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* NBC 5 with some background…
This Labor Day travel holiday could be the last for Chicago’s intercity Greyhound bus station.
The Greyhound bus line has been sold to German operator Flixbus, but much of its real estate has not and could soon be sold to a developer.
The possible closure of the terminal located in the 600 block of West Harrison Street could make Chicago the largest city in the Northern Hemisphere without an intercity bus terminal, according to a new report from the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University.
“We may be down to the last few weeks with the station. No real plan has been formed to save it,” Chaddick’s director Joe Schwieterman said. “That’s all bad for lower income and disabled communities. We need a fix.”
Although advocates have been sounding the alarm about a possible closure for more than a year, efforts to address the situation have only picked up in the last few months. Chicago’s Chief Operating Officer, John Roberson, said in a statement that the Johnson administration is continuing to work with Greyhound and other stakeholders to “find a viable solution for intercity bus services and its passengers in downtown Chicago.”
* Press release…
A coalition of Illinois abortion providers and advocates sounded the alarm on Wednesday about plans to close Chicago’s Greyhound bus station.
“The Chicago Greyhound station is crucial for access to abortion in Chicago. Pregnant people from other parts of Illinois and from abortion-restricted states all across the country use Greyhound to reach Chicago for care,” the coalition said in a statement. “We urge the City of Chicago to work with Greyhound and other stakeholders to identify and implement a solution that preserves this critical mode of transportation to Chicago for abortion seekers. We stand ready to support them in that work.”
Partners signing on to the statement include Chicago Abortion Fund; Family Planning Associates; Dr. Jonah Fleisher, Abortion Provider & Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access (CARLA) Co-Director; Illinois Choice Action Team; Dr. Laura Laursen, Abortion Provider & CARLA Co-Director; Personal PAC; and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action.
* 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.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 11:27 am
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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.
Comment by Two Left Feet Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 12:49 pm
What about something at McCormick Place Lakeside? One of their satellite lots?
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 1:21 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.
Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 2:59 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.
Comment by Ben Tre Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 3:18 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?
Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 3:41 pm
LastModDem, several bus companies use that Greyhound station. They “figured it out” that way.
Comment by Formerly Unemployed Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 4:08 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.
Comment by Tony T. Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 4:18 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.
Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Sep 4, 24 @ 4:40 pm