More Than Just a Bus Ride: Curbside Intercity Buses

Abstract

The intercity bus industry is in the midst of a remarkable transformation. Traditional terminal bus companies, such as Greyhound and Peter Pan, are being eclipsed by upstart “curbside” buses. Curbside buses are distinguished by their reliance on curbside passenger loading and unloading rather than staging operations in bus terminals. Examples of curbside buses include BoltBus, Megabus and the so-called “Chinatown bus.” The new competition from curbside buses has led to a dramatic turnaround for an industry which had been in a steady decline for more than 50 years. In addition to increasing competition and ridership, this paper argues that curbside buses are leading Americans to think differently about intercity bus travel. This paper draws on a series of focus groups with curbside bus passengers in Philadelphia and New York City to address the question of why passengers choose curbside buses. Participants in the focus groups claim that they choose to travel on curbside buses because of their low prices, frequent departures, and amenities. But they also make these choices because they conceptualize curbside buses differently than traditional buses. Traditional terminal buses and bus terminals have a negative image in the public eye, but curbside buses are viewed positively. Their location outside traditional bus terminals has given curbside buses psychological distance from traditional intercity buses and the negative connotations associated with them. These focus groups provide strong evidence that emotional and psychological factors can play an important role in mode choice.

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