As the loss of intercity bus services and stations continues, Chicago could become the largest city in the developed world without a major downtown bus terminal.
Intercity bus passengers in Chicago worry they could literally be left out in the cold just as the busy holiday season approaches, reports David Schaper for NPR, if the downtown Chicago bus terminal, the largest intercity bus connection hub in the Midwest, shuts down.
Bus companies have been slashing intercity bus service and shuttering terminals around the country, forcing passengers to wait outdoors on sidewalks or in poorly lit parking lots with no access to restrooms, ticket agents, or other amenities.
FlixBus, Greyhound’s new owner, secured a temporary, month-to-month lease on the terminal, but the company has declined to estimate how long the lease might last.
Director of DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute Joe Schwieterman stressed the importance of intercity bus service, saying, “You take away connecting points or push people out on the curb to wait, and that whole network just unravels. So it's hugely important for mobility, heavily for people with low incomes, disabled community and many others.”
According to the article, “City officials are in talks with Greyhound and other entities to try to find another location with an indoor waiting area, but there's been little progress thus far.” The CEO of Flix North America is calling on Congress to support intercity bus service by funding bus infrastructure in the same way it funds airports, passenger rail, and other public transit.
FULL STORY: Chicago may become the latest city to lose Greyhound bus services
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The intercity bus terminal is a 15-minute walk from Chicago’s Union Station, served by Amtrak, and five minutes from a CTA Blue Line station.
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The city is also budgeting $30 million for repairs to the city's only intercity bus station.
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