MegaBus

[davideinstein]

I'm taking one from Austin to San Antonio to see the Roughnecks match and it's only five bucks. They go to most every major city in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas along with Norman. Tulsa should get in on this for sure. I bet a ton of college kids would go between Tulsa and Norman.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Used to have one, it was sold 30 years ago to Jefferson Lines. You took the bus from the Greyhound Station at 4th & Detroit, and the old location.

http://newsok.com/article/2162220


Jefferson serves "major" cities in Oklahoma.

https://www.jeffersonlines.com/locations/oklahoma/

[Conan71]

I'm taking one from Austin to San Antonio to see the Roughnecks match and it's only five bucks. They go to most every major city in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas along with Norman. Tulsa should get in on this for sure. I bet a ton of college kids would go between Tulsa and Norman.

This is what Mother Road travel is attempting to do between Tulsa and OKC. 

MegaBus was supposedly going to have an OKC route out of the Dallas hub, that either has never materialized or was cut.  DFW to ATX has fares starting at $12.  With such cheap fares, it's almost got to be a subsidized service.  This isn't a rinky-dink local company, they've got operations all over the states, Canada, and the UK.

[LandArchPoke]

There's a reason MegaBus is so cheap. It has a horrible reputation in the NE. They are highly unreliable between DC and NY. Just google MegaBus fire and you'll find all sort of goodies on their busses that like to explode... maybe a ticket that cheap is worth it to some people. When I needed to get to NY I paid the extra $25 to get an Amtrak ticket. I knew I'd at least get to my destination in a somewhat reliable time on that day and not get stuck.







Even a Twitter account dedicated to the MegaBus experiences: https://twitter.com/megabuscrashes

[davideinstein]

Amtrak has had their fair share of incidents too...

[Dspike]

Amen. This is exactly what MotherRoad Travel is trying to bring to the state. http://www.motherroadtravel.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MotherRoadTravel/

Intercity shuttle bus service has grown remarkably in the urban corridors and has spread to Texas and other areas too. The combination of electrical outlets, wifi, clean bathrooms, and direct urban center to urban center travel without a bus station seems to fit college students, young professionals, and other riders.

In Oklahoma, right now, Jefferson Lines and Greyhound offer service between the Greyhound stations in Tulsa and OKC. But there is no curbside pickup, direct service in the heart of both downtowns. And the schedules for Jefferson and Greyhound are not useful for folks going down for a day of work.

MegaBus did offer a Dallas to OKC route with a stop in Norman for a few months in 2011 or so when they expanded into Texas. Shortly after, they cut back across the country, including the Dallas to OKC line. I have pitched using TYPros's Bring It To Tulsa campaign to try to lure them back for the full triangle - Tulsa-OKC, OKC-Dallas, and Tulsa-Dallas.

But for now, we at MotherRoad Travel are working to collect contact information on people who travel the Turnpike at least once a week, which will help us attract the capital needed to purchase several high-end buses to offer 4 trips both ways every weekday (6 AM, 8 AM, 4 PM, 6 PM).

[DowntownDan]

How about a Vonlane?  The "private jet on wheels."

http://www.vonlane.com/

[Dspike]

Vonlane is a great startup. Not sure we have enough high end executives traveling to/from Tulsa to support it. They charge $100 one-way, but you practically get an entire office on wheels. Makes sense as a competitor to short flights (i.e. Dallas-Houston), but not sure we have the demand to support that price point. As a comparison, Jefferson Lines, Greyhound, and MotherRoad congregate their pricing around $19/$20 one-way between OKC and Tulsa.

[AquaMan]

You will have a hard time convincing MegaBus to do the OKC to Tulsa leg. There are some low bridges I suspect they wouldn't pass easily. I seem to remember one at 13'2". Although plenty of truckers manage it.

[Dspike]

Certainly cuts close, but I think the 11 inch clearance is sufficient.

The OHA states that the Turnpike permits height of 14'0". https://www.pikepass.com/toll/TrafficClearance.aspx

MegaBus's double deckers are usually 13'1". https://us.megabus.com/implements-double-decker-fleet-to-meet-demand.aspx

[AquaMan]

Their insurance company may not agree. It also bears noting that roads get resurfaced which adds a couple inches before ODOT changes the signs. That happened to a truck driver friend of mine and his load got sheared off the bed. Not to mention the scare factor of sitting upstairs as you approach a bridge at 75mph with inches to spare. Creepy. Risk compared to return is not good for the Tulsa leg.

[swake]

Their insurance company may not agree. It also bears noting that roads get resurfaced which adds a couple inches before ODOT changes the signs. That happened to a truck driver friend of mine and his load got sheared off the bed. Not to mention the scare factor of sitting upstairs as you approach a bridge at 75mph with inches to spare. Creepy. Risk compared to return is not good for the Tulsa leg.

There are bridges all over Texas on I-35 and other interstates with bridge clearances of 14' and even 13'6" where Megabus has service.

http://www.txdmv.gov/motorcarriers/low-clearance

[AquaMan]

You know that to be true? Or just readin regs and signs? My friend lost his in Ohio. Another had to back his bus in traffic a quarter mile to exit an expressway. Granted turnpikes are better monitored, but having faith that they are safe at that height is more than I can see an insurer taking. Not to mention our high winds. You saw the pics. So did their insurer. One in California had its top sheared off with people on board.
Just saying, it's not a profitable leg for lots of reasons.

[DowntownDan]

Vonlane is a great startup. Not sure we have enough high end executives traveling to/from Tulsa to support it. They charge $100 one-way, but you practically get an entire office on wheels. Makes sense as a competitor to short flights (i.e. Dallas-Houston), but not sure we have the demand to support that price point. As a comparison, Jefferson Lines, Greyhound, and MotherRoad congregate their pricing around $19/$20 one-way between OKC and Tulsa.

Yeah I know, I was being a bit sarcastic.  You're model seems to be a good balance for where we are right now. 

[swake]

You know that to be true? Or just readin regs and signs? My friend lost his in Ohio. Another had to back his bus in traffic a quarter mile to exit an expressway. Granted turnpikes are better monitored, but having faith that they are safe at that height is more than I can see an insurer taking. Not to mention our high winds. You saw the pics. So did their insurer. One in California had its top sheared off with people on board.
Just saying, it's not a profitable leg for lots of reasons.

Yes, it is a fact that Megabus'  insurance company insures buses that are on routes that have posted clearances that are up to 6" shorter than any on the Turner Turnpike. 

There are Buses leaving today at 1:55, 4:20, 6:00 and 9:35 for $7 on such a route between Austin and San Antonio.

http://us.megabus.com/JourneyResults.aspx?originCode=320&destinationCode=321&outboundDepartureDate=5%2f2%2f2016&inboundDepartureDate=&passengerCount=1&transportType=0&concessionCount=0&nusCount=0&outboundWheelchairSeated=0&outboundOtherDisabilityCount=0&inboundWheelchairSeated=0&inboundOtherDisabilityCount=0&outboundPcaCount=0&inboundPcaCount=0&promotionCode=&withReturn=0