# Hey I ride Greyhound too!!!



## steamtrain6868

Bus Travel was nicer in the 1970s--Drivers were nice and they would transfer your luggage for you. There were more back country off freeway road routes like thru the New England and the west on the US Route systewn

1.Like having one pass that covers Greyhound and Amtrak and synchronized schedules

2. Better Bus Safety Standards---If Buses were built to FRA Sfatey Standerds having a bus split in two would not have happed last week

3. More Dedicated HOV and truck lanes.

4. Special Pull off lanes on the freeway to rapid load and unload buses instead of going miles into and out of town.

5. More Intermodal rail/bus Terminals---Cleaner terminals and food service that does not engage in highway robbery

6 We need nicer drivers and ticket agents--- The Regional bus companys like New York Trailways and Vermont Transit were nice to me but Peter Pan and Greyhound custumer service suck.

7. Megabus is doing a nice job


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## transit54

While this post should probably be moved to the non-rail transportation forum, I will say that I think you hit the nail on the head with #7. I don't see a lot of hope for Greyhound - their public perception is terrible and their customer service is pretty bad too. Megabus and Bolt Bus are the future of bus travel and I think they will only continue to expand. I don't see a lot of benefit in investing in additional HOV/bus lanes, though, for intercity travel. Enough federal money goes into highways each year. I think a smarter move would be to implement measures to cut congestion than building additional roadway.

I don't think we need better bus safety standards, either. As someone who has been in a bus accident, drives buses occasionally and has dealt with the aftermath of a major interstate bus accident (different from the one I was in as a passenger), I can attest that in almost all crashes, the bus structure does an excellent job of absorbing the impact.

Short of eliminating all the side windows on the bus (how horrible would that be?) you're not going to have changed the outcome of the NY State crash much, because the signpost ended up cutting through the weakest point of the bus frame - where the windows were. Instead, there needs to be greater enforcement of driver safety standards.

Also, I think busses unloading in the downtown areas are a benefit, not an issue, unless you're in a city that has absolutely excellent public transit.


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## George Harris

Greyhound has or had a system of stations with facilities. Megabus is a parasite, setting up their stops near facilities that are provided by others.


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## OlympianHiawatha

The Double Deckers used by Megabus look pretty interesting, almost reminding me of the classic Greyhound SceniCruisers - now that was a bus! I thought I read or heard somewhere Megabus got flushed out of Chicago Union and forced to hike up the street. Since they duplicate much of Amtrak's schedule, I can see why.


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## transit54

George Harris said:


> Greyhound has or had a system of stations with facilities. Megabus is a parasite, setting up their stops near facilities that are provided by others.


I don't disagree with you, though I think that's a somewhat separate issue. I think Boston sets a good example, having built a public intercity bus station, then requiring all buses to use it. I don't think it makes a tremendous amount of sense to require each bus company to maintain their own station - I think the model of collectively owned stations that are served to multiple providers makes a lot of sense.


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## PerRock

I'd be kinda interested in what Greyhound does in the next few years, they were recently bought by First Transport which runs allot of Transportation services in the UK.

peter


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## rrdude

Greyhound also owns Bolt, sodon't count them out.....


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## Bill Haithcoat

OlympianHiawatha said:


> The Double Deckers used by Megabus look pretty interesting, almost reminding me of the classic Greyhound SceniCruisers - now that was a bus! I thought I read or heard somewhere Megabus got flushed out of Chicago Union and forced to hike up the street. Since they duplicate much of Amtrak's schedule, I can see why.


You may recall the Scenicruisr thing was brought up recently on this forum. We may have both made reference to it.


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## RailFanLNK

A month ago my stepdaughter was very homesick. She just wanted to see some family so I trekked to Chicago for one night (on Amtrak) and we put her on Mega Bus. We looked at the OTP of the Empire Builder and it had been terrible. I wanted to cash in some AGR points but the OTP just wasn't looking good. We also priced Amtrak and the buckets for coach must have been at the most expensive. So we looked at Mega Bus and it was $50 RT from MSP, she was dropped off a block from CUS (totally agree about the parasite comment George) and I arrived on the CZ the exact same time she was arriving on Mega Bus. She was in tears but was so grateful to see her stepdad. Mega Bus worked for her so I'm glad it was around to provide us with a way of meeting up. Her bus was late the next day when going back to MSP and I almost booked her on the EB, but right when the decision was going to be made, the bus came around the corner.


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## Trogdor

We need a good, interconnected system of trains and buses in order to get people used to the idea that there's more to transportation than driving and flying.

California is a great example of how the two modes feed each other. Cities that have both and use both modes well for local transit also show how it can be done.

This is particularly important given the push for high-speed rail. A high-speed rail service between cities with large population will do reasonably well, but in many cases you still need some kind of network feeding it. Without a lot of conventional rail available in some of these corridors, buses could provide the missing link, at least as a stopgap until better rail could be built.


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## MattW

I think they need to remove or de-incentive (spelling?) bus routes that can adequately be served by rail transit. Obviously, every city in America can't have rail service (yet) so that's where the buses can fill in. I actually like the idea of not having to pull into downtown at every city except where the route goes through it anyways. Perhaps some sort of protected pull-out in the center median of a freeway under/above bridges with level boarding.

As to the crash standards, if they built buses to the same level as the FRA standards, the buses would leave nothing but a long continuous pothole behind its wheels and would utterly demolish everything else on the road.


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## railiner

The difference behind bus travel in the 1970's and today is primarily due to the demolishment of the old Interstate Commerce Commission and the advent of deregulation.

Regulation meant that motor carriers had to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity to be granted a franchise to operate on a particular route. Once established, they had to apply for permission to raise fares or cut schedules, since they were protected against competition on their routes. That did not mean there was no competition--if another carrier could prove that there was inadequate service or other good reasons at hearings, the ICC could award two or even more carriers to operate on different routes, sometimes with local traffic restrictions over segments.

That system worked effectively for over forty years, with a fairly stable network, and a decent level of service for what was the low-cost mode of public transportation.

Carriers would have to provide sevice on money losing branch routes by means of cross-subsidation with their profitable main routes.

Greyhound built a very nice international network (USA and Canada), with excellent schedules, and state-of-the-art buses, and very substantial terminals. Being a Greyhound driver was considered to be the most prestigious, (and highest paying), professional driving occupation. Their standards were very high, indeed.

All that changed drastically with deregulation. New cut-rate carriers as mentioned, starting up operations from street corners, with very low fares, little overhead, questionable maintenance and operator standards. They cherry-picked the best traffic routes, with no obligation to provide service elsewhere. As a result, the "legacy carriers", to borrow some airline terminology, suffered, with their higher operating expenses. In order to survive, they were forced to start cutting back and sinking to a level of service that would have the founders of the industry 'rolling over in their graves'.


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## railiner

PerRock said:


> I'd be kinda interested in what Greyhound does in the next few years, they were recently bought by First Transport which runs allot of Transportation services in the UK.
> 
> peter


I too.

Ever since the old Greyhound Corporation started diversifying in 1962 into non-transportation subsidiaries, the busline has suffered. They took a lot of the profit from the bus operations, and instead of re-investing it to improved the line, they instead diverted it to what they perceived as better profit potential. Perhaps good for corporate bottom-line, but after a while, the busline began to suffer from neglect, until the point where it was 'spun-off' from the original corporation.

Greyhound went through some very turbulent times in the last twenty years.

While FirstGroup did indeed acquire Greyhound, it was not by choice. They were really after Greyhounds recent parent company Laidlaw, and Greyhound came along with it.

I will say one thing...after a long period of no new bus purchases, FirstGroup did provide relief with the Prevost X3's, and now new MCI D4505's. Sorely needed, as the fleet was frankly, an embarrassment.


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## Trogdor

MattW said:


> I think they need to remove or de-incentive (spelling?) bus routes that can adequately be served by rail transit. Obviously, every city in America can't have rail service (yet) so that's where the buses can fill in. I actually like the idea of not having to pull into downtown at every city except where the route goes through it anyways. Perhaps some sort of protected pull-out in the center median of a freeway under/above bridges with level boarding.


One way to discourage any kind of mass transportation is by making people board in the middle of a freeway. Anyone who has ever walked over or under a freeway knows what an absolute, inviting joy that is (not!). Anyone who has ever boarded a CTA train on one of the freeway median routes has also experienced the joy of having cars speeding by 30 or 40 feet from you.


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## steamtrain6868

We could convert abandoned railroads in Bus and truck only roads...


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## ALC Rail Writer

steamtrain6868 said:


> We could convert abandoned railroads in Bus and truck only roads...


That would only cost a trillion dollars... Do you know how much it costs to build roads?


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## Green Maned Lion

steamtrain6868 said:


> Bus Travel was nicer in the 1970s--Drivers were nice and they would transfer your luggage for you. There were more back country off freeway road routes like thru the New England and the west on the US Route systewn
> 
> 1.Like having one pass that covers Greyhound and Amtrak and synchronized schedules
> 
> 2. Better Bus Safety Standards---If Buses were built to FRA Sfatey Standerds having a bus split in two would not have happed last week
> 
> 3. More Dedicated HOV and truck lanes.
> 
> 4. Special Pull off lanes on the freeway to rapid load and unload buses instead of going miles into and out of town.
> 
> 5. More Intermodal rail/bus Terminals---Cleaner terminals and food service that does not engage in highway robbery
> 
> 6 We need nicer drivers and ticket agents--- The Regional bus companys like New York Trailways and Vermont Transit were nice to me but Peter Pan and Greyhound custumer service suck.
> 
> 7. Megabus is doing a nice job


Greyhound is a large and very successful corporation, and their customer service towards their important and profitable customers is excellent. Me being one of them.

I run a safety equipment business, and do what I call middle level wholesale operations. I probably provide Greyhound with about $1200 a month in business.

The problem you are having with seeing this is realizing what business Greyhound is in. They are not in the passenger business, they are in the freight business. Passenger service pays for the operation of the bus, and freight handles the profit. It costs me about half as much to load a half pallet worth of goods onto a Greyhound bus than it does to pay a trucking company to do it. All I have to do is drive a van load of goods to Newark, and Greyhound does the rest for me- including unloading it from my van.

They take it, weigh it, measure it, load it onto a bus, and send me a bill every month in the mail. They even handle local delivery to my customers. I probably give them about a third of my shipping business. The rest is UPS. Yet about 85% of my shipping expenses are paid to UPS. I wish more of my clients were in places served by Greyhound, quite frankly.


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## railiner

Green Maned Lion said:


> steamtrain6868 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Bus Travel was nicer in the 1970s--Drivers were nice and they would transfer your luggage for you. There were more back country off freeway road routes like thru the New England and the west on the US Route systewn
> 
> 1.Like having one pass that covers Greyhound and Amtrak and synchronized schedules
> 
> 2. Better Bus Safety Standards---If Buses were built to FRA Sfatey Standerds having a bus split in two would not have happed last week
> 
> 3. More Dedicated HOV and truck lanes.
> 
> 4. Special Pull off lanes on the freeway to rapid load and unload buses instead of going miles into and out of town.
> 
> 5. More Intermodal rail/bus Terminals---Cleaner terminals and food service that does not engage in highway robbery
> 
> 6 We need nicer drivers and ticket agents--- The Regional bus companys like New York Trailways and Vermont Transit were nice to me but Peter Pan and Greyhound custumer service suck.
> 
> 7. Megabus is doing a nice job
> 
> 
> 
> Greyhound is a large and very successful corporation, and their customer service towards their important and profitable customers is excellent. Me being one of them.
> 
> I run a safety equipment business, and do what I call middle level wholesale operations. I probably provide Greyhound with about $1200 a month in business.
> 
> The problem you are having with seeing this is realizing what business Greyhound is in. They are not in the passenger business, they are in the freight business. Passenger service pays for the operation of the bus, and freight handles the profit. It costs me about half as much to load a half pallet worth of goods onto a Greyhound bus than it does to pay a trucking company to do it. All I have to do is drive a van load of goods to Newark, and Greyhound does the rest for me- including unloading it from my van.
> 
> They take it, weigh it, measure it, load it onto a bus, and send me a bill every month in the mail. They even handle local delivery to my customers. I probably give them about a third of my shipping business. The rest is UPS. Yet about 85% of my shipping expenses are paid to UPS. I wish more of my clients were in places served by Greyhound, quite frankly.
Click to expand...

I am glad to read about at least one happy customer.

Regarding GPX...while it is a nice additional source of revenue, it comprises much less revenue than it did back in its heyday of the '60's and '70's. At that time the old Railway Express Agency was slowly sinking into oblivion, and the intercity bus picked up a lot of the slack.

So much so, that 'combo' buses were created from aging Scenicruisers that with their unique 10 wheel design, could carry a lot of weight. They installed a sliding side door in the right rear, and used belt-loaders at major terminals. A bulkhead was installed, and some had 13 seats removed, others 25. Even with these running on some regular schedules, during the period leading up to Christmas, regular buses were loaded with nothing but express filling the seats and aisles to alleviate the backlog.

Along came Federal Express, and expanded services from UPS and other express carriers dedicated to the business, and the bus express business started to decline. Now that the route network has shrunk severly, it is even less.

One big advantage of bus express is that in many cases, you can have same day service.


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## bretton88

What has really come up in the past years is the Trailways network. These are bus systems that are very localized and took over routes that Greyhound abandoned. They all seem to have a very high standard of service, new busses, and free wifi. Greyhound in the USA is more of a ticketing agency now that will routed you on multiple agencies bus routes.


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## AlanB

The Trailway's network fell apart. They, like Greyhound, used to have a central booking headquarters if you will. Last I knew, that was long gone. Perhaps the individual companies are doing much better these days, I honestly don't know. But I don't think that Trailways in general is an up and coming company.


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## railiner

AlanB said:


> The Trailway's network fell apart. They, like Greyhound, used to have a central booking headquarters if you will. Last I knew, that was long gone. Perhaps the individual companies are doing much better these days, I honestly don't know. But I don't think that Trailways in general is an up and coming company.


The old National Trailways Bus System, effectively ended at least as a viable line carrier when its largest member, Continental Trailways, was purchased by Greyhound after it almost went under.

Today, only a handful of line operators still belong to that system, and actually are in revenue sharing pools with Greyhound.

The system has reinvented themself into just another trade association of independent smaller operators, some only involved in charters and tours with no line runs at all. They join primarily to exploit what's left of the Trailways name that is familiar to many potential customers, for marketing purposes. They want to be perceived as a 'bigger' operation than they are in reality. Perhaps just a 'ma and pa' owning a couple of buses.


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## Oldsmoboi

Megabus and Boltbus will either eventually have to raise prices or go out of business. They both have experienced multiple safety violation citations, they are annoying their host cities by creating "stations" where there wasn't meant to be one, creating traffic jams both on the road and on the sidewalk, the professionalism and training of their drivers is in question...

How much longer till the cities tell these bus operators that they have to either use the terminal or get out?

Here in Pittsburgh, Megabus set up shop across the street from the brand new Greyhound terminal, in a "no stopping" zone. I'm particularly bitter about this one because it is right outside of my office... so now I have to wade through a bunch of people just to get to my front door.

Apparently, Megabus riders were hanging out in the bus terminal and taking up space for the Greyhound (and other carriers) riders.

Megabus was told to move and now they pick up and drop off 3 blocks away under the convention center. While that is an improvement for traffic control reasons, I don't see the convention center being too happy with that as their main entrance is right there.

They are really a test of wills.... how much can a company abuse their customers in exchange for low prices.

Megabus and BoltBus - The New Class of Low Class.


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## Eric S

Oldsmoboi said:


> Megabus and Boltbus will either eventually have to raise prices or go out of business. They both have experienced multiple safety violation citations, they are annoying their host cities by creating "stations" where there wasn't meant to be one, creating traffic jams both on the road and on the sidewalk, the professionalism and training of their drivers is in question...
> 
> How much longer till the cities tell these bus operators that they have to either use the terminal or get out?
> 
> Here in Pittsburgh, Megabus set up shop across the street from the brand new Greyhound terminal, in a "no stopping" zone. I'm particularly bitter about this one because it is right outside of my office... so now I have to wade through a bunch of people just to get to my front door.
> 
> Apparently, Megabus riders were hanging out in the bus terminal and taking up space for the Greyhound (and other carriers) riders.
> 
> Megabus was told to move and now they pick up and drop off 3 blocks away under the convention center. While that is an improvement for traffic control reasons, I don't see the convention center being too happy with that as their main entrance is right there.
> 
> They are really a test of wills.... how much can a company abuse their customers in exchange for low prices.
> 
> Megabus and BoltBus - The New Class of Low Class.


Agree with the concerns of Megabus (and evidently BoltBus, not as familiar with their operation) and their lack of city terminals.

I'm curious how Boston went about forcing such operators to use South Station bus terminal. Is this a model other cities could follow? (I suppose it helped that Boston has a central bus terminal used by multiple bus operators, not individual stations only used by Greyhound or Burlington Trailways or whatever.)


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## PerRock

Isn't BoltBus part of Greyhound? If so I don't see why Greyhound would have issues with it using their terminals & such.

peter


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## Eric S

PerRock said:


> Isn't BoltBus part of Greyhound? If so I don't see why Greyhound would have issues with it using their terminals & such.
> 
> peter


I did not realize that. Looked it up, and according to wikipedia (not the most reliable of souces, I realize) it is a 50/50 venture between Greyhound Lines and Peter Pan Bus Lines.

Megabus would still be an issue though, even if BoltBus is not.


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## ALC Rail Writer

Peter Pan, aside from being a horrible name for a bus company, is not the tidiest of operations either.


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## GG-1

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> Peter Pan, aside from being a horrible name for a bus company, is not the tidiest of operations either.


Peter Pan is a good name for a flighty bus company :lol: :help: :lol: :lol: :wub:

Aloha


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## jis

GG-1 said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Pan, aside from being a horrible name for a bus company, is not the tidiest of operations either.
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Pan is a good name for a flighty bus company :lol: :help: :lol: :lol: :wub:
> 
> Aloha
Click to expand...

Do they all wear strange pointy caps? :blink:


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## ALC Rail Writer

They do offer daily service to Neverland. I think that's the place Gov. Kasich and Walker hid the Midwest hopes for HSR.


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## railiner

PerRock said:


> Isn't BoltBus part of Greyhound? If so I don't see why Greyhound would have issues with it using their terminals & such.
> 
> peter


Bolt Bus is indeed a joint venture owned by Greyhound and Peter Pan who's mission is to fight back against the cut-rate street corner operators, by providing modern equipment and well trained drivers, and good garage facility, but with otherwise low overhead, by not using terminals. They use a similar fare strategy as Megabus.


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## railiner

jis said:


> GG-1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Pan, aside from being a horrible name for a bus company, is not the tidiest of operations either.
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Pan is a good name for a flighty bus company :lol: :help: :lol: :lol: :wub:
> 
> Aloha
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Do they all wear strange pointy caps? :blink:
Click to expand...

Not quite, and at least they got rid of those horrendous green uniforms a few years ago. The name of the company....?

Well it was founded by Peter Picnelly, so take it from there.....


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## railiner

Eric S said:


> Oldsmoboi said:
> 
> 
> 
> Megabus and Boltbus will either eventually have to raise prices or go out of business. They both have experienced multiple safety violation citations, they are annoying their host cities by creating "stations" where there wasn't meant to be one, creating traffic jams both on the road and on the sidewalk, the professionalism and training of their drivers is in question...
> 
> How much longer till the cities tell these bus operators that they have to either use the terminal or get out?
> 
> Here in Pittsburgh, Megabus set up shop across the street from the brand new Greyhound terminal, in a "no stopping" zone. I'm particularly bitter about this one because it is right outside of my office... so now I have to wade through a bunch of people just to get to my front door.
> 
> Apparently, Megabus riders were hanging out in the bus terminal and taking up space for the Greyhound (and other carriers) riders.
> 
> Megabus was told to move and now they pick up and drop off 3 blocks away under the convention center. While that is an improvement for traffic control reasons, I don't see the convention center being too happy with that as their main entrance is right there.
> 
> They are really a test of wills.... how much can a company abuse their customers in exchange for low prices.
> 
> Megabus and BoltBus - The New Class of Low Class.
> 
> 
> 
> Agree with the concerns of Megabus (and evidently BoltBus, not as familiar with their operation) and their lack of city terminals.
> 
> I'm curious how Boston went about forcing such operators to use South Station bus terminal. Is this a model other cities could follow? (I suppose it helped that Boston has a central bus terminal used by multiple bus operators, not individual stations only used by Greyhound or Burlington Trailways or whatever.)
Click to expand...

All they had to do was enact a city ordnance forcing the carriers into the municipal terminal at South Station. Of course, it helps of there is sufficient room there for more carriers.

In New York, the Port Authority Bus Terminal is pretty well filled to capacity. There is talk of building another terminal in the Chinatown area to alleviate the loading on the streets there.

Before the Port Authority Bus Terminal opened in New York in 1950, there were about 7 or 8 smaller terminals in the Times Square area. When the Port opened, it was a wonderful improvement. The ramps that took buses directly to the Lincoln Tunnel really helped traffic flow.

At one point, the City in collusion with the Port Authority, passed an ordnance which prohibited the construction of any new bus terminals in the midtown area. Greyhound was a hold-out...it still operated from its own two terminals, one at Pennsylvannia Station, and the other at 50th and 8th. Since they could not build their own replacement, they decided to move to the Port, and it was expanded upward with a three deck parking garage, freeing the former garage to be used as the third bus level. This was in 1963. In around 1980, the entire new North Wing was added.


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## AlanB

Eric S said:


> I'm curious how Boston went about forcing such operators to use South Station bus terminal. Is this a model other cities could follow? (I suppose it helped that Boston has a central bus terminal used by multiple bus operators, not individual stations only used by Greyhound or Burlington Trailways or whatever.)


I'm not sure what Boston did, but NY City's City Council is currently working on a bill that will very heavily regulate the Bolt's & Mega's of the world, as well as the Chinese services. If they don't use normal bus facilities, then they will be told where they can and can't stop, and they'll have to pay the city fees for those priviledges. That will almost certainly force them to raise prices as they won't be able to freeload off of anyone any more here in NYC.

And with the several recent, fatal in two cases, accidents of buses like this, it's a pretty safe bet that this bill will pass.


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## railiner

AlanB said:


> Eric S said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm curious how Boston went about forcing such operators to use South Station bus terminal. Is this a model other cities could follow? (I suppose it helped that Boston has a central bus terminal used by multiple bus operators, not individual stations only used by Greyhound or Burlington Trailways or whatever.)
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure what Boston did, but NY City's City Council is currently working on a bill that will very heavily regulate the Bolt's & Mega's of the world, as well as the Chinese services. If they don't use normal bus facilities, then they will be told where they can and can't stop, and they'll have to pay the city fees for those priviledges. That will almost certainly force them to raise prices as they won't be able to freeload off of anyone any more here in NYC.
> 
> And with the several recent, fatal in two cases, accidents of buses like this, it's a pretty safe bet that this bill will pass.
Click to expand...

It's interesting that many years before the current epidemic of street corner operators, a company that had started running out of the Port decided to save money and move out, loading at several MTA bus stops. That company is Hampton Jitney, and they provide a first class operation nonetheless.


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## Eric S

AlanB said:


> Eric S said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm curious how Boston went about forcing such operators to use South Station bus terminal. Is this a model other cities could follow? (I suppose it helped that Boston has a central bus terminal used by multiple bus operators, not individual stations only used by Greyhound or Burlington Trailways or whatever.)
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure what Boston did, but NY City's City Council is currently working on a bill that will very heavily regulate the Bolt's & Mega's of the world, as well as the Chinese services. If they don't use normal bus facilities, then they will be told where they can and can't stop, and they'll have to pay the city fees for those priviledges. That will almost certainly force them to raise prices as they won't be able to freeload off of anyone any more here in NYC.
> 
> And with the several recent, fatal in two cases, accidents of buses like this, it's a pretty safe bet that this bill will pass.
Click to expand...

Not too many years ago Megabus used to stop immediately outside of Chicago Union Station, causing major congestion on that street, not to mention encouraging Megabus passengers to wait inside CUS. Of course, Chicago only forced them to move one block away, rather than to a particular bus station. Not sure if the city of Chicago has charged Megabus any sort of fee for the street-side bus stop.


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## ALC Rail Writer

AlanB said:


> Eric S said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm curious how Boston went about forcing such operators to use South Station bus terminal. Is this a model other cities could follow? (I suppose it helped that Boston has a central bus terminal used by multiple bus operators, not individual stations only used by Greyhound or Burlington Trailways or whatever.)
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure what Boston did, but NY City's City Council is currently working on a bill that will very heavily regulate the Bolt's & Mega's of the world, as well as the Chinese services. If they don't use normal bus facilities, then they will be told where they can and can't stop, and they'll have to pay the city fees for those priviledges. That will almost certainly force them to raise prices as they won't be able to freeload off of anyone any more here in NYC.
> 
> And with the several recent, fatal in two cases, accidents of buses like this, it's a pretty safe bet that this bill will pass.
Click to expand...

The island of Manhattan will thank them, the rate that it sinks into the sea will decrease the sooner those buses park where they belong... At the bottom of the Hudson.


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## lthanlon

I've been wanting to ride the Texas Eagle round trip between Chicago and Los Angeles, but the cost of a sleeper is way out of reach -- at least both ways. Since I've never traveled long distance on a bus, I've been entertaining the idea of taking Greyhound from Chicago to Los Angeles, then taking the Texas Eagle home.

Most westbound Greyhound schedules require three transfers and I was thinking of arriving in LA late the night before or very early in the morning of my return train trip. However, I'm afraid that if just one of those transfers imploded, I might not reach LA in time to catch the Eagle. It also doesn't help that friends and family (none of whom has ridden Greyhound, of course) are convinced that even a grown adult male would be robbed, groped or worse.

Has anybody made the Chicago-to-Los Angeles trip lately on Greyhound? I do enjoy meeting and talking to people and am not an elitist who's put off by the realities of bus travel. I wouldn't be able to use my CPAP device on the bus, so I do worry that being a pretty bad snorer, I'd annoy nearby passengers.


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## railiner

lthanlon said:


> I've been wanting to ride the Texas Eagle round trip between Chicago and Los Angeles, but the cost of a sleeper is way out of reach -- at least both ways. Since I've never traveled long distance on a bus, I've been entertaining the idea of taking Greyhound from Chicago to Los Angeles, then taking the Texas Eagle home.
> 
> Most westbound Greyhound schedules require three transfers and I was thinking of arriving in LA late the night before or very early in the morning of my return train trip. However, I'm afraid that if just one of those transfers imploded, I might not reach LA in time to catch the Eagle. It also doesn't help that friends and family (none of whom has ridden Greyhound, of course) are convinced that even a grown adult male would be robbed, groped or worse.
> 
> Has anybody made the Chicago-to-Los Angeles trip lately on Greyhound? I do enjoy meeting and talking to people and am not an elitist who's put off by the realities of bus travel. I wouldn't be able to use my CPAP device on the bus, so I do worry that being a pretty bad snorer, I'd annoy nearby passengers.


You do have some valid concerns. Perhaps it would be better for you to try a much shorter bus trip before commiting to the one you mention, just to see how you fare?

You sure are planning a 'marathon' trip...no time to sightsee or otherwise in LA?

One thing if you are still going to go through with it....If you make your last leg over the same route as the train, and you think you might misconnect at LA, you might be able to get off at a common stop prior to LA to connect instead....


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## Misty.

I didn't do Chicago to Los Angeles, but I've done Sacramento to St. Louis last August (and a roundtrip of the route in August 2009), so my information might be a little helpful. My last connection on my last run through of the route (at Denver) did kind of implode, but due to other late buses or something, I did still get going the same day (even though I was far enough back in line to be on the second bus, and started about two and a half hours late). Some time was made up, and I got into St. Louis only about an hour later than scheduled.  And as far as the 2009 trips went, sure, some of the buses were kind of late, but nothing so terribly bad that I missed connections.

As far as possible personal safety issues, I'd wager it's about as likely to happen on Greyhound as on public transit in some cities. I've done my jaunt between St. Louis and Sacramento three times now, and nothing happened to me. Heck, overall in my limited public transit experience, the worst I've had happen to me was more an annoyance than anything, and that happened on the "L" in Chicago a few weeks ago, not Greyhound.

But I have to say, I'd rather hear someone snoring than a cranky child yelling their lungs out when I can't sleep due to a combo of paranoid adrenaline and my already screwy sleep schedule. :blush:


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## lthanlon

railiner said:


> You sure are planning a 'marathon' trip...no time to sightsee or otherwise in LA?
> 
> One thing if you are still going to go through with it....If you make your last leg over the same route as the train, and you think you might misconnect at LA, you might be able to get off at a common stop prior to LA to connect instead....


I've seen plenty in LA the times I've been there previously. If I have time, I'd definitely grab a bite at Philippe, though. Thanks for the idea about the common stop!


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## lthanlon

Thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear you haven't had any problems. Whenever I mention traveling Greyhound to friends or family, they invariably bring up the Canadian cannibal incident.


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## Oldsmoboi

Oh goodie.... Pittsburgh (my home) has been announced as a major hub for Megabus.

The picture in that article is a Megabus making the turn directly in front of my office building.


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## rrdude

I dunno now long cities/metro areas will allow MegaBus/Knock-Offs to board/discharge pax at public lots, train stations, park-n-rides, etc.... but it sure would be nice if they could FORCE them to use existing transit facilities, for a fee.

OTOH, it might be hard for an inexperienced traveler to find the pick-up location for the Baltimore area, given these directions from MegaBus' web site:

"Arrivals and departures for the New York service ONLY are located on the south side of the White Marsh Park & Ride lot, located in the* northern suburbs of Baltimore* near the intersection of White Marsh Boulevard and Honeygo Boulevard. "

Shhhhhhh, don't anyone tell them, That intersection is more NE than Northern suburbs of Baltimore...............I'm just saying........


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## steamtrain6868

http://www.busride.org/ is the Greyline which runs from Pittsburgh PA to Morgantown WV....This picked up where Greyhound abandoned a line


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## ALC Rail Writer

AT least they didn't tell you to go directly East, five miles from the city center.


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## Oldsmoboi

steamtrain6868 said:


> http://www.busride.org/ is the Greyline which runs from Pittsburgh PA to Morgantown WV....This picked up where Greyhound abandoned a line


They Greyline uses the Pittsburgh bus terminal, so they aren't causing traffic and pedestrian issues.


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## rrdude

railiner said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GG-1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Pan, aside from being a horrible name for a bus company, is not the tidiest of operations either.
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Pan is a good name for a flighty bus company :lol: :help: :lol: :lol: :wub:
> 
> Aloha
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Do they all wear strange pointy caps? :blink:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Not quite, and at least they got rid of those horrendous green uniforms a few years ago. The name of the company....?
> 
> Well it was founded by Peter Picnelly, so take it from there.....
Click to expand...

Just heard a quote from "Peter Pantuso" on NPR a moment ago, guess what HIS TITLE is? *CEO of the American Bus Association! * I thought *FOR SURE* he must have been the founder of the Peter Pan Bus Line, but noooooooooo..What a coincidence thou.

*Peter A. Picknelly* is the third generation to head the company. His

grandfather named the company after his father's and aunt's favorite

childhood story, James M. Barrie's classic tale of the little boy who

didn't want to grow up. His father had blond hair and the same name

as the storybook's central character, Peter. His aunt had red hair like

Wendy in the storybook.

"It's been a cute name for the company," he said. "It's also the theme

of Peter never growing up. It's fitting."

Today, Peter Pan is a company of 1,100 employees with a fleet of 300

buses costing nearly $500,000 each. Peter Pan does more than $100

million a year in sales each year, much of it earned one $35 one-way

trip from Boston's South Station to New York City's Port Authority Bus

Terminal at a time, says Picknelly.

That puts Peter Pan in the major leagues of bus companies, according

to* Peter J. Pantuso,* president and chief executive officer of the

American Bus Association.

There, everyone got "their Peter's right?"


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## steamtrain6868

Yesterday I ran into a young man stuck in PGH in the new bus station at 200P he was going to Indiana PA and he was stuck there till 500am....You think that they would give him a meal ticket or something....Travelers Aid was there but I have no Idea what they would do with him


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## rrdude

He could walk to BK or McDonald's, and buy a burger or sandwich, yes?

Just cause your conx sux, doesn't mean the carrier has to feed you or put you up................


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## railiner

Unfortunately, this happens more and more these days for various reasons.

First of all the routes and schedules of intercity buses are but a mere shadow of what they were as little as twenty years ago. Wholescale routes have been abandoned, not just light branch routes, but mainline through routes. And the frequencies of service have also retrenched a lot.

The next problem is the lack of travel saavy by passengers. In these days of online information, you would think it otherwise, but sadly, many young people do not research their schedule options in advance to avoid bad connections if possible. Instead, they just show up at the station, hoping for the best when they decide to go.

In the case of the carriers failure to make a connection, due to their own negligence, and not weather, traffic, or other delays beyond their control, they may provide some accommodation in the way of meal voucher similar to rail and air. Of course not at the same level, as bus travel is in the words of former Greyhound president Jim Kerrigan, "The bargain basement of public transportation."

You get what you pay for....


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## RRrich

steamtrain6868 said:


> Yesterday I ran into a young man stuck in PGH in the new bus station at 200P he was going to Indiana PA and he was stuck there till 500am....You think that they would give him a meal ticket or something....Travelers Aid was there but I have no Idea what they would do with him


Awhile back I got off the CZ in SAC at about 3PM and my next train was the CS at about 3AM. Amtrak did not provide me with any food or a place to lie down - but I could sit on a chair in the terminal.

If that is what Amtrak provides, do you really expect a bus line to provide more?


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## Green Maned Lion

I have done overnight connections at terminals all over the place. The carrier is not responsible for the pain incurred by my masochistic tendencies- or your PGH friends stupidity.


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## steamtrain6868

The idea of a Rail/Bus pass comes up again and again...Where I see it is that I often hear German or European Accents in Bus Stations of Eurostudents doing the grand tour

The The Greyhound® North America Discovery Pass seems to be the better deal as it offers more travel to more places and at more times then Amtrak. The European Students are also a tough bunch willing to put up with all sorts of BS that Americans would break down a cry. I guess its part of the "American Experance" as they consider the USA to be a third world country to the the US. Hostels in Europe are not the nice places that the travel guides make them out to be. Often they are crowded and smell of body oder as many Eurotrash frequent these places and the french women who dont shave there armpitts h34r: either leave evidence in the sinks,,


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## ALC Rail Writer

First off



> I guess its part of the "American Experance" as they consider the USA to be a third world country to the the US


What?

Secondly,



> Eurotrash


Could you sound anymore like an ignorant American?

Thirdly,



> Often they are crowded and smell of body oder as many Eurotrash frequent these places and the french women who dont shave there armpitts h34r: either leave evidence in the sinks,,


Evidently, yes.


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## PerRock

steamtrain6868 said:


> Hostels in Europe are not the nice places that the travel guides make them out to be. Often they are crowded and smell of body oder as many Eurotrash frequent these places and the french women who dont shave there armpitts h34r: either leave evidence in the sinks,,



umm where did you get that idea? you watch the movie Hostel and think it's more right then the guide books? I spent 4 months traveling all around Europe staying in hostels almost the entire time (only twice I stayed in a hotel). And out of all the many many Hostels I stayed in (I'll post in a number once I sit down & count them) only one did I find to be less-then-nice. But there really wasn't anything wrong with it as far as I could tell, I just had "that feeling". The Majority of hostels are as nice as chain hotel here (I would argue most are better). Most people staying in the hostels take daily showers in hostels and hostel owners tend to keep their hostels smell-free.

I'm not gonna comment on the French women thing, as I don't really see what that has to do with hostels, buses, or trains.

Oh and no they really weren't crowded. Most only put up to 8-10 in a fairly large room (on the large end) and most also often individual rooms (2 beds usually) at a higher price.

peter


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## rrdude

steamtrain6868 said:


> The idea of a Rail/Bus pass comes up again and again...Where I see it is that I often hear German or European Accents in Bus Stations of Eurostudents doing the grand tour
> 
> The The Greyhound® North America Discovery Pass seems to be the better deal as it offers more travel to more places and at more times then Amtrak. The European Students are also a tough bunch willing to put up with all sorts of BS that Americans would break down a cry._* I guess its part of the "American Experance" as they consider the USA to be a third world country to the the US*_.???? Hostels in Europe are not the nice places that the travel guides make them out to be. Often they are crowded and smell of body oder as many _*Eurotrash*_ frequent these places and the _*french women who dont shave there armpitts*_ h34r: either leave evidence in the sinks,,


Really dude, I'm probably one of the most liberal, "let em post whatever the hell they want to post" members of this forum, but the kind of stuff you posted above has no place at all in this forum. I'm not asking it be removed or taken down, but your credibility, whatever is left-if any, just sunk another dozen notches.

With dispatches like that, I'd be shocked to see anyone respond to your posts..........


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## bretton88

Our local Trailways company, Burlington Trailways just bought brand new busses to replace it's entire fleet. Rimrock Trailways in Montana just did the same. Jefferson Lines is still running around with old busses though. So some Trailways are doing well, and some aren't.


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## railiner

bretton88 said:


> Our local Trailways company, Burlington Trailways just bought brand new busses to replace it's entire fleet. Rimrock Trailways in Montana just did the same. Jefferson Lines is still running around with old busses though. So some Trailways are doing well, and some aren't.


Interesting. Not that it really matters, but when did Jefferson join Trailways association?


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## DET63

Greyhound was successful when there were still a lot of people who didn't drive. Nowadays, almost everyone can drive. This may change as the Baby Boomers get older and there is a large segment of the population who may want or even need to travel but can no longer safely operate a motor vehicle. But for now, if Greyhound (or Trailways or anyone else) ran buses where they used to even in the '60s and '70s, a lot of trips would be carrying only two or three passengers—not nearly enough to make a profit.


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## steamtrain6868

The best bus ride I had was on a local Peter Pan that ran on local roads from Springfeild Mass to Albany in the Fall. There was like 5 people on the bus and the driver told me storys about where the old motels where the Boston Mob would hang out. The Berksires were buitifull and we stopped for food and smoke breaks as we were not in any particalar hurry. The other ride that I loved was Susquahanna Trailways from Williumsport PA to Harrisburgh were we stopped at all the local towns along the way. I got to see the old Curtis Airplain factory. If I were to recomend a bus ride it would be from Binghamton or Rochester NY or Syracuse NY on Trailways to Ithaca NY during the early fall or spring coming up thru the finger lakes.


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