End of the line for Greyhound's Omaha service (after 80+ years of service)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Maggie O'Brien

After more than eight decades, Greyhound is putting the brakes on its bus service in Omaha.

After Aug. 15, the bus line will no longer have runs to and from the area.

Burlington Trailways, a Midwestern bus line based in West Burlington, Iowa, will take over Greyhound's abandoned routes the next day. Burlington takes passengers to 42 Midwestern cities, including Indianapolis, Denver and Chicago.

Greyhound spokesman Timothy Stokes said the company decided to stop Omaha service after it evaluated routes nationwide. He declined to specify the reason. Citing company policy, Stokes also declined to disclose the number of riders a year who rode Greyhound buses to and from Omaha.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20120723/NEWS/707239950/1685#end-of-the-line-for-greyhound-s-omaha-service

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Photo here: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20120723&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=707239950&Ref=AR&Profile=1694&maxw=598&maxh=400

REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
The last day of Greyhound service in Omaha is Aug. 15. The next day, bus service to and from Omaha will be handled by Burlington Trailways, which will continue to use the downtown station at 16th and Jackson Streets.

[Brickbat]

1. Oh God, I've ridden that line into and out of Omaha so many times.

I find this sad. Poor Greyhound.

[Systematic Chaos]

2. That sounds pretty complicated. Does this mean extra layovers and transfers?

And do you have to buy tickets for two separate bus lines now to get to Omaha from somewhere in the Greyhound service area?

[brooklynite]

4. I suspect not

Here in NY, Trailways and Grehound ticketing is pretty much integrated, even if you have to make transfers.

[marmar]

3. Megabus has gotta be taking major bites out of Greyhound in the Midwest

nt

[mwooldri]

7. Another Stagecoach vs FirstGroup battle?

Eeks! Those two guys have been fighting it out in the UK for years...

Surprised Greyhound will secede to Stagecoach. But then they know the business better than we do.

[Ms. Toad]

5. My first independent trip, at age 16, started on a greyhound bus to Omaha.

As well as the first plane ride I was aware of (I flew at two, but I don't think that really counts). My parents sent me off to visit a college in Ohio in 1973. I hopped on the bus in my little town of 2,800 people with directions from my father about how to catch a cab from the Omaha greyhound bus station to the airport, how to switch planes in O'Hare airport for one to Cleveland, how to catch a "limo" to the campus, and back again - including how much to tip, and which terminal the plane was likely to come into and leave from. All before the days when such information was readily available on the internet, and phone connections were via collect calls from pay phones.

When my own daughter started doing college visits at around the same age, she was already an experienced traveler - having flown regularly with us since shortly after birth, and having made a trip to Australia with a group (but not us) when she was 12. We had let her take the lead in navigating from gate to gate as she got older, knowing she would need to do it on her own someday. Her college visitation trips were her first really independent trips as well - but she had been mostly in charge of some of our trips for years and when she landed in Philadelphia and wanted to verify where to catch the train from the airport, and when she couldn't find anyone local on the way home to tell her which side of the street to stand on to catch the bus back to the airport, I was only a cell phone call away and could check the airport and street maps on the internet...

I don't know how my parents were so brave when they stuck me on that Greyhound bus on that day in February...and I am sad to see Greyhound go, even though I'm no longer in Nebraska to use its services.

[TouchOfGray]

6. Years ago Greyhound/Trailways could subsidize their passenger revenue

to the small town in northern Minnesota, where we have our cabin, with parcel and US mail delivery.

Of course we also had a party line phone that worked half the time and a 50' TV antenna tower with a rotor to try to pull in a station from Duluth or Fargo.

Today we have cable, high speed internet, cell service and UPS and Fedex delivery.

Lots has changed in 40 years.

[liberaltrucker]

8. I'm surprised Greyhound is still in business

Example:

Zelienople, PA to Birmingham, AL on Greyhound: $198 one way.

PIT to BHM on Delta: $210 one way.

2 1/2 hours on Delta. 24+ hours on Greyhound.

[lunatica]

9. I rode on Greyhound from Chicago to the Mexican border when I was a teenager

then took the train the rest of the way to Mexico City. It was fun. There were long stretches where I could have the two seats all to myself so I could curl up and sleep.

[jonestonesusa]

10. I'm glad there's still some service

I have ridden the Greyhound & Trailways bus many many times from my home town (Omaha). Does anyone remember the old station on 18th Street? Marginally more comfortable than the Jackson Street Station. Ridin' the dog - at least it can still be done from Omaha.

Mass transit solutions anyone? We still need them, for sure.

[lib2DaBone]

11. Romney has already said that if elected he will kill AMTRAK.

He has vowed to kill Planned Parenthood and AMTRAK. (In that Order)

Republicans HATE public transportation.. and can't imagine a reason why someone would want to take the train or bus..? if gas goes to $5 a gallon... who cares.. Republican have more than enough to cover it.

After all.. Republicans have limos and SUV's and $5 gas doesnt even bother them.

Republicans never have to commute to a minimum wage job on a bus.

[CanSocDem]

12. Plus...

...they own all the oil and gas companies that fuel 'private' transportation solutions.

"Republicans HATE public transportation..."

They hate EVERYTHING about the public interest.

.