Megabus will bring its low-cost express bus service to Grand Rapids beginning July 12, with routes to and from Detroit, East Lansing and Chicago.
Megabus, a subsidiary of Coach USA, allows passengers to book seats online, which guarantees the seat and eliminates the need to stand in line to buy tickets, says President and COO Dale Moser. The service is designed with a minimal number of stops, so passengers arrive at their destination in nearly the same amount of time they could drive -- an advantage over traditional bus travel, Moser says.
"Historically, other bus companies stop eight to ten times, making a three-hour trip four-and-a-half hours, and customers didn't like that," Moser says. "We took a European approach with center city locations for drop offs, and found safe and highly visible locations close to other forms of transportation. We also offer free Wi-Fi on our buses."
The Grand Rapids pick-up/drop-off location is the parking area on the southwest corner of Wealthy St. SW and Market Avenue SW, diagonally across from the Amtrak station and a short walk to The Rapid central station.
A quick check on trip prices came back with tickets as low as $12 round-trip to Chicago, with the most expensive prices at $17 for the same trip (July 12 arrival and departure) and arrival times just over three hours. A ride to and from Detroit was $12 on the low end and $16 on the high end, with travel time to Detroit of 3 hrs. 15 mins.
Moser says Megabus serves over 90 cities, nationwide.
Source: Dale Moser, Megabus.com
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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