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As deadline looms, abortion providers and advocates warn about possible loss of Greyhound bus station
Wednesday, Sep 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * NBC 5 with some background…
* Press release…
* More from Isabel… * Streetsblog Chicago | Wake them up *before* September ends: New statements from Amtrak, Ald. Conway, Mayor’s Office on Greyhound terminal negotiations: “The Johnson Administration continues, as it has over these past months, to work with Greyhound and other stakeholders to find a viable solution for intercity bus services and its passengers in downtown Chicago,” replied the City’s Chief Operating Officer John Roberson in a statement. “While we have looked at a number of different options, it should be noted that Greyhound has an option to renew its lease at its current Harrison Street location under the same terms and conditions that it currently operates under.” (The Greyhound company was bought in October 2021 by the Germany-based firm FlixBus. DePaul’s Chaddick Center Director Joe Schwieterman said at Tuesday’s webinar, “The property tax on this station alone, paid by Greyhound, has topped $120,000 a year in the past,” which could be a deterrent to renewing the lease.) “The City has had productive conversations with Amtrak, which has agreed to work in partnership to solve Greyhound’s problem of providing a clean and safe terminal facility for intercity bus passengers,” Roberson added. “These conversations are ongoing, and the City continues to work in close partnership with Amtrak and other stakeholders on a long-term comprehensive solution for travelers and Chicagoans.” * Crain’s | Chicago faces dubious distinction with Greyhound station closure looming: Amtrak claims in a statement that Flix told the company “we don’t do stations,” and plans to move forward with a stop on the traffic lane on Jackson Boulevard. Amtrak is now asking the city to help find an alternative solution. The train service confirmed it had a meeting with city officials this week but declined to disclose what was discussed. * CBS | DePaul says if Greyhound station closes, Chicago will be only 1 of 3 top world cities with no intercity bus depot: The study by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul focused on the world’s 130 largest cities—out of which Chicago ranks 114th in population. Only two cities currently lack an intercity bus station, and both are in Sub-Saharan Africa—Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
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- Two Left Feet - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 12:49 pm:
It sounds like the new owners may be trying to shift the costs of the bus terminal to the public. While times may have changed, I’ve boarded an intercity bus in many different parking lots and have used this terminal. This one is very convenient to the train station and downtown. How many bus lines will be impacted? What is the cost to Greyhound of shutting this one down? There are so many other users of buses: students, adventurous travelers, budget focused, etc. It seems unusual to not have other advocates. There’s a solution here.
- Give Us Barabbas - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 1:21 pm:
What about something at McCormick Place Lakeside? One of their satellite lots?
- LastModDemStanding - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 2:59 pm:
-It sounds like the new owners may be trying to shift the costs of the bus terminal to the public.-
This is exactly it. The new owners of Greyhond do not want to own or operate a bus station (not in there business model) and would prefer Chicago finds and funds a solution.
Anyways, I’ve ridden Greyhound, Megabus, chinatown bus, and Bolt bus back east– all from parking lots and/or curb stops. There’s no shortage of options here in Chicago, including land the City owns. The station location would be better suited for housing units/high rise anyway.
- Ben Tre - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 3:18 pm:
A parking lot for bus drop-off might work in a small town but it isn’t a viable solution for Chicago - the hub of Midwest bus operations for numerous operators. If you’re trying to get from, say, Peoria to Grand Rapids you need to change buses in Chicago. That means you need a bathroom and a place to stay out of the weather. We don’t ask airline passengers to “just use a parking lot” and we shouldn’t ask it of our less affluent travelers either.
- LastModDemStanding - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 3:41 pm:
Ben Tre,
Airlines have a totally different business model, rules and regulations that cannot be compared to buses - it’s apples and oranges.
Point taken about a Midwest hub, however the City does not and has never had a intermodal station for all bus lines to meet, nor is there money for this to be built. NYC is also a hub and the Greyhound doesn’t pick up in the Port Authority in Penn - for the exact reason I mentioned above, they don’t want to pay the fee. It’s a parking lot a couple blocks away/.
Greyhound (now Flix) is one private transport; other companies have figured it out, why is this the responsibility of the Chicago taxpayer to figure this out for them?
- Formerly Unemployed - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 4:08 pm:
LastModDem, several bus companies use that Greyhound station. They “figured it out” that way.
- Tony T. - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 4:18 pm:
Walking around downtown last week I happened to stumble upon what I think is the city’s proposed site for Greyhound relocation: a multi-lane CTA bus stop on Jackson Blvd just across the street from Union Station. I mean, it’s not ideal — passengers will have to walk across the street to board buses. But it doesn’t seem terrible either. Union Station has a gigantic (and beautiful) underused waiting room.
- LastModDemStanding - Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 4:40 pm:
From the Crains article:
“While we have looked at a number of different options, it should be noted that Greyhound has an option to renew its lease at its current Harrison Street location under the same terms and conditions that it currently operates under,” the statement said.
If Greyhound wants to stay, they have the option and can pay the asking price of the lease- but they clearly won’t. Sorry, no argument makes me sympathetic to this company shifting the costs to Chicago taxpayers. Would like to think our City leaders are smarter than that too.