competition. The mothers say that no such argument can be advanced against this proposed bus line.

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Mr. Linsky]

From the September 1922 issue of Bus Transportation.


Hylan Announces $25,000,000 Bus Plan


Mayor John Hylan's plan for transportation improvements in New York City, which would include the establishment of a bus system at a cost of $25,000,000, was announced on Aug. 27.

The "city-wide and city-owned bus system," according to the Mayor's plan, would be operated in conjunction with the city's rapid transit lines and would replace the present surface railway facilities. The tracks of surface and elevated lines would eventually be removed.

Buses would handle the short-haul riders and would feed the rapid transit lines. Thirty-five subway routes would be built at a cost of $600,000,000.

Poster's Note; Mayor Hylan had a dislike for traction operators in the city and did everything he could during his term of office to eliminate trolley lines and replace them with buses - the plane worked but not exactly in his time!

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[Q65A]

Mr. L, you truly have become worthy of the title "Bus Archaeologist"
Nice job and thanks for sharing!
(Imagine how much a $25 million bus deal would cost in today's dollars!!!)

[Mr. Linsky]

Bob,

Coming from you, who I consider to be a mentor here at BusTalk, I can only say thank you so much for the honor you have bestowed upon me, and I will do my best to uphold my new title.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'

BTW; I'm back in nice weather again!