Travel's Unsung Success Story: the Bus

[marmar]

Travel's Unsung Success Story: the Bus

Susan Stellin
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA.)


NEW YORK - High-speed rail may be getting lots of attention - and money - from the Obama administration, but it turns out the transportation success story of the last few years is the bus.

At a time when flights have been cut and ridership on trains has been relatively flat, traveling by bus has been on the rise. Last year, bus service increased 5 percent, and it rose nearly 10 percent in 2008, according to Joseph Schwieterman, a DePaul University professor who has studied the decline and comeback of bus travel. In fact, in 2007, when he and his team of transportation researchers began studying why travelers shunned buses, they found themselves in the midst of a turnaround.

While 18- to 35-year-olds were the first to embrace new bus lines like MegaBus and BoltBus, which offer cheap express service between major cities in the Midwest and Northeast, the appeal of bus travel has expanded to include business travelers and riders older than 35 who want to avoid the stress of driving.

Here are ways new lines have transformed bus service into a cool way to get around:

Online ticketing

MegaBus and BoltBus primarily sell tickets through their websites, and though both companies also sell tickets over the phone, they charge $3 extra for reservations booked by an agent. BoltBus even has a mobile site so passengers can more easily buy a ticket using a smartphone. Your receipt is sent by e-mail or text message and serves as your boarding pass, which you can print or show to the driver on your phone. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.masstransitmag.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=12153

[KamaAina]

1. The downside is that these services only serve the big cities

For instance, the route from NYC to Boston goes right through Hartford on I-84, yet neither one stops there. Out in the heartland, route cutbacks on Greyhound have left many small towns, and some sizable ones like New Iberia, La. and even Bloomington, Ind. (home of IU!) high and dry.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. That is sad..since those are the areas one would think might benefit the most..

[damntexdem]

8. Yes, Greyhound and Trailways used to serve everywhere.

Even towns that still have Greyhound service often don't have the direct service to larger places that they used to have.

Basically, the U.S. has blown it re buses -- although I suppose that they can come back more easily than can passenger train traffic (which also used to serve almost everywhere). After all, despite major cutbacks, highways are still highly publicly-subsidized, while Amtrack struggles along, even with increasing demand for it.

Look, by comparison, at Mexico, which has extensive bus service to everywhere. The intercity bus terminals in cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara rival airline terminals.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. GREAT alternative way to travel....

The casinos in and around the NY metro area have been using them for years to get people to their places....cheap, fast, easy and convenient.

EDIT: Went to Megabus site..Reviews were VERY mixed. They better get their act together a little better in order to make any real
headway into the market.

[Recursion]

14. Megabus is slightly cheaper and slightly sketchier than Bolt

But they're pretty much at the same level of service (ie, miles above Fung Wah and Greyhound, which is odd, since Greyhound owns Bolt). For travel on their main routes (basically, among the BoWash cities) there's nothing remotely as convenient (and that includes driving your own car).

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. Step 2: Make 'em electrical. Step 3: Generate electricity by non-burning methods. Step 4: Profit!

And the kicker is, there's no "..." step!

[asdjrocky]

5. Here's one of my favorites-

Sorry, I have the maturity of an 8th grader.

[kenny blankenship]

10. Truth in advertising:

[asdjrocky]

12. Yeah, that's a keeper. nt

[PDJane]

6. Those damn things are uncomfortable, which is my beef.

And, since I require what they nicely term a 'mobility aid' a pain in the butt.

If I have to go anywhere, if there is a train, I'll take that first, ahead of any other form of transpo. It's comfortable, usually faster than a bus, and generally scenic, thank you.

[formercia]

7. And the bathrooms suck

at least on a plane, you might be able to hold it until arrival, but a Bus?

[Recursion]

9. I'm a regular megabuser

And I always show up wicked early so I can get that front top seat. Bolt is good too.

I don't miss the days of riding the Fung Wah -- one time we were on the NJ turnpike and the door fell off. I shit you not.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. cool idea

[lunatica]

13. I have interesting memories of travelling on Greyhound from Chicago to Mexico City

Long multi-day trips but I was young and made friends. I wouldn't want to make a trip like that again at my age though. Can't quite curl up in to sleep in one seat anymore.

[Initech]

15. If they could only do something to improve the quality of bus stations.