Report: Tech savvy travelers choosing buses

The growing availability on intercity buses of access to digital technology while traveling "may be a major factor when consumers make their long-distance transportation choices," according to a new study released today by DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.

The high-tech traveler has been a driving force in the continued growth of bus travel, which grew 5.1 percent in 2009; the third straight year bus ridership has surged, according to the DePaul University researchers. "Train traffic has been flat, while airline service declined seven percent in the past year," the study reports.

"The prevalence of portable electronics is changing the dynamics of how we make travel choices," said Dr. Joseph P. Schwieterman, PhD., director of the Chaddick Institute and the study's author, who added that for many passengers, the ability to freely use portable technology on a bus is providing a new incentive to go by bus.

The study found that, in contrast, "On airlines, the rollout of Wi-Fi this year has been met with lackluster demand, which some believe is due to high fees and the inconvenience of having to shut down computers and other devices for substantial periods of time during the beginning and end of flights. The study found that no more than 18 percent of airline travelers use portable electronic devices at any given point in a trip."

"The latest findings of academic experts further corroborate the trend of more travelers choosing to take the bus," said ABA President/CEO Peter J. Pantuso. "Technological access while traveling is a growing consumer demand, and the motorcoach industry is winning new riders every day."

Chaddick researchers surveyed more than 6,000 passengers traveling through 14 states in recent weeks to observe the prevalence of their tech use while riding.

The full study can be accessed online at www.las.depaul.edu/chaddick.