Millions at risk as intercity bus depots close due to rising costs and loss of funding.

via MSN:

Millions of Americans are at risk of losing key modes of transportation as intercity bus depots close down en masse in many cities due to rising operation costs and loss of government funding, among other reasons.

Made up of companies like Greyhound, Trailways, and Megabus, intercity bus lines offer transportation options between cities that have become heavily relied upon by many Americans commuting long distances for work, in addition to customers traveling for myriad other reasons. The industry is estimated to serve more travelers year-round than Amtrak.

Primarily driven by Greyhound, but encompassing the entire industry, intercity bus depots have already been shuttered in major cities like Cincinnati, Charlottesville, Virginia, Houston, Louisville, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, and Tampa, among others. Yet more depots are set to close soon in places like Chicago and Dallas. Roughly 60 million people are estimated to be at risk of losing access to intercity bus services.

In many cases, Greyhound and other companies have relocated these depots further away from city centers to places not easily reached via public transit. Other areas have simply seen their offerings shuttered completely. In some cases, the closure of one station has had the knock-on effect of shuttering another station heavily reliant on the original station’s traffic, as was the fate of a station in Little Rock, Arkansas, after the closure of a Jackson, Mississippi, station.

Around 75 percent of travelers who utilize intercity bus services make $40,000 or less a year and would not be able to make their regular trips if such services were not offered. Such services also cater to a considerable number of travelers with limited mobility.