The uncertainties created by coronavirus crisis, the authors maintain, have made it more important than ever for agencies to explore the potential of partnerships.
Greyhound, Megabus, and FlixBus made notable strategic moves last year, with the latter launching service in 22 states.
With new brands like Flixbus entering the market, the industry is moving toward launching premium services that feature dynamic scheduling.
Several operators are using “crowd-sourcing” techniques, to determine where and when to add service.
Transit officials are forming partnerships rather than standing back and watching technological advances buffet their ridership and financial goals.
More than two dozen municipal governments and transit agencies have formed partnerships with TNCs to enhance mobility options.
The most recent expansion of services has been more nuanced, generally spurred by a desire to fill gaps in the system, improve connectivity with Amtrak, and strengthen existing routes with new intermediate stops.
The DePaul report by the Chaddick Institute evaluates the remarkable implications of the resurgence of intercity bus travel on the competitive landscape of U.S. travel.
Dynamic scheduling, sophisticated pricing, reserved seating and even frequent traveler programs are giving the sector a makeover, with heightened competition bringing added turbulence to a once sleepy mode of travel.
These findings are part of the Chaddick Institute’s Technology in Travel study, which includes more than 35,000 unique passenger observations since 2009. Passengers are counted once on a given trip. Each year, passengers are observed by trained data collectors to determine how they spend their time while traveling.