# 1975 Intercity Bus Study



## Willbridge (Sep 3, 2021)

As requested...

Here it is, in glorious PDF format. I re-read it and it's interesting to see that a few of its recommendations were adopted. This is an orphan report that was meant to gather information and ideas for consideration in the first ever legislatively-mandated multi-modal, statewide transportation plan. That hit a dead-end in a new administration, aided by the opposition of Pacific Trailways' colorful WIlliam Niskanen. The Bend, Oregon firm was working on its own exit strategy. (Money from the sale of PT to Greyhound went to finance national libertarian think tanks but PT itself was a creature of the regulatory state to the (bitter) end.)

We actually received a memo ordering us to stop all work on the statewide transportation plan. While this had the unintended side effect of letting me work the phones in the morning on behalf of what became the _Pioneer _and the Portland/California section of the _Empire Builder_ I spent too many afternoons with the guys in the McDonald's near the Highway Building. Getting the hint, I worked successfully on getting a productive job in Edmonton. My partner on the intercity bus study was able to get transferred to the new joint highway-LRT Banfield project.

It's not spelled out -- this was a bureaucratic project -- but read between the lines and you will understand why we concluded that state support would be needed. For younger readers, keep in mind that in those days of fixed rate tariffs the main lines included extra sections, especially on Fridays and Sundays. Going home from Salem to Portland on the Commuter Club bus we'd count the wave of Greyhound and Trailways buses headed south from the Rose City. Among them the Greyhound run to San Francisco that mimicked the SP _Cascade _would run in three sections. Today, that's one yield-managed bus to a connection in Sacramento for travel to SF.


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## sttom (Sep 3, 2021)

Thank you


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