State Supported Bus Networks are Changing Attitudes Toward Intercity Bus Travel – Smart Cities Dive
By Dan Zukowski
Few options for U.S. intercity travel exist for those who don’t have a car, can’t afford or can’t be accommodated by commercial airlines or travel outside Amtrak’s 500-plus destinations. That’s where the nation’s intercity and rural bus lines come in. A recent Greyhound survey found that its riders come from a wide range of income groups, including many moderate- and lower-income households, the report states.
“We’re seeing public agencies acknowledge the need to do more” to help under-resourced individuals access intercity bus options, Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute at DePaul University and a co-author of the report, said in an interview.
Schwieterman gave examples of how states have established bus networks to meet residents’ transit needs. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation operates four intercity bus routes through Virginia Breeze Bus Lines, which began in 2017 as a federally funded pilot service with the goal of providing accessible and affordable transportation to underserved communities in Virginia.
