Thousands of people pass through Chicago’s Greyhound bus station each year, but after the release of a new study, there are concerns that the facility could be at risk of closing.
That study, undertaken by DePaul University, indicated that closure was a possibility, as a real estate services firm has been hired to sell the bus station.
That follows a pattern of the company relocating and selling stations, and sometimes transitioning stations into curbside pick-up points, with no waiting areas for travelers.
The study indicated that the downtown Chicago station, located on West Harrison since 1989, serves up to 500,000 passengers a year.
A key connecting point for travelers moving across the country, the station provides an invaluable service to low-income travelers, or those who don’t have access to cars.
“It is really critical to disadvantaged populations,” Joe Schwieterman, a transportation professor at DePaul, said. “If you need to get from Point A to Point B, it is the only option in a lot of cases.”
The study’s authors called for a public agency to ensure the station’s preservation, which could include eventually buying and operating it.
Local
In a statement to NBC 5, Greyhound said that there are no plans to discontinue service in the city of Chicago.
“Greyhound is committed to serving the constituents of Chicago and its visitors. There are no plans to discontinue our service. The company is currently engaged is an active search for a permanent location. Until then, passengers can continue to board Greyhound buses at the Greyhound terminal and Union Station,” officials said.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
