Some call it the welcoming process. Some call it rush. No matter what name it goes by, this is the week where many first year college women are being introduced to college sororities on both small and large campuses across America. the pictures will be posted. The bids will be given. And the offers will be accepted. In almost all cases, however, the women who decide to accept a bid to the college sorority of their choice will still find themselves in the cramped dorm rooms instead of the more posh setting of the sorority house. Those rooms are most often reserved for the second year members, as most campuses and parents agree that staying in a dorm is often the best transition piece for the first year in college.
And just as many college freshmen will be adjusting to living in a much smaller dorm room space than the expansiveness of their rooms back home, these same students find themselves without another luxury that they have taken for granted during their last years and summers of high school.
A car.
As many parents send their just graduated high schoolers to campuses across America, many are making the decision to not send a car to campus for at least the first semester, sometimes the entire first year. In some parts of the country with campus parking at a premium, freshmen are not allowed to have cars on campus. So just as these first year college students learn to live in a different size of room, they also live to get around campus and town with a different kind of transportation.
Local bus services, including lines that run from one campus to another on major university systems, allow college freshmen to avoid the hassle and expense of having a car on campus. In fact, some college freshman mailings even come with local bus services passes that when used in conjunction with a student identification card provide free service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The benefits of bus travel become especially apparent when bad weather moves in and students are looking for a warm and dry option to get to and from classes, dorms, jobs, and study centers.
Both Local Bus Services and Charter Bus Companies Provide Convenient and Affordable Travel Options
It is not just college students who benefit from thriving local bus services. Workers who travel from suburbs to a downtown area also often rely on the convenience and affordability of a city bus line. Often equipped with WiFi on a bus, this travel option even allows some workers to complete tasks and check emails while they are traveling to and from their offices.
Ever since steam powered buses began in England in the 1930s, regular intercity bus services have been an integral part of many large cities across the world. As the world continues to look for safe, affordable, and efficient transportation opportunities, the number of city bus services will likely increase. As a way to limit the number of individually driven cars in congested metropolitan areas, city buses provide a viable solution for workers, visitors, and college students.
And while city bus lines limit the number of cars in city centers around the world, charter bus services do the same for highways that cross country and roads that lead in and out of national parks and other site seeing destinations. For example, American passenger bus travel increased by 7.5% between the years 2011 and 2012. This increase made bus travel the fastest growing form of transportation in the country, according to research by the American Bus Association.
And just as city buses serve commuters of all ages, charter buses also serve riders of all ages who are traveling for a variety of reasons. Consider, for example, some of the following statistics about the charter bus and motor coach travel industry:
- Students and seniors accounted for 50% of the passenger trips provided by the 2012 motor coach industry.
- Adults and young adults accounted for the other 50% of the passenger trips provided by the 2012 motor coach industry.
- Motorcoach traveler and tourist demand generate $55 billion annually in economic transactions.
From commuters to vacationers and students to senior citizens, bus travel continues to drive the American transportation industry.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.