The Bus Renaissance Intercity Travel, Bus Rapid Transit, Technology Advances, Rural Services TRN 303.E$S TRN 303 7/1/16 11:46 AM Page C2
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TRN_303.e$S_TRN_303 7/1/16 11:46 AM Page C1 TRNUMBER 303 NEWSMAY–JUNE 2016 The Bus Renaissance Intercity Travel, Bus Rapid Transit, Technology Advances, Rural Services TRN_303.e$S_TRN_303 7/1/16 11:46 AM Page C2 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2016 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE* Chair: James M. Crites, Executive Vice President of Operations, Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, Texas Vice Chair: Paul Trombino III, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames The National Academy of Sciences was Executive Director: Neil J. Pedersen, Transportation Research Board established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, Victoria A. Arroyo, Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center; Assistant Dean, Centers and nongovernmental institution to advise the Institutes; and Professor and Director, Environmental Law Program, Georgetown University Law nation on issues related to science and Center, Washington, D.C. technology. Members are elected by their Scott E. Bennett, Director, Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, Little Rock Jennifer Cohan, Secretary, Delaware Department of Transportation, Dover peers for outstanding contributions to Malcolm Dougherty, Director, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento research. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president. A. Stewart Fotheringham, Professor, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe The National Academy of Engineering was John S. Halikowski, Director, Arizona Department of Transportation, Phoenix established in 1964 under the charter of Susan Hanson, Distinguished University Professor Emerita, Graduate School of Geography, Clark the National Academy of Sciences to bring University, Worcester, Massachusetts the practices of engineering to advising the Steve Heminger, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Oakland, California Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag Professor of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, nation. Members are elected by their peers Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for extraordinary contributions to engi- Jeffrey D. Holt, Managing Director, Power, Energy, and Infrastructure Group, BMO Capital Markets neering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president. Corporation, New York S. Jack Hu, Vice President for Research and J. Reid and Polly Anderson Professor of Manufacturing, The National Academy of Medicine (for- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor merly the Institute of Medicine) was estab- Roger B. Huff, President, HGLC, LLC, Farmington Hills, Michigan lished in 1970 under the charter of the Geraldine Knatz, Professor, Sol Price School of Public Policy, Viterbi School of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences to advise the University of Southern California, Los Angeles Ysela Llort, Consultant, Miami, Florida nation on medical and health issues. Melinda McGrath, Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Jackson Members are elected by their peers for dis- James P. Redeker, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington tinguished contributions to medicine and Mark L. Rosenberg, Executive Director, The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Decatur, Georgia health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. Kumares C. Sinha, Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana The three Academies work together as Daniel Sperling, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy; Director, the National Academies of Sciences, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis Kirk T. Steudle, Director, Michigan Department of Transportation, Lansing (Past Chair, 2014) Engineering, and Medicine to provide Gary C. Thomas, President and Executive Director, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, Texas independent, objective analysis and advice Pat Thomas, Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs, United Parcel Service, Washington, to the nation and conduct other activities D.C. to solve complex problems and inform Katherine F. Turnbull, Executive Associate Director and Research Scientist, Texas A&M public policy decisions. The Academies also Transportation Institute, College Station encourage education and research, recog- Dean Wise, Vice President of Network Strategy, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Fort Worth, nize outstanding contributions to knowl- Texas edge, and increase public understanding in Thomas P. Bostick (Lieutenant General, U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, matters of science, engineering, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C. (ex officio) medicine. James C. Card (Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, retired), Maritime Consultant, The Woodlands, Texas, and Chair, TRB Marine Board (ex officio) Learn more about the National Academies T. F. Scott Darling III, Acting Administrator and Chief Counsel, Federal Motor Carrier Safety of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (ex officio) www.national-academies.org. Marie Therese Dominguez, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (ex officio) Sarah Feinberg, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation The Transportation Research Board is one (ex officio) of seven major programs of the National Carolyn Flowers, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Transportation (ex officio) Medicine. The mission of the Transporta - LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the tion Research Board is to provide leader- Interior, Washington, D.C. (ex officio) ship in transportation innovation and John T. Gray II, Senior Vice President, Policy and Economics, Association of American Railroads, progress through research and information Washington, D.C. (ex officio) exchange, conducted within a setting that Michael P. Huerta, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (ex officio) is objective, interdisciplinary, and multi- Paul N. Jaenichen, Sr., Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation modal. The Board’s varied committees, task (ex officio) forces, and panels annually engage about Bevan B. Kirley, Research Associate, University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other trans- Chapel Hill, and Chair, TRB Young Members Council (ex officio) portation researchers and practitioners Gregory G. Nadeau, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of from the public and private sectors and Transportation (ex officio) academia, all of whom contribute their Wayne Nastri, Acting Executive Officer, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, California (ex officio) expertise in the public interest. The pro- Mark R. Rosekind, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department gram is supported by state transportation of Transportation (ex officio) departments, federal agencies including Craig A. Rutland, U.S. Air Force Pavement Engineer, U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Tyndall the component administrations of the U.S. Air Force Base, Florida (ex officio) Department of Transportation, and other Reuben Sarkar, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy (ex officio) organizations and individuals interested in Richard A. White, Acting President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, the development of transportation. Washington, D.C. (ex officio) www.TRB.org Gregory D. Winfree, Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (ex officio) Frederick G. (Bud) Wright, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C. (ex officio) Paul F. Zukunft (Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (ex officio) * Membership as of June 2016. TRN_303.e$S_TRN_303 7/1/16 11:46 AM Page 1 TR NEWS NUMBER 303 MAY–JUNE 2016 THE BUS RENAISSANCE 3 INTRODUCTION The Bus Renaissance: Innovations Drive a Boom 4 Victoria A. Perk and Dennis P. Hinebaugh Research, technology, and innovative service strategies have contributed to maintaining the role of the bus as the workhorse of public transit and are increasing the importance of buses for local and longer-distance transportation. 4 The Decline and Revival of Intercity Bus Service Joseph P. Schwieterman A resurgence in intercity bus service is changing commercial competition for travelers, as new curbside operators are opening downtown-to-downtown routes of 125 to 350 miles. The author traces the industry’s turnaround, its extent, the types of services, issues for planners and researchers, and more. 11 The Intercity Bus Renaissance: One Company’s Experience David Hall 16 The author presents the history and background of Greyhound’s introduction of new brands and services—particularly BoltBus—and describes the demographic changes that led to the company’s expansion of scope from rural and long-haul trips to urban center–to–urban center trips, including applications of technology platforms. 16 Bus Rapid Transit in the United States: Making Inroads Jennifer M. Flynn Swift and inexpensive implementation makes bus rapid transit (BRT) an attractive option for cities contending with traffic congestion and constrained budgets. The author reviews