America's Greyhound bus stations are disappearing

[bdndndndbve]

It's amazing how something that should be a public utility has been carved up by private equity and sold to a foreign company. Greyhound has completely stopped operating in Canada and the impact has been tremendous.

[Reason077]

It's interesting how airports, especially regional airports, are often heavily subsidised in the US. But bus terminals, apparantely, are something that the private sector should provide without government support. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

[senkora]

Well, to be fair, someone did get eaten on a Greyhound in Canada: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean

[searealist]

People don't use greyhound because of the other people who use greyhound. Making this a public utility only worsens this problem.

[kibwen]

> The threat of a closure has reached a stress point in Chicago because Greyhound, the largest intercity carrier in the United States, no longer owns its terminals in the city and dozens of others. Greyhound, owned by German company Flix Mobility (which also owns FlixBus), has sold its terminals to investors for lucrative redevelopment in recent years, including dozens to investment firm Alden Global Capital. Alden is best known for buying up local newspapers like The Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and The Baltimore Sun, cutting staff, and selling some of their downtown buildings.

There was a point in my life where I rode Greyhound and Megabus to save money. There's already very little dignity to be found in long-distance bus travel, and removing facilities where people can rest during layovers just drives what little remains completely into the dirt. But hey, it may be unraveling the fabric of society, but at least we increased shareholder value.

[chasil]

Union Station in Chicago would be the obvious place to put Greyhound.

Greyhound will never go there for one reason: it has a bar that sells alcohol.

CTA also does not have a presence in Union Station for the same reason, so no subway/el or local bus presence.

Metra and Amtrak are alcohol-friendly, and I've seen people boarding Metra carrying open containers quite often.

[aithrowawaycomm]

> and removing facilities where people can rest during layovers just drives what little remains completely into the dirt.

To be clear the bigger problem is that Greyhound will have to cut service in Chicago dramatically - they really need a terminal to support larger operations, they can’t have dozens of buses sitting in the road. There will be a few routes that dump people on the street, but companies like Megabus will probably cut service entirely.

[netsharc]

Hah, I'm amazed FlixBus got that big. Their original model is Uber but for buses, i.e. sell tickets for bus rides, and instead of owning buses, they pay bus companies to drive the routes for them (also having their buses be covered in their corporate vinyl wrap).

Somewhat relatedly, I was in London several years ago, and their buses had a logo that said "Arriva - a DB [Deutsche Bahn] company". I found it funny that the Germans managed to "rule" over England (well, London - well, their bus network) after all.

[dartos]

We delivered value, but at what cost?

https://youtu.be/DYvhC_RdIwQ?si=Tm3A1f9ze2WtRCi3

[ajsnigrutin]

> Alden is best known for buying up local newspapers like The Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and The Baltimore Sun, cutting staff, and selling some of their downtown buildings.

How does that work?

I mean... were the companies sold for less than the realestate was worth?

[idunnoman1222]

People ride share inter city now

[mlazos]

I’m glad for this, bus companies have been fighting train development for decades to prop up their garbage service. Hopefully if they get broken up and sold for parts we can have sensible public transit in this country which doesn’t rely on roads and sitting in traffic.