Megabus Adds New Routes

[Forest Glen]

$1, daily express bus service now available for travel to four more cities

 

CHICAGO (April 13, 2010) – Megabus.com, which offers daily express bus service for as low as $1, announced today that it is expanding service to four additional cities. Travelers in the Northeast can now go to Pittsburgh and State College, Penn. Midwest travelers can now go to Des Moines, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa. Megabus.com will begin daily service to and from each city on May 4. Passengers can begin booking travel today at http://www.megabus.com for May 4 and beyond

 

http://www.hanser.com/2010/news/megabuscom-expands-service-in-midwest-and-northeast/

 

Although the Northeast Corridor is Megabus's cash cow, it's nice to see them expand into a national operation.

[D.J.]

They should have alternative ways to make reservations. Since not everyone feels all comfortable on them online forms

[traildriver]

$1, daily express bus service now available for travel to four more cities

 

CHICAGO (April 13, 2010) – Megabus.com, which offers daily express bus service for as low as $1, announced today that it is expanding service to four additional cities. Travelers in the Northeast can now go to Pittsburgh and State College, Penn. Midwest travelers can now go to Des Moines, Iowa and Iowa City, Iowa. Megabus.com will begin daily service to and from each city on May 4. Passengers can begin booking travel today at http://www.megabus.com for May 4 and beyond

 

http://www.hanser.com/2010/news/megabuscom-expands-service-in-midwest-and-northeast/

 

Although the Northeast Corridor is Megabus's cash cow, it's nice to see them expand into a national operation.

Just looked at their system interactive map. Apparently there is still no connection between their Chicago and New York 'hubs'. Not even a way to get from Cleveland to Buffalo or Pittsburgh, the closest.

So I wouldn't exactly call them a national system, just a collection of local affiliated operations as Coach USA/Canada has been for years.

 

Sort of like the old 'systems' under common ownership such as National City Lines and the like in the early 20th century, although those were strictly local transit.

 

Greyhound looked like they were headed in the same direction a few years ago, with ownership expressing a desire to run regional operations, and giving up the carrying of transcontinental passengers. They abandoned vast segments of major thru routes. However you can still get between any two points that Greyhound serves, though sometimes via a roundabout routing.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Pablo M 201]

As much as I'm not too big of a fan of Megabus (I much prefer Bolt Bus), I might take advantage of that NY-Pittsburgh service since I've always wanted to check out Pittsburgh, even though they don't have Flxibles anymore.

[Paul P]

Might as well travel for free, last time I rode (1st time) no one came around to check our "tickets"...

[Forest Glen]

Just looked at their system interactive map. Apparently there is still no connection between their Chicago and New York 'hubs'. Not even a way to get from Cleveland to Buffalo or Pittsburgh, the closest.

So I wouldn't exactly call them a national system, just a collection of local affiliated operations as Coach USA/Canada has been for years.

 

 

No one's going to take a bus from NY to Chicago.

 

They should have alternative ways to make reservations. Since not everyone feels all comfortable on them online forms

 

At Penn Station (the NY terminal), there is a ticket office (you can only pay with a credit card).

[traildriver]

No one's going to take a bus from NY to Chicago./QUOTE]

 

I would have to disagree with that statement. While this sort of travel has certainly diminished greatly in recent years mostly due to low cost air carriers, there still exists a fair market for this service.

Especially in the summer when the European and Australian youth's go back-packing across the USA and Canada. It's still the best way to really 'Discover America" if you don't have your own car, or wish to drive long-distance.

And it doesn't address the issue of getting from nearby Pittsburgh to Cleveland or other examples that are not connected.

I see lots of lower income families travelling from New York to Orlando on vacations. That's similar in distance to New York/Chicago.

 

So while long distance bus service is but a shadow of its former glory when Scenicruiser's and Golden Eagles ruled the road, and the 'Russell's Guide' was as thick as a Manhattan Yellow Pages, there is still a need for it.

[Jonesy]

Surprised they're coming back to "The Burg" (Again) there were here in 2007 and that was a bust from what i heard almost every trip came here with 1 person lol no lie maybe things will be better hell the drivers always got lost here on top of it I didnt think they could stand a chance against greyhound here but since its a little cheaper to get to NY via them I may try it one day if they last long enough, as for you Pablo we still got plenty of NovaBus Classics running around if you want to try those and dont forget to hit me up! lol

[metsfan]

For new york to chicago i suggest the lake shore limited, or cardinal via amtrak.

 

- A

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Paul P]

Amtrak: Meh, Ka-Ching, $$$$, ...

 

MegaBus NYC-Chicago: Mmmm, lovely view, :wallet closes with money still snugged in:, !

 

Lovely view? Have you even been on the Lake Shore Limited?

[Shortline Bus]

No one's going to take a bus from NY to Chicago./QUOTE]

 

I would have to disagree with that statement. While this sort of travel has certainly diminished greatly in recent years mostly due to low cost air carriers, there still exists a fair market for this service.

Especially in the summer when the European and Australian youth's go back-packing across the USA and Canada. It's still the best way to really 'Discover America" if you don't have your own car, or wish to drive long-distance.

And it doesn't address the issue of getting from nearby Pittsburgh to Cleveland or other examples that are not connected.

I see lots of lower income families travelling from New York to Orlando on vacations. That's similar in distance to New York/Chicago.

 

So while long distance bus service is but a shadow of its former glory when Scenicruiser's and Golden Eagles ruled the road, and the 'Russell's Guide' was as thick as a Manhattan Yellow Pages, there is still a need for it.

 

 

Traildriver, i think Mr. Wilson aka Forest Glen meant to say there not enough of ridership to warrant Mega running alot of service aka 1 through daily bus between NYC and Chicago other than to attract those 'international' travelers during the summer. As someone who has driven several times between Chicago and NY both alone and with family members, it's a long 10-12 hours, almost the distance of driving from the NY/NJ Metro Area-South Carolina.

Driving from NYC-Chicago requires tolls almost the entire route from around Youngstown, Ohio-Chicago City Line.

 

 

No proof from data or stats i have yet to find but I bet at least 98% of those NY-Chicago riders besides driving are either flying, taking Amtrak or using Greyhound anyhow.

 

I do agree that while i don't think Megabus for now needs a direct NYC-Chicago bus, (those riders can use either Greyhound or Amtrak other than flying)there should be a Megabus line IMO that connects either in Buffalo or Pittsburgh to go to Chicago if they dont want to or use Greyhound.

[traildriver]

 

 

Traildriver, i think Mr. Wilson aka Forest Glen meant to say there not enough of ridership to warrant Mega running alot of service aka 1 through daily bus between NYC and Chicago other than to attract those 'international' travelers during the summer. As someone who has driven several times between Chicago and NY both alone and with family members, it's a long 10-12 hours, almost the distance of driving from the NY/NJ Metro Area-South Carolina.

Driving from NYC-Chicago requires tolls almost the entire route from around Youngstown, Ohio-Chicago City Line.

 

 

No proof from data or stats i have yet to find but I bet at least 98% of those NY-Chicago riders besides driving are either flying, taking Amtrak or using Greyhound anyhow.

 

I do agree that while i don't think Megabus for now needs a direct NYC-Chicago bus, (those riders can use either Greyhound or Amtrak other than flying)there should be a Megabus line IMO that connects either in Buffalo or Pittsburgh to go to Chicago if they dont want to or use Greyhound.

 

What Megabus should do is extend their New York to Pittsburgh trip on to Cleveland, where a connection could be possible with their existing service to Chicago. I am not suggesting that Megabus run a trip all the way from New York to Chicago.

 

 

As I have said earlier, the low cost air carriers have taken almost all the long haul travelers off the bus....but a long haul bus, even a transcontinental one, is not non stop, and serves as a local accommodation between all of the stops on its route. By running it long distance, or at least connecting at its end points for points beyond, it opens the opportunity for more traffic along various segments or combinations of segments.

[traildriver]

Speaking of long haul, apparently it's no longer possible to ride a single bus from coast to coast any longer. Greyhound travelers have to make at least one or more changes now.

Coast to coast thru buses first began around 1930. Long forgotten companies like Yelloway-Pioneer Stages, Pickwick Stages, All-American Bus Lines, were the first.

Companies like Pickwick, Columbia-Pacific Nite Coach Lines, Santa Fe Trail Transportation Company, and Great Eastern Stages, even ran sleeper coaches with Pullman-like berths.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Shortline Bus]

 

What Megabus should do is extend their New York to Pittsburgh trip on to Cleveland, where a connection could be possible with their existing service to Chicago. I am not suggesting that Megabus run a trip all the way from New York to Chicago.

 

 

As I have said earlier, the low cost air carriers have taken almost all the long haul travelers off the bus....but a long haul bus, even a transcontinental one, is not non stop, and serves as a local accommodation between all of the stops on its route. By running it long distance, or at least connecting at its end points for points beyond, it opens the opportunity for more traffic along various segments or combinations of segments.

 

Agreed 100% on extending this new Pittsburgh-NY route to Cleveland. Plus Cleveland is recovering from the recession and in past 10-15 years has rebounded including the opening of the Rock and Roll HOF Museum and attracting new businesses as well. People from Northern Ohio make a weekend trip to/from NYC reguarly as well it's only about a hour longer travel wise (9-8 hours)than say driving from Buffalo-NY.

 

Dumb question TrailDriver? What is the furthest now can a rider from NYC can go westbound cross country on Greyhound without a transfer(aka 'through bus)? The Hubs in Dallas? Chicago? St Louis? Or something else?:confused:

[traildriver]

I don't have a current Greyhound System Timetable handy, but glancing through the January 2009, I can see New York to Chicago or St. Louis, and then from either of those to Los Angeles. I also see Richmond and Miami to Dallas, and there is also a Chicago to Seattle route that is now an interline route due to Greyhond giving away the portion from Fargo to Billings to Rimrock Stages.

It's sad that Greyhound has also abandoned the main transcontinental "Overland Route" between Omaha and Laramie. I remember when there was more frequent service along there in the summer than even some quiet MTA Bus routes! If you were on say a westbound bus, you would meet an eastbound on an average basis of every thirty minutes!

[theaveragejoe]

I don't have a current Greyhound System Timetable handy, but glancing through the January 2009, I can see New York to Chicago or St. Louis, and then from either of those to Los Angeles. I also see Richmond and Miami to Dallas, and there is also a Chicago to Seattle route that is now an interline route due to Greyhond giving away the portion from Fargo to Billings to Rimrock Stages.

It's sad that Greyhound has also abandoned the main transcontinental "Overland Route" between Omaha and Laramie. I remember when there was more frequent service along there in the summer than even some quiet MTA Bus routes! If you were on say a westbound bus, you would meet an eastbound on an average basis of every thirty minutes!

 

Times have change Greyhound is losing money both in the States and in Canada and has cut back on alot of its routes. Also Greyhound in Canada has been trying to get the Government fund some of the money losing routes

[traildriver]

The U.S. government does not directly fund any bus routes, to my knowledge, but some states do, notably Pennsylvania, where there is even a footnote in the Greyhound timetable indicating the specific route/or trip.

Some might say that Greyhound receives a sort of subsidy, in that like Amtrak, there is no tax on bus tickets like air travelers have to pay.

Several rural bus services have surfaced in recent years, funded by counties or transportation districts to replace portions of the routes abandoned by Greyhound and other long-haul carriers.