Weekend road tripping in a costly endeavor of late, thanks to the rise in gasoline prices and the surge in environmental awareness. Even a four-hour trip from my home in Maryland to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania cost roughly $40 for a one-way drive, not to mention the stress of navigating constant turnpike construction. But the advent of the Megabus makes inter-urban travel along the east coast easier, and cheaper, these days.
Megabus, a European company that bases itself out of Chicago in the US, has begun offering two routes in the US. One in the Midwest running between cities including Memphis, Chicago, St.Louis and Minneapolis, and a second route started in July offers transportation between many popular eastern cities in the US and Canada including Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, and Washington, for as little as a dollar. This claim may seem to good to be true, and in some sense it is. It seems a few seats on each bus do go for as little as a dollar, but most tickets will still cost you. A one-way ticket from Baltimore, Maryland to New York cost $19, more than a buck, but still less than my $40 gas tank, and while the Megabus is not hybrid-affiliated, the spirit of carpooling still helps reduce automobile emissions.
In the UK, Megabus also operates as Megatrain, offering discount train service between southern UK cities. In a country where gasoline can sell for as much as $3 a liter, Megabus has apparently found its niche. It could behoove North Americans to take a hint from this tactic and get on board the bus.
Public transportation outside urban centers has always been a problem in North America due to the large distance between them. It has sparked an independence about travel, the idea that we prefer to drive our own way, at our own time and speed, rather then depend on the transport of others, especially in rural settings. But perhaps the growing demand for oil and rising gas prices will create just as strong a demand for long-distance public transport in the Americas.
Of course some others options still exists for those suffering from Wanderlust and an empty gas tank. Local vacations are a growing trend, as well as ‘Staycations,’ giving people the chance to see and enjoy sights in their own back yard. But the Megabus provides a chance to have a vacation without worrying about the ever-growing cost of getting there.
