3
Introduction
One of the most important changes to the intercity bus industry over the past decade has been the
development of regional network connections. These types of services manifest themselves in three
different ways on any given route: first, with multiple stops in a region including the major city’s
downtown area, second, with multiple stops in a city, and third, with multiple stops in a region without
travelling into the city. Although this strategy may appear similar to Greyhound’s national route
network from the mid-to-late 1900s with multiple stops on most trips, the overall concept differs in how
it’s presented and delivered to the customer, primarily through technology.
Today’s regionally focused network concept stems from three factors: convenience, mobility and
accessibility. The convenience factor cannot be overstated, as the ability to purchase tickets on your
mobile device, walk up to the bus, check in and board presents one of the most frictionless transactions
currently available on any mode of intercity transport. Increased mobility through direct access to
popular destinations also plays a significant role, as many individuals are willing to give up time or sit
through additional stops for the ability to be picked up or dropped off closer to their actual starting or
ending location. Accessibility through a simplified discovery process through aggregator sites such as
Wanderu, GoToBus.com, BusBud, iLikeBus.com and others allow for one-stop search comparisons on
multiple bus services based on time, location, price, amenities and even multi-modal connections.
From an operations standpoint, the biggest barrier to entry for a carrier to launch a route and obtain a
stop location now involves applying for a sidewalk loading permit or renting space from a parking
facility. Except in a handful of cases, there is little need for massive infrastructure investment and
upkeep in owning and maintaining terminal facilities in these satellite suburban locations.
The best way to explain this strategy is by examining the evolution of a specific market. For our
purposes, we’ve highlighted the growth of the NY-DC corridor over the last 20 years from 2000 to 2020.
The NY-DC corridor provides the best example of how the national intercity bus network gradually
transformed into a regional mobility solution that is nimble enough to adapt and change to market
conditions quickly and efficiently.
Case Study: Metro New York – Metro Washington, DC Corridor
Over the 20 years from which our analysis of the Metro New York -Metro Washington corridor begins in
2000 to present day, the market has undergone significant evolution and growth. Many of these
changes stem from new entrants in the market who introduced new amenities (i.e. wifi, outlets,
reserved seating, dynamic pricing, etc) and service levels (i.e. premium and executive class coach trips)
in their quest to win over riders. However, one of the most important (and often overlooked) factors in
the development of this highly competitive market though comes from the stop locations carriers
choose to load and unload passengers. Figure 1 below summarizes how the growth in regional access
points in the NY and DC metro areas parallels the growth in total trips operated in the corridor.
Information for this analysis was gathered through an extensive search of printed and online schedules
offered by carriers operating line service between Metro New York and Metro Washington DC in 2000,
2009 (the only intermediary year the research team was able to find the schedules of every carrier
operating along the route) and 2020. We define Metro New York and Metro Washington DC the areas
within 40 miles of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City or Union Station in Washington DC,
allowing the full impact of these services to be measured within their respective metropolitan areas.
For research purposes only regular line-run carriers who advertise trips for sale online or via a physical