current forum:Winnipeg Urban Issues & Provincial Affairs

[sputnik]

^ OK, but what do the people who actually take buses here think about it? And how's it working out for Greyhound so far?

Or how many people actually WALKED to the Greyhound station when it was located downtown?

Did people really walk more than a couple of blocks with their suitcases to catch the bus?

[Ex-Pat_Pegger]

I've done both.

Last time I returned to Winnipeg from Minnedosa it was a little late at night, 8pm. As there is only one city bus that serves the airport, I did not feel like waiting. We took a cab to South St. Vital.

When it was downtown I could've caught a number of buses to St. Vital Mall and cabbed from there.

Worst decision ever, they could've revitalized Union Station with a little vision and persistence from the governments involved. I guess vision and governments in Manitoba don't go together well.

Socialist Lassez-Faire, that's how I'd describe it.

[Outsider]

I've done both.

Worst decision ever, they could've revitalized Union Station with a little vision and persistence from the governments involved. I guess vision and governments in Manitoba don't go together well.

Socialist Lassez-Faire, that's how I'd describe it.

Most of Greyhounds business today is freight.
Where would all of the trucks who are delivering and picking up freight park at the Union station?
And where would the buses park for pickup and dropping of passengers?

[cancelbot]

Most of Greyhounds business today is freight.
Where would all of the trucks who are delivering and picking up freight park at the Union station?
And where would the buses park for pickup and dropping of passengers?

Plenty of room all around Union Station for that - it's a non-issue, logistically.

******************

I griped about Greyhound's move to the airport initially, but after they threatened to discontinue service and the only reaction from the masses was complete indifference, it made me realize how irrelevant intercity bus service has really become, at least in these parts.

At that point I more or less stopped caring where the bus station was located.

[jonovision]

Maybe I'm dreaming, but I thought when the announcement about moving to the airport was made, there was a suggestion that all Winnipeg-bound Greyhound buses would also stop at Union Station to keep downtown as an option for embarking/disembarking.

That said, I haven't been on an intercity bus since 2005, and that was in Europe. Where I do see a potential market is for commuter shuttles. I ride into Selkirk every day for work on the Beaver run, and it beats driving in almost every way. With other rapidly growing communities within 45mins-1.5hrs (Steinbach, Morden/Winkler, East St. Paul, etc.) from the city with many people making the drive in each direction, I wonder if the point will come soon that a morning and evening rush service would be profitable like it clearly is for Winnipeg-Selkirk. (About $5.50 one way if you buy tickets in bulk).

[cancelbot]

Maybe I'm dreaming, but I thought when the announcement about moving to the airport was made, there was a suggestion that all Winnipeg-bound Greyhound buses would also stop at Union Station to keep downtown as an option for embarking/disembarking.

The announcement you're thinking of was the one to the effect that a shuttle would go downtown from the airport to a stop on Fort Street something like three times a day - basically a schedule useless enough to guarantee that almost no one would use it. Let's face it - if you're getting off at the Greyhound station, you're either taking your own car, a transit bus or a taxi from there.

That said, I haven't been on an intercity bus since 2005, and that was in Europe. Where I do see a potential market is for commuter shuttles. I ride into Selkirk every day for work on the Beaver run, and it beats driving in almost every way. With other rapidly growing communities within 45mins-1.5hrs (Steinbach, Morden/Winkler, East St. Paul, etc.) from the city with many people making the drive in each direction, I wonder if the point will come soon that a morning and evening rush service would be profitable like it clearly is for Winnipeg-Selkirk. (About $5.50 one way if you buy tickets in bulk).

I doubt any commuter runs would be frequent and plentiful enough to require a dedicated terminal. I suspect that even if those services materialize, they'll probably just go down the street picking up passengers like the Beaver Buses do now.

[Ex-Pat_Pegger]

If Beaver made Union Station its hub, that would be cool.

As for Greyhound carrying freight, the bus always seems pretty busy heading out to WestMan.