PCC Car Operating Results In Pittsburgh

The problem created by the decline in transit revenues during the depression led the Pittsburgh Railways Company to initiate a long-range service-betterment program. The most important phase of the plan was the use of modern street cars, as developed by the Presidents' Conference Committee, to replace the earlier types of rolling stock on the property. With 301 of these PCC cars in service, and 100 additional units scheduled for early delivery, sufficient data are available to show exceptionally favorable operating results. Actual experience in service has demonstrated that car maintenance comes down 28 per cent, track and roadway maintenance drops 21 per cent, accidents decrease 25 per cent, the number of cars required for specific schedules is reduced 10 per cent, and revenues increase 8 per cent. This favorable outcome has caused continued expansion in the use of such equipment and established a superior urban-transit service