Adirondack Enterprise, October 1, 1915 Tupper Lake Free Press and Herald, August 13, 1942
SEEK TO SPEED UP ACTION ON NEW BUS LINE
MAY APPEAL TO N. Y. WAR COUNCIL FOR CERTIFICATE OF NECESSITY TO HASTEN DATE OF WATERTOWN-PLACID LINE OPENING
Officials of four counties involved in the proposed Watertown-Lake Placid bus line franchise plan are today studying the feasibility of appealing to the New York State War Council for a temporary certificate of necessity to hurry the date for actual operation of the war-essential line sought by the Fitzgerald Brothers, which will be routed through Tupper Lake.
The fact that action through the war council might hurry the creation of the bus line—the first of its kind between Watertown and Adirondack resort and mining areas—is based upon the state's new emergency laws which give the War Council the right to cut red tape and authorize issuance of temporary certificates of necessity for operation of emergency bus lines.
The Watertown city council will hold a special meeting Friday afternoon at 5 at the city hall to act upon the franchise application of the Fitzgerald Brothers.
The application for establishment of the Watertown-Lake Placid bus line, designed primarily to serve the needs of defense workers in the Benson Mines mining area, has been approved by village boards all along the projected right of way.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 4, 1952
Line Planned To Link Tri - Lake Area
Commuter Type Service Foreseen If Public Desires
Plans for a new but line to link Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Tupper Lake with multiple dally schedules were under way today.
The new line should be in operation within 90 days, if proper legal proceedings can be completed within that time and the merchants and citizens in the three areas will cooperate in deciding to patronize the operation.
Crying need for such an operation has been evidenced for many years. Scores of persons who live in and about Saranac Lake and are employed at Ray Brook, Sunmount and other institutions have long desired the availability of public transportation on a regular schedule.
Promoters of the new line are Edward Hoffman and Ernie Stautner, proprietors of the Sara-Placid Drive-In Theater. In addition to the bus line they expect to construct an indoor roller skating rink on their property on the Lake Placid road.
Hoffman and Stautner today were preparing to make the necessary legal moves to secure the consent of the town and village through which the line will operate. In addition the application for a certificate of public convenience will have to be secured from the Public Service Commission. "
TOWNS' CONSENT NEEDED
Consent from the towns of North Elba, Santa Clara, Altamont and Harrietstown would be required to addition to getting permission from the villages of Tupper Lake, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.
The promoters feel that, in addition to supplying a long needed public transportation operation, the new bus line would materially help their own business. They already operate a miniature golf course adjoining their drive-in theater. However, they feel the skating rink and combination dance hall would be a seat of entertainment for the younger set, most of whom do not have automobiles. The bus line would provide the transportation.
Tentative ideas for the schedules envision a minimum of four or five round trips per day between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid and between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. Fares would be the same as fares on existing bus lines, which do not attempt to provide commuting service.
FARES LISTED
At present the bus fare to Tupper Lake from Saranac Lake is 63 cents one way or $1.15 a round trip. Fare to Lake Placid from Saranac Lake is 25 cents one way and 45 cents a round trip.
Rail rates are considerably more. For instance, a one-way ticket between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake costs 97 cents with no concession for the round trip.
Stautner and Hoffman have great faith in the future of this area. They believe the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway will greatly enhance the economic advantage of all northern New York, especially the Adirondacks.
When told today by the Daily Enterprise that the bus line would become a positive fact if sufficient patronage was assured Mayor Alton B. Anderson of Saranac Lake was enthusiastic.
He said, "Every merchant and every citizen of all the municipalities involved will welcome the operation. Personally, I think it would be one of the greatest civic and economic advances in years."
Mayor Anderson urged everyone who would support such an operation to write to him personally and say so. The Daily Enterprise would also welcome any letter pro or con. That the bus line is needed and long past due to unite more firmly the Tri-Lake area was the general consensus.
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