Some solutions to the problem

"Large, modern cities cannot survive," the Canadian Federation of Mayors and Municipalities submitted to the Gordon Commission on the nation's economic prospects, "unless ways and means are found to restore public transit, in one form or another, as the principal means of moving people within densely populated urban areas.

"The means are important and there will be various ways in which public transit can be accorded its singularly unique role and function as the municipal media of urban transportation.

"But the ways and means are less important than the need. The need dictates that ways and means must be found."

Transit officials are undoubtedly aware of the "need" at least as keenly as is the municipal association. Unfortunately for them, it is their job to translate "ways and means" into operating procedures on the bus lines.

They've been searching for quite awhile, and while they're sill some distance from the perfect answer they've come up with a lot of suggestions. And they've got a lot more from amateur transit operators.

Here are some methods that have been used with success ii getting the public aboard the buses, as well as some proposed methods:

Restricted Parking

To beat the competition of private automobile travel, transit systems have got to offer a ride that is, in varying degrees, comparable to or better than car travel in speed, comfort and cost. And not only does the lure of travelling by car draw passengers from the buses, but the increasing number of cars compete for street space and thus reduces speed and efficiency of buses.

Winnipeg has gone a good way in at least removing the obstruction of parked vehicles from main thoroughfares in rush hours. To some extent these parking bans also discourage private cars from coming into the downtown area at all.

Some people would go further than this. They would further discourage downtown car traffic by some method of license fee — permitting only specially-licensed cars into the centre of the city during rush hours is one suggestion. Another would be to impose a license fee on every metropolitan car driver to help pay for a public transit system.

Wilbur Smith and Associates, a firm of experts currently investigating Winnipeg's traffic problems, came up with a recommendation to the city of Philadelphia which is the ultimate step in this field — an outright ban on all automobile traffic in the downtown area.

Improved Traffic Arteries

This step, of course, speeds up all types of traffic and transit shares in the improvement. The Midtown Bridge and allied approaches, in addition to the one-way street system, have been a blessing to transit-officials as they have to the motorist.

More radical steps, such as building high-speed "expressways" that would permit buses to bowl right along into the heart of the city, might help, but they require a terrific amount of high-value land that pushes their cost sky-high — even if they are on ground level and not elevated.

Express Service

"This is an intriguing factor," says D. I. MacDonald, GWTC general manager. "People want speed more than anything else and they're willing toopay extra for it. The principal is now being applied in Greater Winnipeg and transit officials are watching "with interest" the trial service from Windsor Park (to) downtown. For an extra five cents Windsor Park residents get a ride all the way downtown or home. Those who choose to pay the regular fare can transfer to or from Marion buses for a slower ride. The experiment will show whether residents are prepared to leave their cars at home.

One feature of the express service is the comparative shortness of GWTC lines — the longest through route is now about five miles, leaving only about two miles to run "with doors closed" after picking up a load. Is enough time saved in those two miles to justify the service? Transcona would be an "obvious" express route if it were included in GWTC operations, Mr. MacDonald said.

Reserved Seats

This system has been tried in Cincinnati but only because the transit system there had surplus buses. All equipment in Greater Winnipeg is on the road during rush hours, says Mr. MacDonald, so a reserved seat plan would either require taking a bus off a regular route or buying new equipment which would be idle except for two runs a day. He calls it a "desperation measure that would penalize regular service."

Shuttle Service

As the city grows "some of these experiments may become possible," says Mr. MacDonald of the possibility of fringe-area car parks with shuttle bus service to downtown areas.

Zone Fares

These tend to create an artificial barrier around a community, a lot like a toll bridge, and do not tend to build up a desire for bus travel, particularly in areas where the population density is not great.

Bigger Buses

The 52-passenger buses operated by GWTC are the largest on the market today and it's not expected public transit systems will be getting any larger ones. For one thing larger buses would mean longer loading and unloading times. And they might require an extra man to handle them. For the same reason, the double-decker is not visualized for Canada.

Subways

"I don't know of any city in the world with a population of less than a million that has a subway," says Mr. MacDonald. The cost of such a plan is enormous and on completion it is a line, not a system, serving one district. The subway system in Toronto means a full house at Maple Leaf Gardens can be whisked away in short order, he said, and there hasn't been an unsold seat ii the building since completion of the subway.