Despite High Ridership, Intercity Bus Lines Are Eliminating Stations

“More people are taking long-distance bus trips than at any time since the start of the pandemic. Unfortunately, they have fewer places where they can get on and off.” Jared Brey outlines the issue in Governing, writing that intercity bus service has recovered by 85 to 90 percent since the pandemic, according to the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University.

However, Greyhound closed multiple major stations around the country last year, forcing passengers to wait for buses on public sidewalks with no services or amenities. In Philadelphia, the closure of a downtown bus terminal “was seen locally as a disaster, with riders waiting for long stretches on the sidewalk with no shelter or restrooms — and sometimes having a hard time finding information about where and when the bus was coming. The buses also idled in a lane that was meant to be dedicated to local transit.” The closure of terminals not only makes travel more unsafe and inconvenient for riders, but also impedes other traffic and makes it more difficult to link inter-operator trips.

Brey notes that “Some states are having success with state-run intercity bus services, including Virginia Breeze and Bustang in Colorado, both of which saw big increases in ridership in 2023.” Additionally, “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also provides fundings that cities and states could use to invest in transportation terminals.”

Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute, says he expects more collaboration between Amtrak and intercity bus lines in the near future.