Back on the Bus

2024 Outlook for the Intercity Bus Industry in the United States

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The Chaddick Institute’s Annual Intercity Bus Review| February 6, 2024

By Joseph P. Schwieterman, Blythe Chesney, and Akshara Das

trategic shifts, the shuttering of stations, and more robust consumer demand markedly changed the intercity bus

industry in 2023. FlixBus and Greyhound proceeded with their managerial and schedule integration and rolled out

more connections between each other’s services at a broad set of transfer points. Megabus and Trailways added large

regional carriers to their platforms and increasingly marketed multi-leg trips like Greyhound’s. First-class operator Vonlane

remained bullish on the South, undertaking the largest expansion by a premium bus line since our first Outlook report 16

years ago.

At the same time, the image of

legacy bus lines took a hit as bus

station problems facing Greyhound

and its partners continued. More

downtown depots were closed, and

services were relocated to curbside

spots or modest facilities without

much (or sometimes any) indoor

seating. Perceptions grew that long-

distance trips are unpredictable and

physically demanding. However,

traffic rose to roughly 85 - 90% of

pre-pandemic levels, varying by

region.

Back on the Bus highlights the

notable developments of 2023,

organized by geographic region and key nationwide trends. We also provide predictions and insights on the status of

intercity bus ridership nationally on page 16. We exclude most activity by airport and campus shuttle operators and most

rural bus lines from our review, focusing instead on more conventional offerings.

Back on the Bus

Turn to the page number shown for coverage of notable developments by region

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JOSEPH

SCHWIETERMAN,

PHD

CHADDICK INSTITUTE FOR METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL

312.362.5732 | CHADDICK.DEPAUL.EDU

Photo caption (above): A Greyhound coach at Myrtle Beach, NC in December 2023

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Assisting contributors

: MICHAEL R. WEINMAN AND PATRICIA CHEMKA SPERANZA OF PTSI TRANSPORTATION

BLYTHE

CHESNEY

AKSHARA

DAS

NEW ENGLAND & NEW YORK STATE

More than any other U.S. region, nearly all the most

heavily traveled routes in New England and Upstate New

York are highly competitive. Although the players differ by

subregion, the price and schedule competition are fierce.

The visibility of megabus.com

on the travel scene rose due to

the partnerships created in

late 2022 that added Trailways

of New York (whose brands

include Adirondack

Trailways) and Peter Pan to

this popular booking platform.

Before this, Megabus had

decided to discontinue its

routes to Boston and Upstate

New York. The current

arrangement is in keeping with

megabus.com’s policy to have

its partners (in this case, Peter

Pan and Adirondack) exclusive

providers on their routes.

Boston – New York, until a few

years ago, was a bewildering

mix of lines. The corridor now has only five main players if

you count Greyhound and FlixBus (which have the same

owner) as one. Greyhound-FlixBus, on peak days,

together, typically have 34 downtown-to-downtown

departures each way, roughly two-thirds of which being

Flixbus, while Peter Pan, which runs almost hourly, has a

dozen (see our table on page 20). These brands also serve

other points in the Boston region not included in the

above counts. FlixBus shoulders a heavier traffic burden

than Greyhound, partly due to having a prime loading

spot outside Penn Station in New York.

After expanding last year, the third player, OurBus (a

booking platform), has 4 - 5 trips on peak days, leaving

from a point near the Prudential Building. It, too, has

other direct services from Boston-area locations and

expands significantly during the busiest periods. The

fourth, Go Buses, typically has two trips daily, primarily

originating in Cambridge, MA. Finally, niche player Coach

Run (a booking platform) has one or two trips on most

days and is notable for having stops in both Midtown and

Lower Manhattan.

Upstate New York is only slightly less competitive,

despite Megabus’s recent withdrawal. Four lines,

Adirondack, Coach USA’s ShortLine, FlixBus-Greyhound,

and OurBus compete head-to-head between New York,

Binghamton, and Ithaca.

Three of these—all except

ShortLine—also connect New York to Rochester and

Buffalo, but bargain hunters will also find that Wanda

Coach offers several daily trips to these cities from the

Chinatown neighborhood.

Adirondack temporarily

expanded service last year between New York and

Montreal, QC, at certain times. The move came after

Amtrak suspended its Adirondack train service north of

Albany due to significant speed restrictions imposed by

Canadian National.

Our Projection: Full Traffic Recovery by 2026, Even as Station Woes Continue

Turn to page 16 for our six prognostications for the industry, including our predictions that i) traffic levels nationwide,

excluding commuter routes, will fully return to pre-pandemic levels by 2026, up from around 85 – 90% of pre-pandemic

levels today, ii) more high-profile station closings will occur, hurting disadvantaged groups, and iii) public policies will

gradually swing in the industry’s favor. Even after this recovery, traffic levels will remain marginally below 2016 levels.

C&J Bus Lines continues to reinvent itself for the post-

pandemic market. The New Hampshire-based line has

moved to a reservation-only model without a booking fee.

To support the switch, it undertook a schedule expansion

on its Seacoast, NH - Boston Logan and downtown Boston

routes and is now running airport service half-hourly for

parts of the day. C&J also reopened its Dover, NH, station,

which had been shuttered since 2020. Like

its Portsmouth terminal, the Dover facility has an

attractive waiting room and free parking, which is a rarity

for bus travel. Bucking the national trend, C&J opened a

terminal in Seabrook, which has almost 800 parking

spaces, a spacious passenger waiting area, and four

covered bus slips, in 2021.

As they did before the pandemic, C&J, Concord

Coach, and Dartmouth Coach serve different routes

throughout the region. Concord and Dartmouth have a

business class service to New York from Portland, ME, and

Lebanon/Hanover, NH, respectively, whereas C&J has a

premium service from Portsmouth and Dover to

Manhattan. Each line offers at least one trip per day, with

both C&J and Dartmouth having additional trips toward

weekends. C&J has up to three trips on the busiest days,

giving it considerably more service than before the

pandemic. In addition, C&J is exploring a possible

expansion to its New York service.

A new Amtrak Thruway service debuted in August

between Worchester and New Bedford, MA, allowing

transfers to Amtrak in Providence, RI. Operated by

DATTCO, the three times daily services are designed for

connection times as short as 20 minutes. Separately,

Peter Pan launched a New Bedford – Boston service, an

intrastate route previously served by DATTCO.

Vermont Translines’s ridership was 25% higher last year

than in 2022. Since restructuring its network in 2021, the

provider has focused on twice-daily Albany, NY – Rutland,

VT – Burlington, VT, service operated with state support

and designed to connect with Amtrak and other bus

services at Albany. Translines fills gaps in train schedules,

allows travelers to reach Burlington and New York several

hours earlier than train-only options, and has different

intermediate stops. Due to added bus/rail synergy, traffic

has grown despite Amtrak extending the Ethan Allen

Express, a train originating in New York, from Rutland to

Burlington in 2022. More than a third of Translines

customers make train connections. Bus-only trips can

now also be booked on amtrak.com.

Post-pandemic interest in intercity bus services was

evident at a June event hosted by the New York City Bar

Association and the Bus4NYC Coalition. The gathering

attracted stakeholders from the American Bus Association

and United Motorcoach Association to public

transportation leaders. Among the identified challenges

facing New York were:

• barriers to electrification due to the high cost of

electric coaches, which can be nearly as

expensive as new diesel coaches,

• proposed congestion fees, and

• the city’s unique bus-stop permit program.

Brands making notable moves in New England and New York

State (partial representation). Images from company websites.

Two passengers with backpacks prepare to board FlixBus at the New York stop

next to Penn Station on October 1, 2023

However, the prospect of exempting private

motorcoaches from proposed congestion fees imposed on

vehicles entering and leaving Manhattan remains murky,

regardless of whether they are on regular routes or in

tour/charter service. One recent proposal calls for

motorcoaches to pay $24-36 once each day they enter the

central business district, with credits on specific routes and

fees varying by time of day, with commuter buses exempt.

Stops & Stations. The municipal government has

purchased the Albany (NY) Greyhound Station for

redevelopment into a large parking deck. This structure

will have a ground-floor intermodal facility that will

apparently be available to intercity bus lines. Critics have

panned the current 1970s-era station for its bunker-like

appearance. Several years ago, Adirondack and Peter Pan

moved from that station to a similarly modest facility

nearby. Whether all intercity bus services will eventually

be consolidated into the new intermodal facility remains

to be seen. Rail connections require a local bus or taxi ride

over the Hudson River, although some carriers make stops

at Amtrak’s Rensselaer Station,

Ithaca, NY, is moving ahead with plans to build a new

intercity bus station. The municipality’s past policies have

generated much pushback by private bus companies.

New York’s Port Authority Bus Terminal is still slated for

a comprehensive redesign, but this remains years away.

This month brought news that the megaproject was

moving forward, and a draft environmental impact

statement was filed.

The existing Port Authority Terminal now has three

attractive ticket offices, those of Peter Pan, Adirondack

Trailways, and Greyhound, in its intercity bus area.

Competition between these bus lines has increased since

the discontinuation of “Pool Agreements” several years

ago, which included the coordination of schedules in the

Northeast. These tidy facilities are separated from busy

pedestrian corridors and waiting areas, but long lines can

form during busy periods. The lower-level intercity bus

areas remain adequate but unappealing.

MID-ATLANTIC, INCLUDING VIRGINIA

Last year brought relatively few service rollouts in the

Mid-Atlantic region, partially due to the slower-than-

average traffic recovery in the Northeast Corridor (NEC).

Our conversations with the industry indicate that traffic in

the NEC is perhaps 75% (or perhaps a little less) of pre-

pandemic levels, excluding commuter routes. Travelers

nonetheless have myriad options between the New York

and Washington, DC, areas—one

of America’s largest intercity bus

markets. BestBus, FlixBus, Go

Buses, Greyhound, Megabus,

OurBus, Peter Pan, Washington

Deluxe, and Vamoose are all

significant players. Each has

extensive offerings from Midtown

Manhattan. FlixBus and Megabus

each offer 20+ trips in each

direction on most days, and

Greyhound offers 14 (see table on

page 21).

The newest provider, The Jet,

provides first-class service with an

onboard attendant. Its service

remained steady last year, with

two daily trips each way except

Tuesday from the Hudson Yards

area of Manhattan. Lower-cost bus service from New

York’s Chinatown is even more extensive than a year ago.

(See the map on page 25 of our 2023 Outlook report.)

Wanda Coach offers a particularly large number of trips

from Chinatown.

FlixBus has become a significant player

in Chinatown because of its partnerships with several bus

lines that have long focused on this neighborhood. Among

FlixBus’s newer offerings is direct service from New York

to Charlotteville, VA, via Washington, DC, which may be

seasonal, as it is now absent from schedules.

The New York – Philadelphia route, despite heavy

competition from Amtrak, also has abundant service.

FlixBus typically has 17 daily trips each way during the

present slow season, followed by Greyhound (16) and

Peter Pan (11), while several lines have less frequent

service. More trips are offered at peak times.

Megabus’s direct service from Washington, DC, to

Buffalo, NY, via Philadelphia vanished by early last year,

although numerous other routes to these cities can still be

found on megabus.com. As a result of the change,

travelers from Philadelphia and points south lack direct

bus (or train) service to Buffalo, and must transfer in

Midtown Manhattan, adding several hours to the trip.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Virginia Breeze Bus Lines

continues to enjoy success. The state’s Department of Rail

and Public Transit (DRPT) reports that ridership hit an all-

time high in November when there were 7,800 trips, 19%

more than the previous year. Traffic on the newest route,

the Highlands Rhythm, which links Washington, DC, to

Bristol, rose 27%, and on the Capital Connector,

connecting the nation’s capital to Richmond and Danville,

VA, it rose 25%. DRPT is studying a possible new route

focusing on the Interstate 64 corridor between the

Tidewater region and Staunton. It is also examining the

feasibility of installing bus shelters, lighting, and benches

at specific rural stops. Due to rising ticket revenue, the

total cost of operating the state’s intercity bus program

has decreased.

Stops & Stations. The closing of Philadelphia Greyhound

Station at 10

& Filbert, used by Greyhound, Peter Pan,

and other lines, was one of the biggest stories of 2023.

The station had long been at risk due to interest in a new

professional basketball stadium on the site, but its demise

came more quickly than many expected. The station had a

central location, diagonal bus parking, and room for

indoor passenger queues.

Greyhound and other bus lines initially moved curbside to

a nearby spot on Market Street with a small indoor space

and ticket counter. Many bus passengers were required to

wait outside on crowded sidewalk areas without

protective cover, and complaints ensued. Parked coaches

also created issues for a bus lane used by local transit

buses. In December, bus lines, including FlixBus and

Megabus, which did not use the old station, moved to

curbside spots at Spring Garden and Front Street,

adjacent to a rail transit stop. The new location is less

congested and has a small indoor space and restrooms.

However, it is seen as only an interim location.

A major revamp of Washington Union Station is afoot

and could create problems for intercity bus riders.

Currently, bus lines have a dedicated floor on a parking

deck above the station’s train platforms. The number of

bus bays and parking spaces for motorcoaches could be

sharply reduced as part of an effort to reduce the number

of parking spots, thus impairing peak-period service.

Greyhound stations in other cities also face challenges.

The Richmond (VA) Greyhound Station appears destined

to be closed to make room for a residential building. The

Erie, PA, station became unstaffed last year, while

Pittsburgh’s station was the scene of several high-profile

crime incidents.

THE SOUTH

The South, especially Florida, is recovering faster than

most other regions, according to industry leaders with

whom we have spoken. RedCoach’s traffic in Florida now

exceeds pre-pandemic levels and is as much as 25%

A BestBus coach for Washington, operated by DC Trails, at a Manhattan

curb at 34

Street & 9th Avenue in October 2023.

greater at certain times. The group is considering

extending its network, which now runs as far north as

Tallahassee, to Atlanta, GA. FlixBus appears to be seeing

the benefits of a significant expansion of its Miami –

Tallahassee service (via both Orlando and Tampa) made in

2022.

On the busy Orlando – Fort Lauderdale –

Miami, FL, corridor, the competition

facing Greyhound, FlixBus, Megabus, Jet

Set Express (which emphasizes hotel

pickup), and Red Coach intensified last

autumn when Brightline Florida opened

its Orlando extension. From endpoint to

endpoint, Brightline’s 16 daily trains in

each direction are about an hour faster

than express buses. Brightline’s typical

“walk-up” fare at $119 in economy class is

roughly twice the bus fare, so the most

price-sensitive travelers will likely stick

with buses. RedCoach, which offers

business- and first-class service, closely

monitors Brightline’s fares and service.

In other parts of the South, several niche-

oriented carriers made significant moves.

Luxury provider Vonlane entered the

Memphis – Nashville, TN, route, which

previously lacked scheduled ground

options except for Greyhound

and Hispanic operator Tornado

Bus. Vonlane offers meals and

beverages served by an

onboard attendant, mirroring

the Atlanta-Nashville service

the group launched in 2022.

Perhaps in response, Groome

Transportation expanded its

ATL–BNA Airport Shuttle,

which links airports in Atlanta

and Nashville. Running via

Chattanooga and operated

using passenger vans, the 253-

mile shuttle runs 12 – 13 trips

each way daily.

FlixBus has built an extensive

network in the Southeast

through its operating partner,

Eagle Bus. It now has direct

service from New York to

Atlanta and New York to Orlando, FL, via Washington, DC,

Richmond, VA, and Raleigh, NC. These lengthy routes

expand connections to several dozen other routes and

have a pickup option in New York’s Chinatown

A FlixBus will soon board at the designated curb location in Tampa, FL in December 2023.

neighborhood. Also, Flixbus began service from Chicago to

Memphis and Nashville, TN, last year as discussed in the

next section, while Megabus dropped its Memphis

service, once provided over several routes.

Strong demand for luxury charters and a shortfall of

premium coaches prompted Napaway to temporarily shift

assets away from its scheduled luxury “sleeper bus”

service. Napaway CEO Daniel Aranov has noted that the

company uses the coaches previously part of its Nashville

- Washington service for luxury charters, for which

demand is strong. Napaway plans to resume scheduled

line-run service in the not-so-distant future.

Traffic on the bus routes supported by North Carolina’s

transportation department is growing. The state has

expanded the number of daily roundtrips in the system

from 9 to 12 since 2021. Two new federally subsidized

routes are part of the mix. Bus miles of service have

expanded by 50%, and ridership on existing routes has

increased by 37% over the past year, according to state

officials. Mid-State Express, a service operated by Sunway

Charters that links Winston-Salem and Fayetteville, with

stops in Lexington and High Point, is among the state’s

relatively new offerings. Its Charlotte to Wilmington (via

Fayetteville) run is its best-performing subsidized route in

terms of ridership, cost per trip, and subsidy per trip.

Delta Bus Lines, which links Memphis and Baton Rouge,

LA, is benefiting from Delta Rides, a rural mobility

collaboration. Delta Rides serves 22 counties in Mississippi

and is part of Connect

MS, a state-funded

initiative to provide

reliable transportation

to Mississippians with

limited options.

Delta

Rides brings many riders

to Delta Bus stations in

Clarksdale, Cleveland,

Greenville, and Natchez

and serves as a ticket

agency for the carrier,

which is a Greyhound

interline partner. The

collaboration is notable

for not shutting down

during the pandemic

(partially to serve those

with dialysis

appointments) and was

a presenter at a recent Rural Transportation Assistance

Program conference.

Stops and Stations. Among the most positive stories from

2023 was the new Atlanta Greyhound Station. Opened in

phases, it boasts natural light from its large windows, a

food stand with a grill, spacious restrooms, and a digital

departure board. Airport-style seating with power outlets,

USB chargers, armrests with cupholders, and cushioning

add to passenger comfort. Used by Greyhound, FlixBus,

and Southeast Stages, the station is a prototype for other

cities. The station has adjacent rapid transit connections

to downtown Atlanta and Atlanta Hartsfield International

Airport. FlixBus also has a downtown stop in the city.

FlixBus’s relocation to Greensboro, NC’s Gayland Depot,

which Amtrak and Greyhound use, is another success

story. Less favorably, Greyhound temporarily withdrew

from Jackson, MS, due to problems at Jackson Union

Station. This briefly made Jackson the largest metro area

on the U.S. mainland not served by the National Interline

Bus Network, a system allowing for “through ticketing”

between several dozen lines. By late 2023, however, the

problem was resolved, and Greyhound returned. The

Chattanooga (TN) Greyhound Station closed in autumn,

and the stop was moved to a service station in Wildwood,

GA, 10 miles from the city center.

The closing of the Louisville (KY) Greyhound Station and

relocation of service to 1211 W Broadway proved less

problematic. Despite being outside of downtown, the new

facility shows the potential for moving stations to mini-

malls with indoor waiting

rooms and ticketing and

using the parking lot for

staging. This arrangement,

while far from perfect, is

convenient and orderly.

Bus stations in North

Carolina remain a challenge.

Intercity bus and Amtrak

stations in both Raleigh and

Charlotte remain a

significant distance apart,

although planning is

underway to eventually

bring them into close

proximity. Charlotte’s

Greyhound Station is a

temporary structure on the

city’s future Gateway Center

Finishing touches are being made at the Atlanta Greyhound Station in May

2023. The station’s construction was facilitated by the State of Georgia.

site, which is the planned terminus of NC by Train Amtrak

service. However, plans for creating an intercity bus

facility at Gateway Center are murky. The more

immediate concern is finding another interim location to

allow Gateway’s construction to begin. A proposal to

move operations to a parking deck in University City, an

outlying neighborhood, has reportedly raised

neighborhood concerns.

THE MIDWEST

Services in the lower Midwest remain in flux, mainly due

to significant moves by FlixBus and legacy bus lines. More

than most regions, Greyhound and FlixBus tend to

overlap. In some cases, this is apparently due to a desire

to preserve Greyhound’s connections with interline

partners (which are especially critical in Chicago,

Indianapolis, and Milwaukee) while allowing FlixBus to

attract new customers, including college students, who

seek options besides Greyhound.

Last year, FlixBus added a Chicago – East Lansing, MI,

route, restoring direct trips in the college-focused corridor

for the first time since Megabus’s withdrawal years ago.

FlixBus schedules are essentially the opposite of Amtrak’s

Blue Water service, giving Michigan State University

students an attractive evening option to the Windy City.

FlixBus also briefly offered a service along the busy I-75

route from Cincinnati to Detroit, part of a multi-stop

service linking Louisville, KY, to East Lansing. Although this

route was soon suspended, FlixBus added a new Chicago –

Louisville route via Indianapolis at roughly the same time.

Such moves are part of a gradual process that resulted in

FlixBus-Greyhound becoming dominant on the Chicago –

Indianapolis corridor. In 2019, Amtrak reduced its

frequency from daily to tri-weekly, followed by

Megabus’s exit in 2020. OurBus (a booking platform) and

FlixBus filled the void, giving travelers no fewer than four

bus travel options as recently as early last year. However,

two of these, Miller Transportation and OurBus, had

exited by last summer, with OurBus citing traffic drops

stemming from a switch to a new curbside spot in Chicago

under an expressway viaduct. The relocation was

prompted by construction at its old spot near Chicago

Union Station. This left FlixBus-Greyhound and tri-weekly

trains as the only scheduled ground travel option in this

heavily traveled corridor.

Amid the change, FlixBus gradually beefed up its service

and, after adding the new Chicago – Bloomington, IN

route, extended it

to Louisville, KY,

and then farther

south to Nashville,

TN. Louisville and

Nashville travelers

previously had no

scheduled options

from Chicago (and

most other major

cities) other than

Greyhound and

commercial air

service.

Each city

lost Amtrak service

years ago. The

FlixBus service is

operated by Miller

Transportation,

which, perhaps in

response to the

need to make

equipment

available for its

partner, discontinued Chicago – Fort Wayne, IN – Dayton,

OH, service last year, leaving that route to Barons Bus.

FlixBus also added Chicago – Memphis, TN trips last year.

Another notable story is an airport shuttle service

operated by Indian Trails Bus Lines from downtown

Detroit, MI, to Detroit Metro Airport, slated to begin in

March. The shuttle, reportedly to consist of 16 roundtrips

a day and made possible by state financial support, will be

similar to the popular Michigan Flyer service between the

Detroit airport, Ann Arbor, and Lansing operated by

Indian Trails. Partially due to the lack of a brick-and-

mortar station in the Windy City for bus lines

not affiliated with Greyhound, Indian Trails

dropped the Chicago – Detroit service it had

launched in early 2023. This route allowed

connections to a new Adirondack Trailway

Detroit – Toronto service, also added last year.

Adirondack and Indian Trails briefly had

Chicago – Toronto through-ticketing options

sold on megabus.com that required a transfer

in the Motor City. Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada

are exploring reviving service on the route.

Landline, the coach line that “code shares”

with several airlines, launched service from

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

(MSP) to Fargo and Grand Forks, ND, in

cooperation with Sun Country Airlines last year.

Passengers can book trips between these new

points and dozens of airports on the Sun

Country website. Landline dropped its more

established MSP – Mankato, MN, service. See

our 2023 Outlook report for more on recent Landline

expansions.

A regional service linking Valparaiso, IN, to Chicago,

ChicaGO Dash, could be scaled down or discontinued

due to a funding gap facing Valparaiso’s transit agency.

The 41-mile service encompasses five roundtrips on

weekdays, mostly provided using full-size coaches, which

compensates for the lack of commuter rail service, which

has long since been discontinued.

Missouri’s state-supported Intercity Express network,

operated by OATS Transit, gained a new intrastate

service line last year, a weekday offering from Lancaster

to Columbia, MO, via Kirksville and Moberly. South

Dakota’s transportation department is exploring possible

expansions to that state’s rural network. Several local

operators, including Peoples Transit, based in Huron, SD,

and providers serving Aberdeen and Pierre, have interline

agreements with Jefferson Lines. These agreements show

the potential for local lines and large commercial carriers

to team up to enable “through ticketing” to several

thousand destinations.

Iowa’s 380 Express, a publicly supported service linking

Cedar Rapids to Iowa City, created to support travel

during a major I-380 reconstruction project, received

accolades last year. It handles around 70,000 passengers

annually, including many healthcare workers. An effort is

underway to continue the route after the reconstruction.

A Greyhound for St. Louis boarding at Indianapolis Greyhound Station in early 2023. This

municipally owned station also serves as the city’s Amtrak depot.

Passengers at the Columbus Bus Station, a replacement facility outside of

downtown, prepare to board a Greyhound destined for New York.

Carriers making notable moves in New England and New York State in 2023

(partial representation).

The development of Illinois’s bus network continues to lag

behind other Great Lakes states. Both Bloomington-

Normal and Peoria lack direct bus service to downtown

Chicago, while Decatur lacks any intercity bus service

mainly due to the difficulty of finding a station for

Greyhound. Express bus service between Chicago and St.

Louis, MO, is also lacking. Stiffening competition from

Amtrak’s five daily trains between these major cities, four

of which began operating at a maximum speed of 110

mph last year, is partially to blame.

Stops and Stations. Concern is mounting that the Chicago

Greyhound Station could be shuttered in late 2024 to

make way for a residential redevelopment. The station’s

heavy traffic volume and lack of a viable alternative would

make this a severe blow to the industry.

Our review indicates that the station sees

78 daily arrivals and departures combined,

boosted by FlixBus’s relocation to the

station last spring. Previously, FlixBus used

a curb near Chicago Union Station.

Columbus, OH’s bus station drama

continues. The Columbus Greyhound

Station had become a political football

before its closure in early 2022, when, due

to a push to redevelop the site,

Greyhound and Barons Bus moved to a

Central Ohio Transit Authority transit

facility. However, moving again to a

revamped former service station outside

of downtown soon became necessary. A

stipulation that bus lines spend a

substantial sum for security reportedly

was a major obstacle to their ability to

remain downtown. The municipal

government is now seeking to have the

privately run replacement station near the city’s western

edge declared a public nuisance and closed. Forcing the

station to close would significantly disrupt bus travel

throughout Ohio, including the state’s GoBus network,

which uses it as a hub.

The Cleveland Greyhound Station at 1465 Chester

Avenue is also at risk. A private developer is eyeing the

site for a residential high-rise. The Ohio station’s closing

would affect passengers and spell the loss of a historical

landmark, as it is one of only a few classic big-city

Greyhound stations built after World War II still in use.

Noted station architect William S. Arrasmith designed the

Streamline Moderne depot.

In Cincinnati, Barons and Greyhound continue to use a

modular facility separated from downtown due to the

2022 closing of the city’s downtown station, but several

improvements have recently been made. In Des Moines,

IA, Burlington Trailways and Jefferson Lines moved to a

new station following the city government's acquisition

and demolition of the previous station through eminent

domain. Jefferson is also exploring options for a new

Fargo, ND, station due to its inability to continue using the

transit center it has long served.

More favorably, Carbondale, IL, is building a new multi-

modal station to be used by Greyhound, Amtrak, and

Rides MTD, a prominent rural provider in Downstate

Illinois. Greyhound’s recent relocation to a downtown

transit facility in Springfield, IL, located next to the city's

future Amtrak station, appears to have gone smoothly.

The Detroit Greyhound station, while at risk, seems safe

from closing, at least for the time being.

TEXAS & SOUTH CENTRAL

For many bus travelers in this county, it is the best or

worst of times. In the Texas Triangle, competition

between FlixBus-Greyhound, Megabus, RedCoach,

Tornado Bus, and Vonlane gives consumers bountiful

options, with Tornado’s fleet including double-deckers.

The onboard attendant for the first-class service provider Vonlane assists passengers in

Austin, TX, heading for Houston.

See page 21 for a summary of their Dallas – Houston

schedule frequency. Megabus no longer has service

during certain off-peak times, but the brand ramps up on

busy ones.

However, service degradation has become a

theme in other parts of the region.

In the Texas Triangle, RedCoach significantly expanded

last year by rolling out premium economy service, which

complements the business- and first-class service

launched in 2021. RedCoach also added several new

stops, including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport,

San Marcos, and, in the Houston area, Cypress and The

Woodlands, all of which strengthen its regional offerings.

The group reports that bookings have picked up

considerably since last year.

Luxury bus company Vonlane, which likens itself to a

“private jet on wheels,” attracted headlines for its

ambitious expansion. The premium operators added 60

weekly departures to its Texas Triangle service in

September, giving it 8 – 9 daily trips in each direction on

the Austin – Dallas, Austin – Houston, and Dallas –

Houston routes. Vonlane offers by far the greatest

schedule frequency of any premium service (defined as a

service having either a first- and business-class seating

configuration or enhanced onboard services) in the

United States. It also offers less frequent nonstop Dallas–

San Antonio service, launched in early 2023.

Vonlane's Dallas stop is

adjacent to Love Field, a

Southwest Airlines hub,

allowing for convenient

transfers to flights. Company

founder and CEO Alex Danza

indicated in a news release that

“[t]his is a big milestone for us

at Vonlane because it will

exceed our prepandemic

service offerings.” Vonlane

provides onboard meal and

beverage service and has other

first-class features. Fares

typically range from $94 - $119,

more than twice that of

conventional buses.

In other parts of the region,

though, bus travelers have

fewer options or, in some

cases, none. Megabus recently

withdrew from the Dallas – Little Rock, AR – Memphis, TN

route, which had been part of its system for years.

Greyhound and Jefferson Lines have suspended service to

Little Rock due to their ability to find a station, a problem

described in detail below. Megabus and Vonlane have not

served Oklahoma City since before the pandemic, making

the city almost entirely dependent on Greyhound and its

interline partners.

Fortunately, one of Greyhound's partners, Beeline

Express, is attracting new riders due to its well-timed

connections with Amtrak. One of its two routes connects

Oklahoma City and Newton, KS, which are stops for

Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer and Southwest Chief.

Heavy traffic originating along the U.S./Mexico border

region, particularly in South Texas, is helping sustain high-

frequency bus service. Greyhound has seven trips, and

Tornado Bus has six from Laredo to San Antonio, TX, on

busy days. These carriers have almost as many McAllen –

Houston, TX trips (see table on page 21). The heavily

publicized motor coaches carrying migrants to Northern

cities have been almost exclusively charter runs. McAllen

schedules show several FlixBus and Greyhound routes

with identical arriving and departure times, which could

be a cross-selling arrangement.

Stations and Stops. Little Rock, AR, like Philadelphia, has

become a “poster child” for the bus-station woes now

facing the industry. Greyhound’s North Little Rock station,

its primary stop in that metro region, was shuttered last

year. Since then, the Little Rock government has taken a

hostile stance toward the resumption of intercity bus

service and has derailed attempts to find a new station.

We have been told that the government

even changed its zoning ordinance to

preclude bus stations from being

created anywhere in the city.

The Houston Greyhound Station, a busy

downtown hub for migrants and other

travelers for decades, has also been

closed. Operations have been moved to

a location roughly six miles from

downtown, next to Magnolia Park

Transit Center. Dallas’s iconic

Greyhound Station reportedly will be

closed this autumn, with no clear

alternative publicly identified. This has

raised much local concern.

MOUNTAIN REGIONS

Bus travel options in the Mountain regions are expanding

despite a lack of heavily publicized rollouts last year.

Among the most significant stories is the 25% growth in

ridership on the Bustang family of services from 2022 to

2023. This state-operated network in Colorado

encompasses i) express services along Colorado's Front

Range and the Interstate 70 Corridor between Denver and

Grand Junction, ii) the rural-focused Outrider, iii) the

express shuttle Pegasus, and iv) seasonal services such as

Snowstang and Bustang to Estes (Park).

Bustang Outrider has expanded significantly over the past

15 months, with new routes added from Sterling to

Denver and Greeley in late 2022, followed by Trinidad -

Pueblo service last May. This year, passenger access to

Bustang in northern Colorado will be expanded with the

opening of three transit hubs along I-25 in the

communities of Loveland, Berthoud, and Firestone.

The region also saw more expansion by Los Angeles – El

Paso Limo, a Hispanic-oriented line now commonly called

“Limousine Express” or “Los Limousines.” The carrier

currently has five daily trips between El Paso and

Albuquerque, NM, among them a third-daily El Paso –

Denver trip, added in 2022 and catering heavily to

Passengers at Austin, TX, board a RedCoach to Austin in September,

2023. RedCoach offers both business-class and first-class buses.

migrants. Traffic to the Mile High City

appears to be strong. The City of Denver

reportedly purchased transportation and

food for 6,939 migrants to reach their city

from January through September last

year, costing about $3 million.

However,

the share of these trips on regularly

scheduled services such as Limousine

Express is unclear.

FlixBus launched Boise – Salt Lake City

service last year, a service scheduled

nocturnally in the eastbound direction,

complementing Salt Lake Express’s

daytime offering. This replaces a

Greyhound line dropped in 2022. The

new route facilitates connections from

the Pacific Northwest to Utah, described

in greater detail in the Pacific Northwest

section.

A new morning schedule option from

Denver to the Midwest emerged on the

trailways.com booking site after Arrow Express joined the

Trailways network last year. Arrow connects the Mile High

City to Omaha, NE, allowing transfers to Burlington

Trailways, which has an overnight service on this route.

North Central Montana Transit, a rural operation based

in Havre, MT, has seen its ridership surpass pre-pandemic

levels and is expanding its fleet. The agency is also

exploring added Havre – Great Falls service and studying a

southward extension to Helena.

CALIFORNIA & NEVADA

The flurry of competition that seemed poised to reshape

bus travel in the Southwest last summer gradually faded.

Still, competition remains intense on many major routes,

with FlixBus and several lines catering to Spanish-speaking

travelers vying for a more significant market share.

The competitive surge began in 2022 with the debut of

Kolors, a line backed by Mexican venture capital, creating

a San Diego, CA – Los Angeles, CA – Las Vegas, NV route.

Then, Megabus relaunched in the region last spring,

running from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Sacramento,

CA, and Las Vegas using single-level coaches.

Yet, Kolors had halted service by the middle of last year.

In autumn, Megabus followed suit, perhaps due to strong

demand for charter services and problems with the L.A.

terminus, which was a considerable distance from

downtown. These withdrawals come on the heels of

pandemic-era service suspensions by BoltBus and various

“mom-and-pop” offerings from Asian neighborhoods.

These cuts left FlixBus-Greyhound, Amtrak Thruway

service, and several Hispanic-oriented operators as the

leading players in the region.

During this period, FlixBus expanded on numerous routes.

Among these was Las Vegas – Los Angeles, which

benefitted from its convenient pickup and drop-off spot in

the gaming center, using a curb next to the posh Fashion

Show mall. FlixBus now often runs six trips on that route

during off-peak season and apparently more at peak

times, roughly the same number as Greyhound. Some

schedules on this route were given staggered stops to

speed up journeys. The competition it faces has

increasingly centered on two prominent lines oriented

toward Spanish-speaking travelers:

• Limousine Express, which often runs three

times daily from Los Angeles to Phoenix, AZ, and

El Paso, TX, and a once-daily to Las Vegas, and

• Tufesa, whose service from Los Angeles is the

mirror image of Limousine Express, consisting of

three trips to Las Vegas and one to Phoenix.

Both Hispanic-focused lines offer reserved seating and

have attractive downtown pick-up spots in Los Angeles,

with Limousine Express having its own station at 6th &

Wall streets. Tufesa has a storefront station at 615 Maple

Avenue. Las Vegas Shuttle, meanwhile, runs a frequent

van service to the gaming center. None of these

competitors, however, connects Los Angeles to the San

Francisco-Oakland area, a route dominated by FlixBus-

Greyhound, which ran a combined eight daily trips

through much of January, although Tufesa does have a

daily bus to San Jose, CA.

Limousine Express is focusing on

building an extensive shuttle system

from Cross Border Xpress (CBX), a

relatively new bus station near San

Diego along the U.S./Mexico border. The

line has 11 daily trips from CBX to Los

Angeles, where connections can be

made to its previously mentioned routes

and Sacramento. CBX serves as a remote

terminal for Tijuana International

Airport, with parking and rental car

facilities. It is linked to the airport by a

footbridge that traverses the

international border and has its own

border checkpoint. This one-of-a-kind

arrangement offers a convenient means

of catching flights to points in Mexico.

Amtrak Thruway has become a more

significant force on California’s travel scene. Customers

using amtrak.com can now purchase bus-only tickets on

at least six routes, including routes where train service is

available. Among the most notable recent additions is

Route 7, which links Martinez to Arcata via Santa Rosa.

Also, Trailways now has a foothold in California in the

form of Truckee service due to SLE’s addition to

trailways.com.

Stops and Stations. Greyhound’s Los Angeles operations

were moved from its longstanding depot on 7th Street to

Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS). This puts LAUS among

a growing number of terminals that have Amtrak,

commuter trains, transit buses, metro rail, and Greyhound

practically side by side. The mixing of commuters and

long-distance travelers creates a dynamic atmosphere in

the below-ground concourse that contrasts sharply with

the dreariness of some older traditional bus stations.

Greyhound and FlixBus have a staffed ticket window, and

the bus platforms are part of the station's Patsaouras

Transit Plaza. The loading area is lined with palm trees,

providing shade and attractive mosaic pavers.

Nonetheless, there is little indoor seating near the bus

platforms or a digital departure board. Another issue is

that some FlixBus departures do not use the facility;

instead, they use a nearby stop outside station grounds,

apparently due to bus-bay capacity limitations.

The LAX Flyaway service provides frequent bus service to

the Los Angeles International Airport from the LAUS bus

area. Amtrak and Metrolink provide moderately frequent

service to the Hollywood–Burbank Airport.

Las Vegas’s South Strip Transfer Terminal, while not in a

walkable area, has expanded in importance since the

2019 closing of the city’s downtown Greyhound station.

Its ample seating, high ceilings, uplifting design, and

constant security presence exemplify the City of Las

Vegas's commitment to bus travel. That commitment is

critical to Nevada's publicly supported intercity network,

including Salt Lake Express’s relatively new Las Vegas –

Reno route, launched in 2021, filling a void in that

corridor.

Salt Lake Express has a novel schedule pattern at the Las

Vegas terminal, allowing it to “double” as an airport-

oriented service and traditional bus line. Coaches from

Harry Reid Las Vegas International Airport for both Reno

and Utah also call on the nearby South Strip Transfer

Terminal. Passengers with tickets originating on

A Greyhound at Los Angeles Union Station in August 2023. The carrier had moved from its

longstanding depot on 7

Street only a few months before.

Greyhound and other SLE routes can board here, which

multiplies literary options in a way barely noticed by many

airport riders.

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

More than any other region, the Pacific

Northwest shows the potential of

integrating local bus services provided by

public agencies with national bus and rail

providers. Travelers can book trips from

places on Oregon’s Point network, which is

operated with state financial support, to

points throughout the country on

amtrak.com. On the Portland – Eugene leg

of Amtrak's Cascades Corridor, a customer

can select either a train or a Point bus

service on that website, even if not

connecting to or from a train. Buses and

trains are attractively spaced throughout

the day to maximize traveler convenience.

An impressive degree of integration exists in Washington

state. All four of its state-supported Travel Washington

intercity bus routes, the Apple, Gold, Grape, and

Dungeness lines, are set up for interline ticketing with

Greyhound. Tickets can also be purchased on Amtrak’s

website with or without train connections. Greyhound

operates the Dungeness line under contract with the

state. Traffic has returned to 80 – 90% of pre-pandemic

levels, with the Apple Line linking Omak to Ellensburg

particularly strong.

On the busy Portland – Seattle corridor, options remain

limited to FlixBus-Greyhound, which offers seven trips on

many busy weekdays. Amtrak’s expansion from four to six

daily trains last year will likely create headwinds for the

expansion of the bus service.

To complement its expanding Cascade Corridor train

service, Amtrak launched its first electric vehicle

motorcoach service with support from the State of

Washington. The electric coach replaces a diesel-powered

coach operating between Seattle and Bellingham, making

stops in Everett and Mount Vernon. The coach, owned

and operated by MTRWestern, can travel nearly 200 miles

roundtrip on a charge (which somewhat limits its utility on

many corridor trips). It is part of an Amtrak Thruway

service allowing transfers at Seattle’s King Street Station.

The rollout ends a lull in using electric coaches for

scheduled intercity service.

Another notable trend is Greyhound’s gradual

downsizing in favor of channeling traffic to its service

partners. The Oregon – Idaho – Utah market is a good

example of this. In 2022, Greyhound eliminated its

Portland, OR – Boise, ID – Salt Lake City route. Salt Lake

Express (SLE) partially filled the void by launching over the

segment east of the Idaho capital, and FlixBus closed the

gap by launching between Portland and Boise. More

recently, FlixBus launched its own Boise – Salt Lake City

service, allowing for well-timed connections at the Idaho

capital on trips from Oregon to Utah.

Examples of bus lines serving rural areas in Western U.S.

which operate with public support and made moves in 2023.

Examples of bus lines serving rural areas in Western U.S.,

which operating with public support making moves in 2023

However, due to Greyhound’s cuts, Seattle residents must

make 2 – 3 transfers to reach Utah. Although the effort to

restore Amtrak’s Pioneer train could simplify the journey,

that remains years away. Greyhound’s former service

between Portland and Sacramento, CA, has also been

reduced, with Flixbus’s once-daily offering being the only

option available for the two brands during the slow

season. The only scheduled ground competition is

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, which, like several Amtrak long-

distance trains, has severely reduced capacity since the

pandemic, and Autobuses Fonteras Del Norte’s once-

daily service catering to Spanish-speaking passengers.

Northwest Stages, long a mainstay on the Seattle -

Spokane - Boise ID route, remains a distinct brand well

after being purchased by SLE in 2022. Separately,

Oregon’s Pacific Crest Lines, which links Bend to Portland,

Salem, Eugene, and other points in the state, began using

the megabus.com platform. Also noteworthy is Groome

Transportation’s cross-selling agreement with Uber to

have Groome’s vans between Portland and Eugene, OR,

sold under the ”Uber Shuttle” label, which could be a sign

of things to come.

TRENDS & PROGNASTICATIONS

The developments of 2023 set the stage for these five

conclusions and prognostications:

Prediction 1: Passenger traffic, now at 85 – 90%

of the pre-pandemic level, will fully recover by

2026. Driver shortages and other problems

could slow the recovery, which will be uneven

across regions, but the trends are favorable.

Our independent analysis and conversations with

industry executives indicate that passenger

boardings nationwide are around 85 – 90% of 2019

levels. Traffic has recovered to pre-pandemic levels

on many rural and warm-weather routes, with many

surpassing prior levels. The ridership bounce-back

more closely resembles that of domestic airlines and

Amtrak than commuter rail and rapid-transit

services, and we expect total passenger boardings

nationwide to reach 2019 levels in calendar year

2026.

At the same time, on secondary routes, or routes

serving large downtown districts in which

commercial activity has fallen dramatically since pre-

pandemic times, passenger boardings remain well

below 2019 levels. Traffic in the Northeast Corridor

appears to be the weakest of all, even when

commuter routes are excluded, being 25% (or more)

below pre-pandemic levels. While several private

transit operators in the Northeast have given up their

fixed routes or fixed route contracts to concentrate on

tours and charters, their rising visibility on prominent

booking platforms is helping attract new riders.

Traffic is nonetheless on an upward trajectory almost

everywhere, despite the amount of service provided by

legacy bus lines, such as Greyhound, Trailways units, and

interline partners, apparently still being around 15 – 20%

below pre-pandemic levels. New partnerships are

allowing services to be deployed more judiciously,

enabling the traffic recovery to outpace the new service

added, boosting passenger loads.

Our projection for a full recovery by 2026 hinges on the

industry overcoming driver and equipment shortages.

Recent months have brought good news about this. A full

recovery may also require upward movement in the price

of fuel, which drives up the cost of driving and flying to a

greater extent than bus travel. Even if a full recovery

occurs, traffic will remain marginally below what it was a

decade ago.

A line forms at FlixBus’s Las Vegas Strip boarding areas for a Los Angeles departure

in August 2023. Several casinos tower in the distance.

Prediction 2: The serious problems stemming

from the closing of traditional bus stations will

worsen before they get better. The

accumulating effects of the closings will hurt

disadvantaged populations and further hamper

the image of some bus lines and bus travel

generally.

Station closings in Cincinnati and Columbus, OH;

Chattanooga, TN; Houston, TX; Knoxville, TN; Little Rock,

AR; Louisville, KY; Philadelphia, PA; and Tampa, FL,

resulted in relocations to spaces with far fewer

conveniences, public transit connections, and amenities.

In most cases, municipal governments did little, and in

some instances were openly hostile, to efforts to find a

new location. This year brings fresh concerns that

Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas and El Paso, TX; Kansas

City, MO; Orlando, FL; and Richmond, VA, will be next.

Some of the threatened stations came into the fold of a

private real estate holding company after Greyhound’s

sale to FlixMobility. When FlixMobility purchased the

Greyhound bus operation in 2021, it did not acquire some

privately owned stations. Many stations were later sold by

the company that previously owned Greyhound to the

real estate company. During this same period, “not in my

backyard” opposition to bus stations grew.

The next 12 months will test the mettle of some bus lines

and the passengers they serve. Not only will new

problems emerge, but crowding and poor conditions at

some replacement stations and curbside spots will

become more problematic as traffic rebounds and during

weather events. Government agencies will feel pressure

to put adequate station facilities on their agenda. They

can learn much from the state agencies in Georgia and

Michigan, which have made bus-station arrangements a

focal point, or from the 15 metro areas that rank among

the 25 largest in the U.S. that have taken steps to give

privately run intercity bus lines the ability to use transit

hubs, railroad stations, and other suitable locations. (See

our summary of metro areas on page 8 of this report).

Prediction 3: Public policies will gradually

swing in the industry’s favor as the growing

hardships facing disabled and lower-income

travelers on long-distance trips and the success

of state-supported bus systems reduce the

indifference toward bus travel among many

public agencies. Federal resources and new

tools showcasing the importance of the U.S.

intercity bus network will augment this trend.

The negative publicity generated by the shuttering of

traditional Greyhound stations, the growing push for

equitable (and eco-friendly) transportation, and the rising

visibility of state-supported bus networks put intercity bus

travel in the spotlight. Skepticism about whether intercity

bus service should concern public agencies is diminishing

as awareness grows of smartly branded intrastate

networks, such as Bustang, GoBus, and Virginia Breeze.

Moreover, federal funding through the 5311(b) program

lowers the hurdles faced by states seeking to improve

mobility in rural areas.

New information that helps advocates make the case that

the bus network should be preserved is becoming

available. Greyhound’s surveys of riders show that more

than half of trips involve visits to family and friends, with

many trips having several purposes, and buses serve a

wide range of income groups, including many moderate-

and lower-income households. This data shows that the

average trip length on Greyhound is more than 250 miles,

and most trips involve travel in more than one state. For

example, over eight months, travelers from Columbia, SC,

traveled to more than 400 destinations, which indicates

that passengers benefit from the extensive system of

connections between lines.

A Lamers Connect coach from Dubuque, IA boarding at Milwaukee

Intermodal Station on November, 2023. The route is part of Wisconsin’s

expansive state-supported system.

Another significant development is Transcor Data

Services’ Network Transportation Information tool. This

creates digital maps showing the routes and station stops

for more than two dozen lines, including major

brands such as FlixBus, Greyhound, and Megabus,

and there are plans to add public transit routes.

The tool helps planners evaluate the breadth of

the country’s bus network.

These developments, along with the advocacy

efforts of the United Motorcoach Association, the

American Bus Association, and the Bipartisan

Infrastructure Bill, discussed below, hold promise

for a more favorable era of public policy for

intercity bus lines.

Prediction 4: Improvements to the

FlixBus/Greyhound, Megabus, and

Trailways booking platforms will help

attract new traffic. More itinerary

options, reserved seating, bus-tracker

tools, and other conveniences are giving

consumers better choices. Still, finding the best

schedule option remains far more cumbersome

than air or rail travel.

Many consumers feel overwhelmed at the prospect of

searching among the dozens of bus lines that offer

scheduled service to find the best options. New marketing

alliances, however, have helped reduce the industry’s

level of fragmentation. Most significantly:

1) FlixBus and Greyhound have centralized their

management and planning activities, and their respective

services now appear on each other's websites (which are

almost identical). The two brands also now universally

offer connections between their services when operating

from the same station. The relocation of FlixBus to

Greyhound locations in many major cities, including

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, and Washington,

is helping this effort. FlixBus and Greyhound customer

policies have also been standardized, each having, for

example, reserved seats and common baggage rules.

2) Megabus’s booking platform greatly expanded its

offerings last year. The megabus.com route map

stretches almost from coast to coast, save for a gap

between Denver and Salt Lake City. Late last year,

Megabus began selling many more itineraries involving

transfers between its buses. Passengers can now buy a

New York – Miami ticket with a change of buses in

Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA, and Orlando, FL. Although

the options displayed with transfers are primarily limited

to Megabus-branded services, itineraries involving

transfers between it and its independent partners are

likely around the corner.

3) Trailways added numerous lines to trailways.com and

trailways.ca last year and has announced an alliance

with FlixBus-Greyhound that puts each other’s services

onto their respective booking platforms. Travelers could

again be able to buy tickets that involve, for example,

transfers between Greyhound and Peter Pan. The alliance

will likely create many new itinerary options, particularly

in the Northeast.

Many advances in ticket technology have been made

possible by the new Multi-Modal Cloud (MMC) system

developed by TDS. Of course, offering new schedule

options that require transfers necessitates that bus lines

deal with late-arriving buses, cancellations, customer

confusion, and other issues at transfer points. The ability

of some lines to do this successfully is unclear, mainly due

to the loss of so many traditional stations.

Metasearch travel websites, including busbud.com and

wanderu.com, are pivotal to making travelers aware of

the new schedule options, allowing them to comparison

In early 2023, a Tornado bus from Dallas, TX has arrived in Chicago. The line,

which caters to Spanish-speaking travelers, has two daily trips on the route.

shop, and providing customer support. These sites serve a

role in bus travel akin to that of Travelocity in air travel

and car rental. Wanderu.com, which marked its 10th

anniversary last year, has more than 500 partners

worldwide that provide bus and train services.

Busbus.com specializes in intercity bus travel, partnering

with several thousand bus companies across the globe.

Still, many travelers will need to check several websites

before purchasing tickets; even then, some will doubt

they have explored all the options. When booking trips

involving several carriers, many will wonder if someone

will help them if they miss their connecting bus. Rural and

regional lines and small carriers catering to Spanish-

speaking populations will remain particularly hard to find.

This puts bus travel at a continuing disadvantage to

driving and air and train service (for which nearly all

domestic options are presented in one or two places).

Fortunately, though, the gap is diminishing.

Prediction 5. Increases in fares will

outpace inflation in the next

several years, improving profit

margins. Rising load factors and the

strong demand for travel this past

holiday season indicate that

carriers will have more pricing

power than in the past.

Average prices (in 2023 dollars) fell from

$77.08 in 2017 to averaging just $54.12

during the pandemic in 2020 before

recovering to $73.47 last autumn for

reservations made more than a month in

advance. This finding is based on a sample

of 320 routes we have been monitoring,

involving distances of 80 – 450 miles.

Most require transfers at intermediate

hubs and lack much bus or rail

competition.

Our interview with industry

officials corroborates these findings, who note that the

revenue recovery has outpaced ridership recovery due to

increasing ticket prices.

Since early autumn, significant increases in fares have

become more common. We found that at the height of

the Christmas travel season, fares were 15% higher on

average than during a slow period in September.

Bus

lines are becoming more aggressive, with fares for last-

minute buyers comparable to airfares bought well in

advance. The ability of bus lines to increase fares during

peak time is abetted by the problems airlines have adding

flights in proportion to the growth in customer demand.

A pattern has also emerged among some lines to raise

fares while meeting the needs of price-sensitive

customers by having periodic sales promoted via texts or

emails. Salt Lake Express’s online promotions offering

discounts of up to 30% may be a glimpse of things to

come.

Despite the recent increases, most bus fares are well

below Amtrak’s and less than half the cost of flying for

bookings a few days before departure. We remain

skeptical that pricing power will continue unabated.

Pricing market thresholds, inflation perceptions (and

realities), and state-supported rail pricing could all impact

the pricing power of bus lines, at least in specific

situations.

Prediction 6. Cooperation between Amtrak

(and its state supporters) and intercity bus

lines enters a new and more exciting phase as

carriers and policymakers harness the benefits

of further integrating these modes. Such

integration will be enhanced by the Bipartisan

Infrastructure Bill, which will encourage state

Passengers at Milwaukee Intermodal Station board a bus for Chicago in September 2023.

and local governments to plan for better bus

and train services in tandem.

In the recent past, the competition between bus lines and

Amtrak has been a far more significant force

than cooperation between them. Bus lines in Amtrak

corridors with four or more daily trains, comfortable

stations, and attractive fares have faced solid headwinds

to expansion. Chicago, IL – Milwaukee, WI, Raleigh –

Charlotte, NC, Portland, OR – Seattle, WA, and intra-

California routes are cases in point. In each case, bus

options are primarily limited to FlixBus-Greyhound. In the

Northeast Corridor, intercity bus services thrive despite

abundant train service, in part due to the enormity of the

market and the tendency for Amtrak fares to be set far

higher there than elsewhere.

However, the symbiosis between bus and train services is

poised to grow as more governments tear down the

barriers between them. In California, Oregon,

Pennsylvania, Washington, Vermont, Wisconsin, and

other states, bus services are listed alongside trains on

amtrak.com. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will

encourage more integration of lines. Although that

legislation will spur numerous competing train services,

investments in terminals, public transit systems, and

supplemental bus service make it a “net plus” for intercity

bus lines. This and the growing state-government

emphasis on publicly supported bus service, stimulated by

federal (5311b program) funds, sets the stage for new

strategies integrating bus and rail offerings.

These trends suggest 2024 will be an exciting year for the

bus industry. Yet, it will also be harrowing due to

escalating bus station problems as millions more travel by

bus.

The study team invites readers to sign up for free

Intercity Bus E-News, which is prepared bi-monthly

by emailing chaddick@depaul.edu. Click here for

info on a webinar on February 22, 2024.

Appendix: Schedule Frequency, Major US Routes, Off-Peak Season

This table shows the daily schedule frequency in early 2023 for some of the routes mentioned in this report. Service to

certain outlying points of the metropolitan regions is not included. Some lines dramatically expand service during busy

periods in a manner not captured and may add trips to meet demand. Totals may also be affected by sold-out buses that

disappear from schedules.

Daily Frequency between Metropolitan Regions

NYP = Full schedule not yet posted. Note: FlixBus and OurBus are booking platforms. Reflects schedules on 1/3/23

Route Bus line or brand

Friday,

Jan. 5

Saturday,

Jan. 6

Monday,

Jan. 8

Monday,

Jan. 22

Friday,

Feb. 23

Major Intercity Corridors

Boston - New York FlixBus 22 21 21 22 22

Greyhound 10 10 9 9 9

Peter Pan 12 9 8 8 12

OurBus

4 3 2 2 5

Go Buses 2 2 2 2 2

Coach Run 2 2 2 2 2

New York- Washington, DC FlixBus

21 21 23 19 22

(Several lines not serving Greyhound 14 13 14 14 14

points within Washington city Peter Pan 8 6 5 5 8

limits excluded) Megabus

22 24 15 12 18

OurBus

5 3 4 4

NYP

Washington Deluxe

5 2 5 5

NYP

Wanda Coach

6 5 5 5 6

BestBus

4 2 4 4 5

Los Angeles - Las Vegas FlixBus 4 4 4 4 4

Greyhound 6 6 6 6 6

Tufesa 3 3 3 3 NYP

Las Vegas Shuttle 4 3 4 3 3

Limousine Express 1 1 1 1 1

Dallas - Houston FlixBus 7 6 5 5 7

Greyhound 7 7 7 7 7

Red Coach 4 3 3 3 4

Megabus 4 2 0 0 4

Los Angeles - Oakland FlixBus 5 5 2 4 5

Greyhound 3 3 3 3 3

Indianapolis - Chicago Greyhound 6 6 6 6 6

Flixbus 4 4 4 4 4

Chicago - Detroit Greyhound 3 3 3 3 3

Flixbus 1 1 1 1 1

Portland- Seattle FlixBus 6 7 7 6 6

Texas/Mexico Border Routes

Laredo, TX - San Antonio Greyhound 7 7 7 7 7

Tornado Bus 4 3 3 6 6

Laredo, TX - Houston Greyhound 3 3 3 3 3

Tornado Bus 3 2 4 3 3

McAllen, TX - San Antonio Greyhound 6 6 5 5 5

Tornado Bus 1 1 1 1 1

McAllen, TX - Houston Greyhound 4 4 4 4 4

Tornado Bus 2 2 2 2 2

AUTHOR INFORMATION

JOSEPH P. SCHWIETERMAN, Ph. D., a professor of Public Service Management and director

of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University, is a

nationally known authority on transportation and urban economics. He has testified

three times on transportation issues before subcommittees of the U.S. Congress.

Schwieterman holds a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Chicago and is

president of the Transportation Research Forum. He has published widely on intercity

bus and rail travel.

ASSISTING CONTRIBUTORS: MICHAEL R. WEINMAN AND PATRICIA CHEMKA SPERANZA OF PTSI TRANSPORTATION

TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTOR: BRIAN ANTOLIN, COTO TRAVEL

THE CHADDICK INSTITUTE, WHICH PROMOTES EFFECTIVE PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION, DOES NOT RECEIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM

INTERCITY BUS LINES OR THEIR SUPPLIERS.

Would you like to join our intercity bus listserv? We send approximately 8 – 10 emails annually (no spam). Contact Abby at

[email protected] or call 312.362.5731.

The Chaddick Institute team took and provided all of the photos in this report.

BLYTHE CHESNEY is a program manager for the Chaddick Institute and a

graduate student in the Sustainable Urban Development program at

DePaul University. Before her time at DePaul, Blythe was an

architectural designer at a Chicago studio. Blythe is the principal

cartographer for this Outlook report and assists in the bus-travel E-News

releases.

AKSHARA DAS is a research associate at the Chaddick Institute who is

currently pursuing her graduate studies in International Public Service at

DePaul University. Her academic journey began in India, where she

completed her bachelor's degree, and she has since then focused on

sustainable urban development. Akshara's dedication to examining

urban issues is evident in her contribution to the schedule analysis for

our intercity bus study, highlighted on page 21 of this report.

RELATED STUDIES BY THE CHADDICK INSTITUTE

New Destinations: 2023 Outlook for the Intercity Bus Industry.

January 2023

Our analysis of major changes in the sector, including expanded

FlixBus-Greyhound integration, new first-class services, a map of

routes from New York’s Chinatown neighborhood, and more.

Check out our coverage in Mass Transit

Routes to Recovery: 2022 Outlook for the Intercity Bus

Industry.

January 2022

Our review of the recovery of bus service as the pandemic

eases and major adjustments get underway due to shifting

customer demand. Check out our coverage in Bus Ride.

Bus Station on the Brink: City Action is Needed to Prevent the

Loss of the Chicago Greyhound Terminal.

April 2023.

A summary of the importance of Chicago’s bus terminal, which

is at risk of being closed. Includes a route map and summary of

daily arrivals and departures.

The Evolution of New York – Washington Intercity Bus

Service: 2000 to 2020

March 2020

Our analysis of the evolution of regionally focused intercity

bus networks highlights the New York City to Washington,

DC corridor.

Click here for a complete list of Chaddick Institute publications.

ENDNOTES

Megabus has a stated policy, noted in Megabus: 9 things to Demand from your Transportation Partner”, that “At Megabus. Your routes

will be exclusive on our platform. If a customer is looking for a trip from point A to point B in your areas on megabus.com, they will only

see your scheduled route. If there is an opportunity to add a similar route, we will give you a right of first refusal.”

An OurBus option is available on the New York – Albany, NY, route but apparently only on select days, based on a review of schedules on

its booking platform.

Wanda Coach appears to be a booking platform rather than a carrier with operating authority. For a summary of routes from New York’s

Chinatown neighborhood, see our 2022 Outlook report, available here.

Ithaca’s policies generated a lawsuit, as described in an Ithaca Journal article published in 2019:

https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2019/04/03/city-ithaca-named-federal-lawsuit-over-intercity-bus-permits-and-

fees/3340301002/

See footnote 3.

The authors thank Doris Green, Regional Mobility Manager, Delta Rides, for this information. Additional information on Delta Rides is

here. Ms. Green can be reached at 662-846-6161.

Amtrak exited Louisville in 2003 and Nashville in 1979, with Megabus exiting those settings just before the pandemic.

Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada are exploring reviving Chicago – Toronto rail service in this corridor, occasioned by the recent merger of

Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads, which may permit revived passenger use of the Detroit – Windsor tunnel. We thank

Mike Weinman at PTSI Transportation for this insight.

For a discussion of the state’s plans, please refer to this Vermillion Plain Talk article from November 3, 2023.

https://www.plaintalk.net/local_news/article_fc797a18-79bf-11ee-b873-9bfb426ef23c.html

. Our schedule analysis indicates that Megabus will not be operating on certain off-peak days during January, which tends to be a lightly

traveled month. See Appendix.

Our schedule analysis indicates that FlixBus and Greyhound advertise identical arrival and departure times and have identical prices on

several routes from Laredo and McAllen during January 2024 on the greyhound.com website. This pattern suggests that travelers booking a

FlixBus option could travel on a Greyhound coach.

. For a discussion of the Denver program, please refer to this Colorado Sun article from September 21, 2023.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=denver+purchased+tickets+for+6%2C739&cvid=1400bc5b78aa42f8a65246aeff9bb531&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJv

bWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEAyBwgJ

EEUY_FXSAQg1NTU3ajBqOagCALACAA&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531

Please email the study team to receive our research poster summarizing these findings, which were presented at the 2024

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.

In nominal terms (unadjusted for inflation), fares rose from $64.16 to $73.72 over the six years. Fares bottomed out during the pandemic

year 2020, averaging just $54.12.

Our analysis considers only fares for the fastest available schedule options on a particular travel date, which is only one aspect of pricing.

For example, a typical one-way fare from Los Angeles to San Francisco is around $114. Traveling from a south Texas border town to

Boston could cost more than $500.

Bus lines compensate for longer travel times with lower fares and many big-city pickup and drop-off options (see our 2019 analysis here).

Yet, there are few corridors outside the NEC and California in which high-frequency Amtrak service is pervasive, which creates openings for

bus service. V3

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