The old model bus system (such as Greyhound) would run a bus from New York to Washington, stopping at perhaps Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, WIlmington, and Baltimore along the way. Most bus stations were downtown, so each stop required lengthy trips through traffic to and from the station.
In contrast, the new model bus system (Megabus, Boltbus, various Chinatown buses) has mostly non-stop buses. From New York City, one bus will go to Philadelphia, another to Atlantic City, another to Washington.
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But the Washington-New York bus does have one stop, in Baltimore. Rather than tediously going to downtown Baltimore, however, the bus stops at a park-and-ride station just a couple of minutes off the freeway. A sign at the park-and-ride station says an MTA bus from there takes just 2-1/2 minutes to Baltimore, presumably meaning downtown. Something like 10 people get on at this stop; I don’t think anyone gets off.
The flexibility of the new model bus system is a big advantage. They can find the most convenient tie-ins with other transportation systems (subway stations near a highway off-ramp, long term parking facilities, etc.), and they can change these tie-ins over time.
Megabus stops in Baltimore, but Bolt and some other smaller competitors (like Vamoose that goes to Arlington and Bethesda) go nonstop.
“Something like 10 people get on at this stop; I don’t think anyone gets off.”
I think I have your schedule – 5:15 AM depart Washington DC, arrive Baltimore 6:25 AM, arrive Washington DC 9:35 AM. 9:35 AM is a late start to the working day. 6:25 AM is too early to start work, in most businesses?
I like the idea of Wi-fi, but less enamoured of reclining seats. One man’s reclining seat is another man’s seat in the face.
One of the good things of low cost airlines in the UK is that they got rid of reclining seats.
Francis,
I hear you! I’m 6’7″ and hate it when people try (despite the will of my knees) to recline in front of me.
“A sign at the park-and-ride station says an MTA bus from there takes just 2-1/2 minutes to Baltimore, presumably meaning downtown.”
Uh oh. Another hidden subsidy to the Megabus. How much money do the people of Baltimore have to waste providing feeder bus service to Megabus users?
How much does WalMart pay the bus service to provide feeder service to their customers? How much do the Baltimore Orioles pay to provide feeder service to their customers? How much does Amtrack pay to the bus service to provide feeder service to their customers? How much do doctors pay to the bus service to provide feeder service to their customers?
What is the purpose for the bus service if not to provide feeder service to customers of businesses?
Borealis,
It’s not unheard of (especially is small urban/rural areas) for private companies to throw a little money at transit agencies to get service to their location. In parts of TX Lowes, Wal-Mart, hotel companies, large manufacturing facilities have coordinated ($$$) with transit agencies.
That said, I agree with your conclusion. The purpose of transit is to move people, which essentially is connecting origins to destinations. One strategy I’ve seen transit agencies employ is a development guide to encourage locating a business along existing transit routes. Not sure if that tactic had any success.
That is a good point, bennett. Perhaps we get a little too obsessed here about accusations of “subsidies”.
If government solves problems about commuter transportation, for example, it obviously is trying to facilitate work, which also facilitates general welfare, and also facilitates more taxes. What is wrong with that in theory?
If private companies look at the transportation network in a city, for example, and designs its business to take advantage of subways/rail/good roads/etc., what is wrong with that?
I can see how the line can get easily blurred and the goals are more complementary than opposing.
However, there are still times when a government action is clearly to favor one business over another, and that could be called a clear subsidy.
Andrew posted:
Uh oh. Another hidden subsidy to the Megabus. How much money do the people of Baltimore have to waste providing feeder bus service to Megabus users?
Umm, wrong (again), on several counts.
(1) The Baltimore Megabus stop is at White Marsh, in suburban Baltimore County (not part of Baltimore City).
(2) The bus line (Route 15) to White Marsh was there long before the first Megabus rolled down I-95.
(3) The people of Baltimore City pay relatively little for transit service, for their elected representatives in Annapolis long ago arranged for Baltimore’s transit service to be provided by the MTA (note that the M stands for Maryland), and its operating deficits are subsidized by highway users from Ocean City in the east to Oakland in the west.
CPZ every thing is cross subsidized in one form or an other!