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[[Image:2003-08-25 Greyhound bus.jpg|Greyhound MCI MC-12 Americruiser #2119 in [[Indiana]], summer 2003.|thumb|left|200px]]
[[Image:2003-08-25 Greyhound bus.jpg|Greyhound MCI MC-12 Americruiser #2119 in [[Indiana]], summer 2003.|thumb|left|200px]]
[[Image:Salem GL depot1965.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Ready for boarding in Salem, Oregon for a fast trip north on new Interstate 5 in Autumn 1965.]]
[[Image:Salem GL depot1965.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Ready for boarding in Salem, Oregon for a fast trip north on new Interstate 5 in Autumn 1965.]]
[[Image:Greyhound lines bus stop.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Greyhound Lines Bus Stop (post WWII).]]
[[Image:Greyhound lines bus stop.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Greyhound Lines Bus Stop (post World War II).]]
After World War II, and the building of the [[Interstate Highway System]] beginning in 1956, automobile ownership and travel became a preferred mode of travel in the United States. Along with a similar downward trend in public transportation in general, ridership on Greyhound and [[Trailways Transportation System|Trailways]] bus routes began a long decline.
After World War II, and the building of the [[Interstate Highway System]] beginning in 1956, automobile ownership and travel became a preferred mode of travel in the United States. Along with a similar downward trend in public transportation in general, ridership on Greyhound and [[Trailways Transportation System|Trailways]] bus routes began a long decline.


Revision as of 16:25, 2 October 2008

This article is about the US bus line. For Greyhound bus lines in other countries, see Greyhound (disambiguation).
Greyhound Lines
File:Greyhound dog.png
ParentFirstGroup
Founded1914
Headquarters350 North St. Paul
Dallas, TX 75201
Service area United States
 Canada
Service typeIntercity coach service
Destinations3,100+
Stations2,400+
FleetMCI MC-12, 102D(L)3, G4500
Prevost X3-45,
Van Hool C2045L
Chief executiveDavid Leach
WebsiteGreyhound Lines

Greyhound Lines is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and incorporated as "Greyhound Corporation" in 1929. Today, it is headquartered in Dallas, Texas (United States operations) and Calgary, Alberta (Canadian operations), and is a subsidiary of the British bus operator FirstGroup plc.

History

Carl Wickman was born in Sweden in 1887. He moved to the United States, and in 1914 began a bus service in Minnesota where he transported iron ore miners from Hibbing to Alice at 15 cents a ride in a 1914 Hupmobile.[1]

In 1915, Wickman joined forces with Ralph Bogan, who was running a similar service from Hibbing to Duluth. The name of the new organization was the Mesaba Transportation Company, and it made $8,000 in profit in its first year.

By the end of the First World War Wickman owned 18 buses, and was making an annual profit of $40,000. In 1922, Wickman joined forces with Orville Caesar, the owner of the Superior White Bus Lines. Four years later, Wickman reached an agreement with two West Coast operations, the Pickwick Lines and the Pioneer Yelloway System.[clarification needed]

In 1926, Wickman's bus operations became known as the Greyhound Lines. Wickman, who was president of the company, continued to expand it, and by 1927 his buses were making transcontinental trips from California to New York.

Wickman's business suffered during the Great Depression, and by 1931 was over $1 million in debt. However, with the improvement in the economy, the Greyhound Corporation began to prosper again. In 1935, Wickman was able to announce record profits of $8 million. By the outbreak of the Second World War the company had 4,750 stations and nearly 10,000 employees.

Wickman retired as president of Greyhound Corporation in 1946, and was replaced by his long-time partner, Orville Caesar. Carl Wickman died at the age of sixty-seven in 1954.

Greyhound MCI MC-12 Americruiser #2119 in Indiana, summer 2003.
Ready for boarding in Salem, Oregon for a fast trip north on new Interstate 5 in Autumn 1965.
File:Greyhound lines bus stop.jpg
Greyhound Lines Bus Stop (post World War II).

After World War II, and the building of the Interstate Highway System beginning in 1956, automobile ownership and travel became a preferred mode of travel in the United States. Along with a similar downward trend in public transportation in general, ridership on Greyhound and Trailways bus routes began a long decline.

But for many young people from Europe, Greyhound was the way they got to know America because of a special unlimited mileage offer - "99 days for $99" or, in other words a dollar a day, anytime, anyplace, anywhere... To young African-Americans Greyhound meant segregated busses, brutal bus drivers, and "separate, but unequal" station facilities in the South. Black passengers were often forced to give up their seats to white riders and standby until a seat became available in the back of the bus. In 1961 Freedom Riders boarded Greyhound and Trailways busses to test court-ordered desegregation of busses, trains, and planes, because previous Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) rulings and Presidential mandates to integrate interstate travel had been largely ignored by southern carriers. Local law enforcements stood by watching as black and white civil righters were beaten by angry white mobs and busses burned. In 2001, a 40th year Freedom Riders’ Reunion [1] was held. The Freedom Rides were inspired by the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation led by civil rights gay activist Bayard Rustin. Rustin was arrested and sentenced to slave labor on a North Carolina chain gang for violating local Jim Crow laws.

Greyhound leadership saw the trend, and used the profitable bus operations to invest in other industries. By the 1970s, Greyhound had moved its headquarters to Phoenix, Arizona, and was a large and diversified company, with holdings in everything from the Armour meat-packing company (which in turn owned the popular Dial deodorant soap brand), acquired in 1970; Traveller's Express money orders, MCI bus manufacturing company, and even airliner leasing. Indeed, times were a-changing. The bus company even began to hire black - and female - drivers.

Greyhound established the Premier Cruise Line in 1983. It would last until 2000, and at one time billed itself as the "Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World".

In late 1984, Greyhound had bus driver's strike, typified as bitter, with one fatality in Zanesville, Ohio.[citation needed] By the time contract negotiations were due again, three years later, the bus line had been spun-off from the parent company to new owners. This resulted in Greyhound Lines becoming solely a bus transportation company headed by Fred Currey, a former executive with the largest member of the National Trailways Bus System. Greyhound's corporate headquarters then relocated to Dallas, Texas. The old parent changed its name to the Dial Corporation.

Greyhound once operated a chain of Post House Cafeterias which served pretty good food, often attracting local clientele. Of course, black passengers were not allowed to eat in most southern locations until passage of Civil Right Act in 1964. Post House is long gone along with a host of Greyhound's trademark art deco stations [2] which once enlivened city centers across the nation. Fast food chains or vending machines now serve bus stations which have often been pushed to the outskirts of towns like Orlando, Florida and Baltimore, Maryland. Greyhound operators also make intermediate stops along their routes to allow passengers to visit fast food restaurants.

Greyhound Lines is spun-off from parent

Greyhound station in Columbia, South Carolina, built in 1938-1939 and shot here in November 1986. Greyhound stopped using it the next year.

Under new ownership in 1987, led by Currey, Greyhound Lines acquired Trailways, Inc. in June of that year (formerly Continental Trailways), the largest member of the rival National Trailways Bus System, effectively consolidating National Bus Service. Greyhound was required by the ICC in their action approving the merger, to maintain coordinated schedules with other scheduled service operators in the U.S.

Three years later there was another costly strike. This, combined with the loss of diversification and strength of the former parent company, and labor-law violations, forced the company to file for bankruptcy, from which it emerged in the early 1990s. At the same time, Greyhound had to contend with the rise of low-cost airlines like Southwest Airlines, which reduced further the market for long-distance inter-city bus transportation.

In 1997, Greyhound Lines acquired Carolina Trailways, one of the largest members of the National Trailways Bus System. Carolina Trailways still operates as a brand name, but the current owner of Greyhound, FirstGroup, has made the decision to eliminate all brands in the United States that it owns, except the Greyhound name and its own, and the Carolina Trailways name will disappear as buses are retired. Also, most of the other independent members of the Trailways System began interlining cooperatively with Greyhound. Some discontinued regular route services, while others diversified into charters and tours or went out of business.

Laidlaw ownership

The last Greyhound branding before the current branding.

In 1999, Burlington, Ontario-based transportation conglomerate Laidlaw Inc. acquired Greyhound Lines, Inc. (U.S. operations) including Carolina Trailways and other Greyhound affiliates. It had previously acquired Greyhound Canada.

After incurring heavy losses through its investments in Greyhound Lines and other parts of its diversified business, Laidlaw Inc. filed for protection under both U.S. and Canadian Bankruptcy laws in June 2001 .

Naperville, Illinois-based Laidlaw International, Inc. listed its common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (Ticker: LI), on February 10, 2003, and emerged from re-organization on June 23, 2003, as the successor to Laidlaw Inc.

On February 7, 2007, FirstGroup plc of Scotland, agreed to purchase Laidlaw International for US$3.6 billion (£1.9 billion). The deal closed on September 30 2007.[3] The Greyhound name has been retained by FirstGroup; the brands of its subsidiaries, however, are not being retained and will disappear as buses are retired.[4]

Greyhound Lines in the 21st century

During 2004, Greyhound Lines announced major schedule reductions in its route system, particularly in the northwest and north-central United States, and elimination of some long-distance routes. Similar changes were taking place during 2005 in other parts of the country. These changes have eliminated some routes, most notably the Interstate 90 route between Chicago and Seattle, and cut many stops in rural areas. Service to rural towns has been assumed by local transit agencies or independent bus companies, requiring government subsidy in some cases.[5][6]

Recently, Greyhound has come under criticism for its bus assignment practices. Although bus tickets have times and dates printed on them, seating is not guaranteed, and is first-come, first-served. Greyhound will add additional "sections" (buses) in periods of high demand, but the threshold required to trigger an additional section varies. Passengers may have to wait for the next bus departure time.[7] In response to the lack of guaranteed seating, in late 2007 Greyhound began a program where riders could reserve a seat for an additional $5. However, the $5 fee would have to be paid at the terminal, even if the ticket was bought online, and only a limited number of seats could be reserved.[8]

Increasingly, concern has been given to bus security. As a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks, train and airplane security have been substantially increased, but the same increase has not been provided to bus security. Drug smuggling is increasingly common on buses[citation needed], as baggage is not inspected, nor is identification checked. Greyhound says that metal detector wands have been deployed on buses, but they do not appear to be routinely used.[9] Although the majority of bus terminals continue to operate from the downtowns of major cities, some terminals can be found in depressed neighborhoods, while some competitors have terminals in more attractive areas. Competition from discount airlines like Southwest Airlines, increased reliability of inexpensive automobiles for long trips, and other bus lines attracting an Internet-savvy rider market such as Chinatown bus lines, represented by Gotobus, and Megabus have led to Greyhound's revenue decline.[citation needed]

During the past few years, Greyhound Lines has been expanding its charter and sightseeing services, and is the largest operator of Gray Line Sightseeing Tours franchises in major markets. Though it no longer owns the firm, Greyhound's fleet is still composed primarily of buses built by Motor Coach Industries (MCI), although the newest buses in the fleet (such as the one at the top of the page) were supplied by Prevost Car.

Greyhound also has been taking steps to improve its image, spending $60 million to refurbish many terminals, add new buses, and staff terminals with associates who are able to help those who have questions about the bus system. Greyhound is initiating an advertising campaign aimed at attracting 18-24 year olds and Hispanics.[10] As a result, after the FirstGroup acquisition, Greyhound began advertising as "The New Greyhound".

Intermodal is the key word in 21st century transportation. Greyhound has teamed up with Amtrak to combine train and bus stations where practical. In some cases the added convenience of thru-ticketing is available for connecting passengers. New Haven (CT), New London (CT), New Orleans (LA), Boston (MA) and Rocky Mount (NC) are just a few successful examples of combined bus and rail operations in the United States.

Discount services

Since the purchase of Greyhound Lines by FirstGroup, Greyhound has initiated two discount bus services, both radiating from New York City and servicing major cities in the northeastern United States, both of which began operations in 2008 and are operated in conjunction with other traditional operators. These services are designed to compete with Chinatown bus carriers, and more directly with Megabus. Both services offer Wi-Fi and outlets into which equipment can be plugged at every seat.

File:Greyhound neon badge.png
NeOn branding
Greyhound Canada MCI D4505 #1327 branded for NeOn at the New Yorker Hotel.

NeOn

On May 292008, a service based on the Megabus model used in the United Kingdom and United States (and also used in the BoltBus service; see below) was initiated to and from Toronto, operating between street stops at the Penn Station in Manhattan and the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The service is currently being operated using Greyhound Canada and Trailways of New York buses branded with "NeOn" near the rear windows, and is designed to compete with Megabus' nearly identical service (with a stop for passenger pickups and dropoffs in Buffalo).

Greyhound Prevost X3-45 #0807 in BoltBus scheme near New York Penn Station.

BoltBus

Main article: BoltBus

In March 2008, Greyhound announced a new service titled BoltBus into the Boston-NYC-DC megalopolis, modeled on the Megabus system in use at the time in Chicago metropolitan area and in the United Kingdom, offering fares as low as $1 USD, with lowest fares depending on how far in advance a trip is booked and demand for the trip, with fares increasing for trips booked closer to departure. On each trip, one seat is sold for $1, with prices increasing up to a maximum of $25 for a one way trip.[11] The service began on March 272008, with a New York City-Washington, D.C. route, with service to Boston and Philadelphia following soon after. Offered in partnership with Peter Pan Bus Lines, it (along with NeOn described above, offered in conjunction with Trailways of New York) competes directly with Coach USA's own discount express bus service, Megabus.

Notable incidents and accidents

  • May 13, 1972: In Bean Station, Tennessee, a Greyhound Scenicruiser hit a tractor trailer head on. Fifteen people on the bus were killed, including the driver.
  • May 9, 1980: A freight ship collided with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, resulting in several vehicles including a Greyhound bus falling into Tampa Bay. All 26 people on the bus perished, along with nine others. This is the largest loss of life on a Greyhound coach to date.
  • October 3, 2001: At approximately 4:15 a.m. local time, a passenger, Damir Igric attacked the driver of his bus, attempting to slit his throat. and causing the bus to crash near Manchester, Tennessee, killing Igric and five other passengers and injuring 32 others. As the incident occurred weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Greyhound shut down its entire system as soon as the company learned of the incident for fear that it may have been part of a larger co-ordinated attack. After investigation by the company and the FBI, it was confirmed that Igric had acted alone, and service resumed later that afternoon.[12] After the incident, Greyhound bus stations increased security, though not nearly to the same level as airports or train stations.
  • September 302002: Arturo Martinez Tapia attacked another Greyhound driver near Fresno, California, resulting in two passenger deaths after the bus then rolled off an embankment and crashed.[13] Following this attack, driver shields were installed on most Greyhound buses that now prevent passengers from directly touching the driver while the bus is in motion, even if the shield is forced open.[14]
  • November 272005: At approximately 7:10 a.m. local time, a Greyhound bus traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco crashed near Santa Maria, killing two people, one of whom was a 7-month-pregnant woman. While the cause remains unknown, at the time of the crash, driver fatigue was suspected.[15] Later, an epileptic seizure was cited as a possible cause.[16]
  • August 28, 2006: At approximately 6:45 p.m. local time, a Greyhound bus traveling from New York City to Montreal overturned on the Adirondack Northway in Westport, New York after suffering a blown tire, killing five and injuring 48.[17]
  • January 2, 2008: A Greyhound bus traveling from Richmond to Raleigh rear-ended a tractor trailer on U.S. Route 1 in Henderson, NC that had slowed to make a turn. At least 50 people were injured.[18]
  • February 24 2008 - A Greyhound coach with at least 50 passengers aboard crashed and rolled over in the early morning hours on the median of Interstate 380 near Scranton, Pennsylvania. Forty-one passengers were injured, two seriously.[19]

Security

Greyhound announced in a press conference in 2007 that a pilot program to test various security measures would be implemented at select stations and on select coaches starting later in the year. Some of the stations included in this project, are in Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, and St. Louis. Measures may include:

  • Requiring photo ID to be displayed by all adult passengers prior to boarding. Minors, in accordance with Greyhound's policy, must either have to be accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian, or to obtain permission to travel from one [20], and when unaccompanied, have restrictions on traveling.
  • In the United States, passengers who are not citizens will be screened to determine the legality of their presence within the country's borders. Also, some may be checked for outstanding felony warrants, and boarding may be denied to those who fit into one of these categories. [citation needed]
  • Passengers may have their luggage visually searched. Devices similar to those used at airports may be used to check passengers and luggage prior to boarding buses for various banned items, including firearms, explosives, or other hazardous materials.
  • On all newer coaches, operators are shielded from passengers while the coach is in motion. A gate prevents passengers from entering the driver's area. Though the gate does not prevent an emergency exit, it will continue to shield the driver if opened by a passenger while the coach is in motion. Shields were installed after two attacks on drivers in the early 2000s. In the absence of a driver shield, customers are normally not permitted to occupy the seats behind the operator.[14]
  • Installing video surveillance on coaches and at stations.
  • Installing GPS tracking devices on select coaches. In addition to providing emergency location of the vehicle, this may also alert supervisors of unsafe driving behavior on part of the operator, including speeding.
  • Operators, at their own discretion, now reserve the right to prohibit or limit the use of cell phones while the coach is in motion.
  • Greyhound already prohibits taking photographs, videotaping, or audiotaping while on board its own coaches or within its owned stations.[21]

Fleet

Nicknames of past coaches

Later models such as the A series and the MC-12 bore only the Americruiser name. MCI D and G series, Prevost, and Van Hool coaches coaches do not carry nicknames.

References

  1. ^ Greyhound Bus Museum
  2. ^ http://www.agilitynut.com/bus/oh.html
  3. ^ Laidlaw International Announces Agreement to Be Acquired by FirstGroup, SEC filing
  4. ^ FirstGroup intro page regarding acquisition
  5. ^ The Greyhound doesn't stop here anymore, Mike Bucsko and Cindi Lash, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 13, 2005
  6. ^ Doghouse On Wheels, Emily Lambert, Forbes.com, January 31, 2005
  7. ^ News-Leader.com | Sarah Overstreet
  8. ^ Reserve seat on Greyhound for $5 - Yahoo! News
  9. ^ Cleveland.com's Printer-Friendly Page
  10. ^ "Greyhound Gets A Makeover". CBS News. CBS Corporation. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2007-11-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ Anita Hamilton (2008-06-06). "Beating $4 Gas with a $1 Bus". Time, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-08. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ FBI say bus attack wasn't terrorism, CNN.com, October 4, 2001; date accessed: July 9, 2007
  13. ^ Knife attack on California bus BBC.co.uk, October 1, 2002, date accessed: May 28, 2008
  14. ^ a b [http://www.tmgslaw.com/CM/News/News70.asp Greyhound faces lawsuits over '01 wreck Passengers say line kept quiet about attacks on drivers], from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, accessed May 28, 2008
  15. ^ Police: Driver fatigue likely factor in fatal bus crash, CNN.com, November 28, 2005; date accessed July 9, 2007
  16. ^ Lawsuit settled in bus crash, Samantha Yale, Santa Maria Times, March 17, 2007; date accessed: July 9, 2007
  17. ^ Les survivants terrifiés par l'expérience - LCN - Faits divers
  18. ^ 50 Injured In Bus, Tractor-Trailer Crash - Winston-Salem News Story - WXII Winston-Salem
  19. ^ Passenger bus flips near Scranton
  20. ^ Greyhound.com : Travel Information : Children Traveling
  21. ^ Greyhound.com : Travel Information : Traveling by Bus

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Greyhound Lines.
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