Procedimiento de revisión

Prior to 1960, intercity buses ferried millions of travelers to every corner of the U.S. and served both long- and short-distance travel markets. With locations from small villages to large metropolitan centers, hundreds of bus terminals boasted a considerable number of departures and arrivals that exceeded both airlines and railroad arrivals and departures.65 _{By the mid 1960s, increasing ownership of private automobiles, construction of the}

nation’s Interstate highways and the decline of the nation’s urban centers placed privately-held bus service on the chopping block for many communities. Bus traffic declined by 100 million passengers from the mid-1960s to 1990.66 _{As passenger counts and ticket revenue fell during this period, service rapidly deteriorated, routes}

were cut and public perceptions became tarnished. Though the industry was deregulated and the nation was experiencing significant growth in intercity travel, service cuts continued into the early 21st century.

By 2006, a renaissance of intercity bus service was underway across the country, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest.67 _{Increasing airline fees, airport security hassles, growing highway congestion, high fuel costs,}

redevelopment of the nation’s city centers, and a younger generation attacted to bus travel caused scheduled departures to increase by 7 percent in 2006-07.68 _{Additionally, the American Bus Association (ABA) found that}

nationwide ridership grew from 631 million passengers to 751 million from 2005 to 2007.69 _{Corridors once}

dominated by planes, trains, and automobiles saw most of this growth captured by the emergence of new, low- cost bus operators. With names like BoltBus, MegaBus and Washington Deluxe, these providers offer online ticketing, express scheduling, curbside boarding and enhanced onboard amenities such as Wi-Fi, reserved seating, and individual power outlets. Additionally, increased competition and innovative marketing has pushed some curbside carriers to advertise fares as low as $1.00 making for considerable savings over other modes of transportation. Traditional carriers such as Greyhound have followed suit with fleet overhauls, competitive schedules and lower fares.

65. _{Joseph P. Schwieterman, et. al. “The Return of the Intercity Bus: The Decline and Recovery of Scheduled Service to American Cities, 1960 - 2007.”} Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. December 24, 2007. http://condor.depaul.edu/chaddick/Intercity%20Bus%20Study.pdf 66. _Ibid.

67. _{Tonya Alanez. “Greyhound Cuts Mean Fewer Stops on Its Route.” Los Angeles Times. April 18, 2005. http://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/18/lo-} cal/me-greyhound18

68. _{See note 66.}

69. _{Robert Damuth. “The Economic Impacts and Social Benefits of the U.S. Motorcoach Industry: Binding the Nation Together by Providing Diverse and} Affordable Services to Everyone.” Nathan Associates. December 2008. http://www.buses.org/files/Report08.pdf

Prior to 1960, buses ferried millions of travelers to every corner of the nation.

A plethora of curbside intercity bus operators now offer service between Northeast, Midwest and some Southern cities.

State governments and the federal government have also facilitated demand over the last decade by providing taxpayer-supported connections between cities and rural communities. Realizing that many rural communi- ties are underserved by transportation options and require connections to urban areas, states established rural intercity bus programs to provide operational support for service to small cities. Grants made by state policy makers are used to cover fare box deficits, purchase new equipment or expand frequencies on rural routes. The Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5311 Program supplements these costs with formula-based grants allocated among the states. States are required to use 15 percent of their annual apportionment under this program to support intercity bus service, unless the Governor certifies that the needs of the state are adequately met by existing bus service. Furthermore, the program only subsidizes up to 50 percent of the operational loss to a carrier to ensure the cost-effectiveness of particular routes. Maryland, Tennessee and Washington all utilize Section 5311 to help maintain robust rural intercity bus programs.

The number of scheduled departures continues to increase, with a 6 percent growth rate in 2010.70 _{This makes}

intercity bus transportation the fastest growing mode of transportation for three straight years, increasing faster than both rail and air. Curbside-only operators accounted for 21 percent of this growth in hubs located

primarily in large metropolitan markets such as Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC.71 _{Curbside service has}

even expanded to smaller markets such as Kansas City, Missouri and Knoxville, Tennessee. Although most of the growth has occurred in dense, transit-accessible cities, even the automobile-oriented South has seen the emergence of new low-cost services in Florida and Georgia. As the U.S. economy continues to rebound continued growth is expected.

Transportation Benefits

Intercity bus service provides considerable benefits for the traveling public. Once the last resort for many Americans, intercity buses are quickly becoming a viable alternative to airlines, trains, and even private

vehicles. Increasing redundancy in the overall transportation system increases system efficiency and provides Americans with increased travel options. For instance, in 2007, bus service prevented more than 63 million hours of delay and $1.2 billion in congestion costs.72

Intercity buses also serve markets not serviced by other modes. Intercity bus service was accessible to 63.1 million – or 78 percent – of rural residents in 2010, the highest of all transportation modes.73 _{In addition, 9.3}

million rural Americans had access only to intercity bus and no other mode.74 _{Though the number of rural}

residents serviced by intercity bus is actually in decline, intercity buses do fill an important gap in transportation service in rural communities. Christiansburg, Virginia, a town of about 17,000 at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, has no rail or air service. Private operator Megabus provides the rural to urban link, offering three daily departures to both Knoxville, Tennessee and Washington, DC, tying small-town Christiansburg to national economic centers.

70. _{See note 65.} 71. _Ibid.

72. _{David Schrank and Tim Lomax. “Mobility Benefits from Motorcoach Service.” Texas Transportation Institute. December 2009. http://www.buses.} org/files/Mobility%20Study%20-%20TTI.pdf

73. _{BTS defines accessible as: “… 25 miles from a non- or small-hub airport, bus station, ferry terminal, or rail station providing intercity service and as} 75 miles from a medium- or large-hub airport.”

“The U.S. Rural Population and Scheduled Intercity Transportation in 2010: A Five-Year Decline in Transportation Access.” United States Depart- ment of Transportation. February 2011. http://www.bts.gov/publications/scheduled_intercity_transportation_and_the_us_rural_population/2010/ pdf/entire.pdf

COST-EFFECTIVE TRANSPORTATION 32

Bus travel also saves energy and benefits the environment. In 2010 alone, intercity buses reduced nationwide fuel consumption by as much as 11 million gallons75 _{as each bus achieves an average of 184.4 passenger}

miles per gallon of fuel.76 _{In addition, intercity buses mitigated carbon emissions by 249 million pounds.}77 _On

average, motor coaches emit just 0.17 pound of carbon dioxide per passenger-mile, less than one-sixth of such pollution emitted by a single occupant vehicle.78 _{These benefits both remove harmful emissions from the air}

and reduce the our dependence on fossil fuels. Taxpayer Benefits

Extending the viability of the United State’s transportation system in a cost-efficient manner has become crucial, in recent years due to budget shortfalls at all levels of government. Buses receive far less subsidies compared to many other forms of transportation. For instance, from 2002-2009, buses received $0.10 in federal subsidies per passenger trip and just a fraction of a cent in subsidies per passenger mile ($0.0005).79

With only a small cost to federal taxpayers, compared to other modes, both private and taxpayer-supported intercity bus operators provide increased mobility on existing highway networks and mitigate the need for costly airport and rail expansion projects. Each bus has the potential to remove 55 vehicles from a roadway. When used in tandem with other transportation demand solutions, intercity buses increase highway efficiency and greater traffic throughput without lane additions or other expensive improvements.80