Why We Bought The Buses?

[Ocklawaha]

The bus system, was sold in back-room deals, and crooked money schemes. It was a huge snow job to convince the World that the Citizenry would prefer the Bus. Here is some of the pitch:

Buses are cheaper to buy then Trolleys...

Buses can run ANYWHERE, they don't need guide-ways and are the ultimate flexible vehicle...

Buses can carry more people then rail, because we can easily flood the routes with buses and they could run on very close headways...

Buses are more comfortable then rail, because they ride on rubber tires and smooth roads...

Bus systems are cheap because the roads are free to use...

Buses can use cheap diesel fuel, or gasoline, they are more flexible...

Now, just go figure? What are the BRT devils trying to sell us? What are they saying?

Sure there are sincere, honest and hard working planners at work over at JTA, but they are WRONG! To base any "rapid transit system" on a BILLION DOLLAR, bus trunk line, then tell me we're going to study rail on the SAME ROUTES? Come on people, don't pee in my shoes and tell me it's raining! I love the idea of BRT or buses in limited access lanes on regular surface streets... We can still offer pre-pay fare, real time information, BRT type coaches, Rush Hour exclusive lanes or HOV share lanes, and signal priority, WITHOUT having to build a new bus freeway system across the City and alongside the very rail that JTA face #2 is telling us we are studying for rail! Get the BRT plan off the table and back to the drawing boards. Come out with a RAIL plan that can be fast tracked and compliment it with HOV-BRT SERVICE (without the land grabs) and run it down Arlington Expressway, Beach, Atlantic, JTB, San Jose, Blanding, 103Rd, Wells, Kingsley, San Juan, Edgewood, Normandy, MLK, Moncrief, Lem Turner, Dunn, Hecksher and the Airport Connector. SEE? EVEN MORE BRT with my plan? Bet you never dreamed of that one?

The life lesson for JTA in all of my rants? Buses are NOT trains or LRT... they just can't do the job... Curitiba and now Bogota are learning that expensive lesson as they now convert or plan to convert to rail. It's like this, yesterday I was in a McDonalds Restaurant, but today, I'm not a hamburger... Sorry to disappoint you.

Ocklawaha
(see Victoria, I can Post Small when required for clarity, SMILE!)

[Ocklawaha]

Well, here's a first (new) effort... Still some unknowns, but I think we have the finger on the right spot.

ERVED BY NATIONAL CITY LINES
The following cities had transit systems which were at one time owned by National City Lines. Included are the years of NCL ownership, and the systems which NCL did convert from streetcars after acquisition. This conversion to buses has sometimes been referred to as "bustitution".



Also included are companies owned by Pacific City Lines, which until 1948 existed as a separate company, although with ties to NCL. Not included are certain companies, which at one time were owned by executives of NCL, while actually separate companies.

    * Aurora/Elgin, IL (1937-1966)
    * Beaumont, TX (1937-1972) BUSTITUTION!
    * Bellingham, WA (1938-1946) BUSTITUTION!
    * Bloomington, IL (1936-1966) BUSTITUTION!
    * Burbank, CA (1944-1946)
    * Burlington, IA (1941-1959)
    * Butte, MT (1938-1946) BUSTITUTION!
    * Canton, OH (1940-1971)
    * Cedar Rapids, IA (1937-1966) BUSTITUTION!
    * Champaign, IL (1936-1966) BUSTITUTION!
    * Danville, IL (1936-1964) BUSTITUTION!
    * Davenport, IA (1950-1974)
    * Decatur, IL (1936-1972) BUSTITUTION!
    * East St. Louis, IL (1935-1963)
    * El Paso, TX (1943-1976)
    * Eureka, CA (1939-1946) BUSTITUTION!
    * Everett, WA (1938-1946)
    * Fresno, CA (1939-1946) BUSTITUTION!
    * Galesburg, IL (1934-1936)
    * Glendale, CA (1940-1962) BUSTITUTION!
    * Great Falls, MT (1938-1946) BUSTITUTION!
    * Houston, TX (1966-1974)
    * Inglewood, CA (1942-1946)
    * Jackson, MI (1936-1964)
    * Jackson, MS (1939-1966)
    * Joliet, IL (1934-1970)
    * Kalamazoo, MI (1936-1967)
    * Kewanee, IL (1936-1937) BUSTITUTION!
    * Lansing, MI (1936-1937)
    * LaSalle/Peru, IL (1936-1937)
    * Lincoln, NB (1942-1971) BUSTITUTION!
    * Long Beach, CA (1946-1963)
    * Mobile, AL (1939-1971) BUSTITUTION!
    * Montgomery, AL (1935-1974) BUSTITUTION!
    * Oshkosh, WI (1933-1934)
    * Ottumwa, IA (1941-1951)
    * Pasadena, CA (1940-1963) BUSTITUTION!
    * Peoria, IL (1955-1964)
    * Pontiac, MI (1936-1960)
    * Port Arthur, TX (1937-1950) BUSTITUTION!
    * Portsmouth, OH (1939-1959) BUSTITUTION!
    * Quincy, IL (1936-1966)
    * Rock Island, IL (1950-1974)
    * Sacramento, CA (1943-1955) BUSTITUTION!
    * Saginaw, MI (1936-1962)
    * Salt Lake City, UT (1944-1968)
    * San Jose, CA (1938-1963, 1970-1973) BUSTITUTION!
    * Sioux City, IA (1953-1967)
    * South Bend, IN (1956-1967)
    * Spokane, WA (1945-1968)
    * Stockton, CA (1939-1963) BUSTITUTION!
    * Tampa, FL (1942-1971)
    * Terre Haute, IN (1939-1955) BUSTITUTION!
    * Tulsa, OK (1936-1957)
    * Wichita Falls, TX (1950-1971)

National City Lines also had significant control of the following additional transit systems.

    * Baltimore Transit Co. (1944-1972)
    * Jacksonville - Motor Transit Co. (1943-1945)

However, Motor Transit came in in 1933 (NOT 1943 as stated in this document, meaning that the Trolleys were still running) they exited the market in 1936 (same year the Tolley's were all replaced) Then kept a corporate finger in the pie until it was safely in the fold of yet another paper company. THANK YOU GM, FIRESTONE and STANDARD OIL! Dirty little B@$#@*D's...

* Los Angeles Transit Lines (1945-1958)
    * Oakland - Key System Transit Lines (1946-1960)
    * Philadelphia Transportation Co. (1955-1966)
    * St. Louis Public Service Co. (1940-1963)

Ocklawaha

[Ocklawaha]

Has anyone found a site that details when Motor Transit and National City Lines tied the knot? I'm guessing that MCT was a creation of NCL to kill certain streetcar lines. The more "legal layers" GM could place between themselves and the crime, the less likely they'd be blamed.

Ocklawaha