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When school buses are delayed, the costs add up

Dec 15, 2022
Nearly 8% of all transportation positions in American public schools were vacant as of this October. The lack of staff can lead to delays.
A school bus pulls up to Dumbarton Middle School in Baltimore County, Maryland, on Dec. 13.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace

D.C. could become the largest U.S. city to experiment with free transit

Dec 15, 2022
A city council measure would make it free to ride the bus within the capital's city limits. Proponents say the plan, estimated to cost $42 million annually, would boost ridership and equity.
If the measure passes,  D.C. will join cities like Albuquerque, Kansas City and Boston that have experimented with zero-fare transit during the pandemic.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Albuquerque’s bus system starts zero-fare experiment for 2022

Jan 4, 2022
At more than 500,000 residents, Albuquerque, New Mexico is the largest city in the U.S. to experiment with zero-fare transit.
Cities across the country have used pandemic relief funds to pay for no-fare transit.
Alex Wong via Getty Images

Intercity buses are struggling, and that could leave some people stranded

Oct 7, 2021
Bus operators have closed service in rural areas and small towns, leaving some riders with few transit options.
"Those routes from Washington, D.C., to, say, New York or to Boston, those routes are always going to be there," said Governing Magazine's Jake Blumgart. "The real question is what's going to happen to these other places."
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images

The coronavirus has highlighted the transit inequalities in America

Jul 1, 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic essential workers have relied on public transit, just as services are being cut.
An MTA worker hands out free hand sanitizer and face masks at the Grand Central Station subway during morning rush hour in New York City.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Should public buses be free?

Dec 4, 2019
Kansas City, Missouri is debating eliminating fares, which would make it the largest city in the U.S. to do so.
A public bus pulls up to a stop in Kansas City, Missouri. Transit officials hope the city will sign off on their idea to eliminate bus fares.
Lisa Rodriguez for Marketplace

Long distance buses are making a comeback

Jul 31, 2018
When it comes to traveling between major cities, trains, planes and automobiles are the usual go-tos, but buses are beginning to make a comeback. Amid rising gas prices and increasing airfares, companies offering bus services for trips of 200 to 400 miles have sprung up.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 
A passenger bus is parked on display at the launch of the German bus company FlixBus on May 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

In New Jersey, mass transit for the masses

May 15, 2014
Jitney buses offer bargains and convenience in New Jersey cities, but not without costs.

Casino buses get lots of business, despite mounting accidents

Jan 25, 2014
Casino buses are only loosely regulated by the federal government, despite a spate of recent crashes

Bus travel picks up speed in Midwest

Dec 27, 2012
There’s a new trend emerging that is rivaling the car and even some airlines.