THE IMPACTS OF REGULATORY REFORM ON INTERCITY BUS SERVICE

The Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982 (BRRA) relaxed the most important regulations under which the intercity bus industry operates: federal rate and entry regulation, and state rate, entry, and exit regulation. A major concern in easing these regulations had been the fear that residents of smaller communities, particularly the elderly and those with low incomes, might no longer receive adequate scheduled service. This study examines the changes in scheduled intercity bus service, both before and after passage of the BRRA, for twelve states: Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Misouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Service for each community in each of these states was examined for the years 1975, 1979, 1983, and 1984. While bus service declined immediately following passage of the BRRA, the decline seems to reflect a "pent up demand" for exit which had been building for some time, under strict state control of exit. Subsequent declines seem to reflect a continuation of a trend of service drops that was well established prior to the Act. Service losses do not appear to have fallen disproportionately upon the elderly or the poor. The average median household income was generally not lower and the average fraction of residents age 65 and over was generally not higher in communities losing service than in communities that had increased service.

• Corporate Authors:

  Indiana University, Bloomington

  Center for Urban and Regional Analysis
  Bloomington, IN  United States  47405

  Office of the Secretary of Transportation

  University Research Office, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Oster Jr, C V
  • Zorn, C K
• Publication Date: 1984-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 182 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged; Bus transit; Intercity transportation; Legislation; Low income groups; Regulatory reform; Rural areas; Scheduling; Service discontinuance
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Department of Transportation
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus services; Ost university research
• Subject Areas: Law; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00450495
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/OST/P-34/85-017 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DTRS5683-C-00061
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM