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Intercity Bus Stop Analysis

University Montana State University
Principal Investigators Karalyn Clouser
David Kack
PI Contact Information Western Transportation Institute
Montana State University
PO Box 174250, Bozeman, MT 59717
(406) 529-0654, Karalyn.clouser@montana.edu,
(406) 994-7526, dkack@montana.edu
Funding Source(s) (Amounts provided by each agency or organization) Small Urban and Rural Livability Center – $12,000
Total Project Cost $12,000
Agency ID or Contract Number SURLC 17-003
End Date May 2017
Brief Description of Research Project Intercity bus service (ICB) provides valuable public transportation services, primarily to people traveling long distances or those living in rural communities. The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) defines intercity bus service as, “regularly scheduled bus service for the general public that operates with limited stops over fixed routes connecting two or more urban areas not in close proximity, that has the capacity for transporting baggage carried by passengers, and that makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points, if such service is available”.
The FTA Section 5311 program provides aid and funding to states to help support public transportation to rural areas with populations less than 50,000. The Section 5311 program supports existing public transportation services and potential expansion of those services to achieve goals such as: access to health care, shopping, education, employment, public services, and recreation; and assisting in the development and support of intercity bus transportation. Title 49 of the United States Code, Section 5311(f), requires, “each state to expend at least 15 percent of its annual Section 5311 apportionment to carry out a program to develop and support intercity bus transportation, unless the governor certifies that the intercity bus service needs of the state are being met adequately”. Intercity bus services play an important role in rural and small urban communities where there is little to no access to public transportation and few options when traveling to nearby urban areas.
The goal of this project was to analyze demographics in each of the forty-eight contiguous states, and provide an analysis of the number of rural and small urban communities that have access to the Greyhound intercity bus service network. This network was selected, as it is the nation’s largest intercity bus network, and serves more than 3,800 destinations nationwide and provides service to 18 million passengers per year.
Implementation of Research Outcomes (or why not implemented)

 

 Results from this research should help state DOTs as they determine whether intercity bus service needs are being met in their states.
Impacts/Benefits of Implementation (actual, not anticipated) Impacts not yet determined, as this project was just completed.
Web Links  Intercity Bus Stop Analysis_Final