EUREKA VALLEY SERVICE ARGUED
Cahill Opposes Taking Over Lines of Market Street Railway
Objections to absorbing losing lines of the Market Street
Railway Co. were reiterated by Utilities Mgr. E.G. Cahill today as Eureka
Valley residents prepared to press for abandonment of the Castro-st cable
line and substitution of Municipal Railway service.
Mr. Cahill advised Mayor Rossi that an investment of $80,000 would
be required if Municipal Railway trolley buses were substituted for the
cable cars. The Market Street Railway’s income from the line in March was
less than $1000, he said.
“While I do not hold that service should be denied a district because
it might not prove profitable, believing with you that the city is in the
business of transportation for the best interests of all the people, nonetheless
I do desire to draw your attention to the policy which the Public Utilities
Commission has adopted with regard to future transportation,” Mr. Cahill
wrote the mayor.
“We cannot take over the Market Street Railway Co. piecemeal.
In other words, we cannot absorb the losing lines of the Market Street
Railway Co., leaving the Market Street Railway Co. with the profitable
lines, because to do so would mean that the Municipal Railway would probably
be in the ‘red’ and have to be supported out of the taxpayers’ pockets.”
Mr. Cahill advised the mayor that he had suggested rerouting the Diamond-Eureka
bus line to serve a portion of the Castro-st district. The 20 per cent
grade on Castro-st hill is too steep for the buses to negotiate safely,
the utilities manager said.
The mayor has suggested to the Eureka Valley residents they assist
the Market Street Railway in obtaining Board of Supervisors’ approval in
the surrendering of its franchise to operate on Castro-st. Mr. Cahill expressed
the belief the supervisors would not permit discontinuance of service unless
the Municipal Railway was prepared to offer adequate service. The city-owned
system is loathe to do so, he reported.
San Francisco News
Friday, May 5, 1939
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