The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 6

It's Been Said All despotism is bad; but the worst is that which works with the machinery of freedom. THE GOMMEl-NEWi SECOND SECTION Middlesex County News -Junius Telephone PLainfield 7-4000 PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1961 PAGE 25 City Buses at End of Line? ailllililHQIilllllillliilllllllllM Bids Set SOUTH I Comfort, Speed, Convenience Hold Key to Transit Success On Road Through Edison Transit companies, business people, local governments and the public in some cities have recognized that action must be taken individually and group-wise to stem the decline in transit system services. In this second of three articles, The Courier-News presents some steps taken to revitalize lagging transit systems in other cities. 1 I PISCATAWAYX New Link Covers 1.7-Mile Section Of 13 in County 287 in Middlesex County. Map shows 1.7-mile section involved from New Durham Edison Township, to Prince Metuchen.

CONTRACT AWARDED The state Highway Department is advertising for bids for constructing a new link of Interstate Route Trenton The New Jersey state Highway Department to day advertised for bids to be New York Planning Director Hired for Middlesex County felf plinfiiiin fttnw4 tESZr 11 1 3 received by July 6 on a contract for constructing a new link in the 13-mile stretch of Interstate By KENNETH DEMUTH Comfort, speed and convenience these are the major concerns of travelers today whether distance to be traveled is great or small. And it is these concerns which are placing more and more travelers in their own motor Route 287 in Middlesex County. The project is the fourth of five undertaken to provide a new superhighway from Route engineering from Yale University in 1947 and his master's degree in city and regional planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1950. New Brunswick Douglas S. Powell, planning director of the Regional Plan Association of New York City, has been named Middlesex County planning di 22 near Somerville to Route 1 vehicles, thereby cutting deeply into the passenger volume of in Metuchen.

It will cover a 1.7-mile section from New Dur urban transit systems. the association's annual conferences, which attract attendances of more then 750 civic leaders, and participated in the association's budget decisions, policy making and program planning. Soon after receiving his master's degree, Powell became planning engineer for the New York City firm of McHugh and Such passenger volume decline prevents many transit ham Rd. in Edison Township to Prince Metuchen. The entire 13 miles are expected to be Planning director of the Regional Plan Association since 1958, Powell is president of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Planners.

Dur companies from renewing equipment with an eye to passenger completed in 1962. It will re lieve the heavy traffic pressure comfort. Traffic congestion now being borne by overtaxed brought on by increased use of ing a two-year stretch in the Army that began in August, 1944, he served as field superintendent for air base construc roads in the Somerville-Bound Brook and New Brunswick private vehicles cuts down the speed of all road travel. Transit companies facing revenue losses areas. tion in Japan.

meet the problem by reducing More than 140,000 vehicles a McCrosky, community and regional development consultants. His work included preparation of master plans and basic surveys for two New Jersey communities, Morristown and Pe-quannock, and compilation of a In his work with the Regional Plan Association, Powell super schedules, adding to inconveni day are expected to use Route rector, the Board of Freeholders announced today. Powell will assume his new post Thursday at a salary of $10,000 a year, a raise of $1,500 over his predecessor, Russell L. Montney. Montney resigned in April to accept a similar position in Rockville, Md.

Appointment of the new director has been recommended by a county Planning Board committee consisting of Chairman Elmer E. Easton, Freeholder Director Karl E. Metz-ger, Joseph G. Mark and Robert E. Ross 2nd.

The same committee selected Montney five years ago. Yale Graduate Now 36 years old, Powell received his bachelor's degree in 287 at Metuchen in 1975. The ence rather than convenience of vised and published numerous traffic load on Route 1 in the travelers. studies dealing with planning the Plainfield Transit utilize this bus stop where less than a bus load of passengers wait. Other street stops of the PTI, which has seen a steady decline in passenger traffic volume, seldom see as many prospective passengers at one time.

AWAITING TRANSPORTATION That not everyone in the Plainfield area drives their own vehicles into downtown shopping area is apparent from this group waiting for buses at Watchung Ave. and E. Second St. Buses of three companies, including several routes of To meet those challenges, zoning ordinance for Princeton same area is now about 33,500 problems, such as population shifts, housing and land develop ment, zoning and transporta transit companies, business people, local governments and the public have taken a number For more than 3t years following November, 1950, Powell was a resident planner of New tion affecting the metropolitan vehicles a day. Approximately 90,000 vehicles a day are expected at the Route 27 interchange.

Current traffic volumes in this area now reach 17,000 vehicles a day. Advertisements and card dis well as other traffic, greater of steps in cities throughout the Canaan, Conn. As such, he or area communities. freedom of movement. In some plays indicate participating country to preserve mass public ganized and administered a full planning program for the city, Supervised Conferences Powell also supervised the or instances the ban is in effect transit.

Cooperative efforts have stores in these types of promotion. Such promotions have met made some headway. working closely with the Board ganization and management of all the time and in others just during the peak rush hours morning and evening. Where With an eye toward passen of Education and municipal of At the western end of the 13-mile section a daily average of 75,000 vehicles per day is antic with varied success, but they ger comfort some urban bus bus routes use a street in only companies, which could afford have not provided a complete to do so, have renewed their solution to the problems of declining transit passenger volume, according to studies by transit one direction, such bans are in effect for that side of the street only. equipment, provided air conditioning and offered reserved ficials on the community development problems and policies.

Became Editor In 1954, Powell became an associate editor of "The American City" magazine, nationally-circulated planning periodical. He held that position until he went In cities where street widths seat express rides from suburban In some instances, the city in cooperation with the transit company sets up parking areas on the perimeter. Prior to instituting such a plan in St. Louis, it was estimated that 70 percent of those entering the city daily did so in private cars. A reduction of about a thousand private private motor vehicles a day was seen with adoption of the plan.

Another example of merchant-transit company cooperation is subsidization of off-peak hour service by the merchants. There are many ways of encouraging customers to use transit service and downtown stores for shopping. Most generally, bus drivers provide riders with a ticket to Edison OKs Improvements, Construction of 8 Homes Edison Improvement work at 14 homes estimated to cost $22,390 and the construction of eight new homes with total value of $131,000 has been sanctioned through the issue of building permits by Township Building Inspector George H. Thompson. have permitted such action, or urban areas to downtown ipated, compared with current volumes of more than 32,000.

West of Route 27, the new freeway will contain six traffic lanes, and east of Route 27 it will have eight lanes. The six-lane portion will consist of two 3-lane concrete roadways, each 37 feet wide, separated by a 36-foot wide grass lanes have been set aside for shopping and business sections. buses only. Big Cities Lead Way Because few of the smaller These actions have kept traf fic moving at a steadier pace urban area bus companies can to work for the Regional Plan Association. with buses maintaining sched afford an outlay for equipment renewal as a result of revenue During the last two years of ules and often reducing head center island and bordered by Three of the new homes sanc ways to the point that additional outer shoulders 12 feet wide tioned will be display models his editorship, he also served as instructor in town planning in the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

service can be provided. Public The eight-lane portion will convenience results. Cooperative Effort have 48-foot wide roadways, 12 outer shoulders, 10 foot inner Powell has written numerous articles on planning for techni Cooperation between down shoulders and an 18 foot center cal and non-technical audiences associations. An awakening of the public, city officials and merchants to an awareness of the status of urban bus transit service is a primary step toward doing something about that status, transit surveys indicate. Private enterprise concerned with public service requires public support to insure continuation and improvement of the service.

Provision of fast, convenient, efficient and comfortable mass transportation can be assured only if the public gives its support toward that end by utilizing the service, Lee Jacobs, president of Plainfield Transit insists. Jacobs sees the time approaching when lack of passengers for his city routes could eliminate those city routes. He hopes to see a renewed public interest in mass public transportation and an upswing indicate they have traveled on a bus during off peak hours. When that ticket is tendered island. town merchants and business Several years ago, he explored men and urban bus companies mat Hanselman, 24 Ovington rear addition, $2,000.

Breezeway Work Also, William Varady, 36 Campbell breezeway and garage, M. Morgenstern, 10 Perry rear addition, Robert Hartman, 85 Winthrop enclosed rear porch, Micko Lubowicki, 50 Lloyd repair and replace gutters and leaders, $210; Steve The Future of Municipal Gov The Route 27 interchange will have entrance ramps only to with a purchase usually of has taken several forms. $1 or more at a participating or example, several years ernment in Today's Urban Revolution" in an article written eastbound 287, and exit ramps ago tne transit company only irom westbound 287. for the New Jersey State League Providence, R.I., contacted 65 service stations about providing of Municipalities magazine. Five bridges are included in the construction plans.

One will store, the shopper is provided with a token or cash for a return fare. Where tokens are used, merchants purchase them in bulk from the transit system. losses," it is in the big cities New York, Dallas, St. Louis and others where efforts are being made to regain customers through increasing their comfort. In Cincinnati, Ohio, bus clubs have been formed in several neighborhoods with members assured of a seat on a bus to and from their employment in downtown areas.

A monthly membership fee and small daily fare charge provide club members with express service. Officials of many city governments have cooperated with transit systems to revive them and at the same time relieve traffic congestion in downtown thoroughfares. Some communities banned parking on streets over which urban bus transportation lines are routed, permitting buses, as He also has lectured in Co free parking for private autos take Route 287 over the Pennsylvania Railroad and another lumbia University and the Uni with the bus company maintain ing express service to the down versity of Virginia, as well as Papp, 711 Old Post two-car Outright Rental town business area from the Massachusetts Institute of Tech Still another form of mer will carry 287 over Route 27. Two more bridges will carry the PRR Westinghouse and Bon- 1 i- i Park 'n Ride" Increased passenger volume nology and Pratt Institute. Metzger Comments iiaiiuown raiiroaa spurs over chant subsidization is the outright rental of transit equipment by cooperating merchants for Vitality Estates in Oak Tree Rd.

They will be bi-level models, two of them -priced at $18,000 and the other at $17,000. Home Construction Other new homes sanctioned are a ranch house in Locust at $13,000 for Ferva W. Virgili; a dwelling and garage in Gold at $19,000 for Ely Miller; dwelling and garage in Jefferson at $15,000 for Mrs. A. Kim-erer; a bi-level house and garage in Roosevelt at $12,000 for Herlna Development, and a house and garage in Park at $19,000 for William V.

Cariste. A home decorating mood in the township is reflected with permits going to Louis Kozma of 273 Grand View for the fitting of aluminum sidings at C. J. Fleming, 34 Matson enclosing car port for use as a garage, $500; Joseph Thubner, 5 Schuyler private swimming pool, William Doll, 3rd picture window and sidings, $900; Anthony Gorka, 35 Prospect attached garage, $900; Walder- Commenting on the appoint- garage, Chester Szalkow-ski, 342 Old Post aluminum siding and awnings, Carl Cobb, 20 Glenville detached garage, $2,000 and Frank Boc-cippio, 104 2nd roof on patio, $900. in passenger volume to prevent was gained by the transit company, new and regular customers were gained by the service sta Route 287.

The fifth bridge will carry Whitman Ave. over Route 287 about 350 feet east of the what now appears inevitable. County, in the opinion of the who then provide free transit service from residential to tions and the downtown area freeholders, is extremely fortu saw fewer private motor vehicles and, therefore, less nate in being able to acquire local street's present alignment. Whitman Ave. will be relocated to connect with it.

downtown areas and return. For the most part this has been a Tomorrow: Views of transit patrons, merchants and others on operations of the Plainfield Transit Inc. the services of one of the most feature of special shopping days.i outstanding planning techni The department's overall plan for Interstate Route 287 shows cians in this section of the country." Metzger said Powell, a bach Scouts Visit Old Home PTA Officers Are Installed Metuchen -George Commer it extending for 65.8 miles from Interstate Route 95 near Metuchen to the New York state line near Suffern, forming part of a gigantic loop around met Car Mats Stolen Edison Twenty car mats valued at $92 and between $50 and $100 in cash were reported this morning to have been stolen overnight from the Atlas seat cover store in Route 1 and College Bridge. A forced entry was discovered at 12:35 a.m. by Officers Louis La Plaga and John Rogan.

elor, expected to move here as soon as he could locate adequate living quarters in New Brunswick or a nearby commu GOP Candidate Gets 3 Months to Move New Brunswick An eviction suit against Edison Republican Township Council candidate Mark Jarrett was decided yesterday in the chambers of Middlesex County District Court Judge George R. Morrison after Jarrett's attorney had charged the eviction was based on "political oppression." ton was installed as president 100 the Metuchen More than brownies and leaders of nity. He will attend the next of the Washington School PTA regular meeting of the Plan ropolitan New Jersey and New York. -The overall cost is estimated at $155 million, 90 per cent of which will be paid by the Federal Government. Wednesday night at a meeting ning Board Thursday.

Campbell Franklin Girl Scout Neighborhood recently visited the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. C. in the school.

Others installed were: Mrs. Mook of 231 E. Chestnut Ave. Completion of this project is Millionth Car Off Edison Lines Thomas Martin, first vice presi aimed for December, 1962. All Dr.

Mook, a paleontologist associated with the New York dent; Clayton Hollander, second Following the statement by bids for the contract will be reviewed by state and federal offi ivice president; Mrs. Thomas Museum of Natural History, and Attorney Albert Ichel in open Mrs. Mook conducted a tour Edison Just a routine purchase that's how Mr. and Mrs. George Funkhouser of Washington Valley Martinsville, looked on an order they gave to a Ford dealer for a new cials before it is awarded.

court, Morrison declared, through their home, built about There seems to be more to this 1749. The home, according to case than just a holdover ten Steinberg, recording secretary; Mrs. Joseph Marra, corresponding secretary, and Mrs. Chaun-cey Pomeroy, treasurer. Herbert Johnson, co-chairman of the school education committee, conducted the installation ceremonies.

Mrs. Lillian Sergeant played the piano. Mrs. Mrs. Mook, originally was one that stood at Main and Middlesex the present location of borough hall.

After the home was moved to Chestnut Ave. an Comet car. "It was a big surprise," said Mrs. Funkhouser yesterday "when we were told that ours would be the millionth car off the assembly line in the Edison at the $21-million plant. Cars are rolling off the assembly line there now at the rate of 39 an hour a total of 4,500 a week.

The plant began producing Falcons in February, 1960 and added the Comet line in March of this year. Since the switch to compact car production, the plant has produced 172,605 Falcons and 10,212 Comets. Employment has doubled since based entirely on a desire to get him out of the ward and out of town so he would be unable to run. The council candidate received a letter the second week in March, dated March 1, giving him until Apr. 1 to vacate.

Jarrett, who had filed for the primary election about four days earlier, immediately asserted the notice had grown out of political differences between him ant case." He asked the parties to discuss the matter in his chamber. ing his wife as guests of honor at the plant to receive keys of the car from Plant Manager J. E. Acker. Acker told the couple and Tax Appeal Withdrawn New Brunswick A tax appeal, which would have chopped $300,000 from the tax bill of one Middlesex community and shifted burden to the shoulders of the 24 other county municipalities, was voluntarily with Enters Judgment addition was added in 1807.

Mrs. Mook was the first presi Ford plant and that we would John Potts, retiring president, other guests, including Mayor 8UVTV In the chambers, Morrison be taking part in a rprpmnnv M. Yelencsics of Edi- ceremony was presented with a pin by entered a judgment ordering Mrs. Irving Woerner. son, that the million car output marked the completion of more The ceremony came yesterday Mrs.

Hans bchailt, program Jarrett to vacate the premises of the Trailer Harbor, Route 1, December, 1959, and the pay- chairman, showed a film en with Funkhouser, a printer, join- than three years of production roll has nearly tripled. dent of the Metuchen Girl Scout Council. She has been active in scouting for more than 25 years. Mrs. John Chamberlain, neighborhood secretary, was chairman of the event.

Troops participating were: Troop 129, 173, 131, 162, 146, 1 and 90. titled "Vacation Fun in New self and the owners. None of the other three parks in the township has spots available, Jarrett says. But, Trailer Harbor has a number of vacan Jersey." She also spoke on rec reational facilities in the state, Edison, within three months, it was learned later. Morrison reportedly told the Jarretts to see him at that time if they were unable to find suitable quarters.

The political charges were county and borough. Mrs. Anna Daines' second cies, including three which would accomodate his trailer, says Jarrett, a founder and past drawn yesterday after a morning-long hearing. Woodbridge Township, which was seeking a cut in its tax bill, dropped its petition when it was determined that the facts on which their case was based would harm rather than help their tax status. The township charged as the grade class won the attendance banner.

Mrs. John Holmes and Metuchen Lions Elect Officers leveled at trailer court owner Roland Simpson as he was cross- president of the New Jersey Mo her hospitality committee served refreshments. bile Homeowners Association examined by Ichel. "Isn't it true that the only reason Jarrett is being evicted is that Democratic Metuchen Harry Belafsky was elected president of the Metuchen Lions Club at a meeting last night in The Pines, Rt. Senior Ambassadors political powers in Edison want Girl Scouts, Brownies to move him out of town, there 27.

To Install Officers Metuchen William Landau by removing him irom a posi tion where he could legally run Other officers and directors has been elected president of elected were Walter Duff, first for council?" inquired Ichel. "Isn't the power of the Dis ttrict Court being used for po the Senior Ambassadors of the vice president; Thomas Perri, First Baptist Church. i second vice president; William session opened that the county Board of Taxation had erred in setting $2,117,424. Tax Board Secretary Frank Deiner and Board Clerk Mrs. George Yahnell were called to the stand by Woodbridge in an attempt to prove they had erred in their methods of arriving at Woodbridge's share.

The officials testified that they used sales studies as approved by the State Director of Taxation William Kingsley. Join National Event Metuchen The national girl scout project, "Blossoms for the Birthday Years," will be joined by area girl scouts and brownies, according to the Metuchen Girl Scout Council. The project will include the taking of orders for bulbs. "Blossom' Birthday Years" are being observed from 1960 litical oppression in this case?" Others elected who will also be installed on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. in Fellowship Hall are: David Gottshall, vice president; Shiela Schreffler, secretary; Barbara Austin, treasurer; Jane Duke, song leader.

Bergen, third vice president; Joseph F. Fischer treasurer; William a 1 1 i secretary; Timothy Moriarty, assistant secretary; William Crane, Lion tamer; Richard Neuberger, tail twister, and Francis Barna, George T. McLaughlin and James Wester, all two-year r3 "jJ dittSJs to 1963, and includes the cele Disputing certain sales in the table, the township realized a'bration of the 50th birthday of Morrison did not permit answers to the questions but ordered the parties into chambers. The questioning followed statements by Ichel that the Trailer Harbor had given as a reason for eviction a charge that Jarrett was in violation of an ordinance passed in 1959. The ordinance states trailers must be set back 15 feet from property lines.

Resident 6 Years the girl scouts and the 100th an niversary of the birth of Juliette Low, girl scout founder. GOP Seeks Funds Edison Jim Campbell, chairman of the house-to-house fund raising campaign for the GOP, plans to take the party's plea for funds to the public. The fund raising drive will run from June 18 to 24. change would add rather than subtract from the tax bill. At the suggestion of State Commissioner Ellis M.

Kopp, before whom the hearing was held, the township agreed to withdraw its appeal. Had the township prevailed, the resulting decrease in its tax bill would have had to be divided among the Middlesex municipalities in 1962. Tax Edison Democrats To Med Tomorrow Edison The United Democrats of Edison. Inc. will hold their May meeting tomorrow in the Washington Bar and Grill, Highland Park, at 9 p.m.

The terms of office will expire in June for the president, second vice president, recording secretary and two trustees. Nominations will be accepted. Legion Post to Meet Metuchen Fugle-Hummer Legion Post 65 will conduct an initiation ceremony for new members at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Legion Home, Lake Ave. Also scheduled will be the awarding of continuous membership cards for multiple years of five, beginning with five years.

i Fun Night Slated Metuchen The Teen and Twenty members of the First Jarrett, a resident of the Harbor six years, has had his trailer in its present spot since 1960. Ichel asserted that no violation exists, and if it did, the use would be non-conforming since the space was marked off prior to passing of the ordinance. Jarrett said the move was rates cannot be changed in the MILLIONTH CAR While George Funk- houser of Washington Valley Martinsville, watches from the driver's seat, his wife accepts the keys of the millionth car to come Baptist Church will meet tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the church to go trampolining. middle of a year, Mrs.

Yahnell explained. The hearing was held in the County Record Building, i off the Edison Ford plant assembly line from plant manager J. E. Acker during a special ceremony yesterday at the plant (Photo by Ted Fogel) I.