$1 Megabus Service Headed To Downtown Jacksonville

[ben says]

so I'm riding Megabus today and it has been a nightmare.....we've had several mechanical problems and it will likely be after 6pm before we get to Atlanta.

I guess the good thing is they're supposed to get new buses in starting next week

and get this, they officially changed the departure time for Jax from 9:10 to 9:30 three weeks ago but never updated the webiste or told customers!

Wow, that sucks...

Not sure that's worth the $1 fare (if you even got that fare!)

Sorry to rub it in....safe travels

[fsujax]

well, it is "budget" travel! maybe the new buses will make a difference.

[tufsu1]

from what we're being told, another bus is driving down from ATL and we'll get on that...arrival time in ATL is probably 7:30pm

[ben says]

from what we're being told, another bus is driving down from ATL and we'll get on that...arrival time in ATL is probably 7:30pm

WOW.

i can only imagine the annoyance/frustration you're feeling right now

[tufsu1]

actually most everyone is calm....the driver has been very friendly and helpful.

the key here is apparently this is one of the older buses...and folks who have ridden before say this almost never happens.

the driver did tell me the Jax-Atl and Orl-Atl routes are scheduled for the new double decker buses very soon

[fsujax]

wow. double deckers...that's cool

[ben says]

What's the status? Safely en-route to ATL yet?

[tufsu1]

Yes..finally back on the road...ETA in ATL is 7:30...11 hours after leaving Jax

[peestandingup]

Does anyone know if the double deckers will allow for taking ones bike?? Man, I'd love to take one of these if that were the case (so I wouldn't have to rent a car).

[Ocklawaha]

http://www.youtube.com/v/gsKiVxLkHUc?version=3&hl=en_US

Low-Cost Travel
   
NEW YORK (April 16, 2009) - Due to passenger demand megabus.com, the first intercity, express bus service with fares as low as $1, has converted its entire Philadelphia fleet to double-decker touring buses.

“Megabus.com has served more than 163,000 customers to and from Philadelphia since our Northeast launch in May 2008. Due to the popularity of the service, we have converted the entire Philadelphia fleet to the innovative double-decker bus while offering the same great rates,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com.

The 81-passenger, 13.1 feet high, double-decker buses offer free WiFi, power outlets and DVD video capabilities as well as a panoramic view comfortable reclining seats restroom, safety belts and ADA accessibility.

The double-decker, which is designed with the latest technology available, also provides significant environmental benefits. Each new double-decker bus has the potential to remove 81 automobiles from the highway and is among the most energy and fuel efficient way to travel. According to Moser, the double-decker is 10 times more efficient than a 737 airplane and 25 times more efficient than a single-passenger car per passenger per mile.

Specifically the megabus.com double-decker’s fuel consumption per passenger per mile is .002 gallon, a 737 is .02 gallon and a single-passenger car is .05 gallon.

Megabus.com is the first company to use double-decker buses to carry passengers intercity in the United States.

Van Hool  is a Belgian coach builder, but for Floridian's it's the home team. The best part of this story the US distributor for these coaches is ABC BUS of Orlando, Florida.  For years the builder used Fiat engines, transmissions and mechanics, but with the opening of the US market they now use a buyers choice of engines and axles sourced from Caterpillar, Cummins, DAF and MAN and gearboxes from ZF or Voith, some of their production consists of building bus and coach bodies on bus chassis from manufacturers such as Volvo and Scania. ABC can do all of the finishing for new coach orders here in Florida. Seats from American Seating and other details created here in the USA, giving these coaches a degree of US content.

(for education purposes, all 'coaches' are buses, but NOT ALL BUSES are coaches.) http://www.abc-companies.com/models/td925.asp

Several other companies have ordered the Van Hool double deck coaches, including a tour line over in the Florida panhandle.

Megabus can max out revenue from the double deck coaches and cattle car conditions, it just might work, but for my dime I'd follow the RedBus lead and install 2+1 seating and expand the leg room. While this involves removing a couple of seats you more likely to get a loyal passenger following. Had TUFSU been in a coach with lots of leg room and nice WIDE seats, his delay might have been more tolerable.

SILVER EAGLE COACH, is planning to restart the long known deluxe coach manufacturing business, something it dominated until it got mixed up in the Greyhound - Trailway's fiasco of the 1980's. Sadly, it appears that our own chance at a coach builder, SILVER EAGLE, is slipping from our city's grasp. Though I informed the mayors advisors, and the CofC, in talking with the owner of Silver Eagle I have learned they have done exactly NOTHING! The Chamber of Commerce hasn't bothered to peruse this, and JTA, which needs to replace it's older express commuter coaches has likewise ignored this opportunity. I know the Eagle people, and they were/are willing to move the finishing plant if not the entire operation to Jacksonville if we'd place a 2-6 coach order. Someone needs a swift kick because once again, being asleep at the wheel is costing Jacksonville:

A new industry
Many new jobs
More comfort for our commuters
and a shot at growing with EAGLE as they reenter the market.

SEE: http://www.silvereaglebus.com/

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

while wider seats would be nice, the current configuration is fine.....and btw, we didn't sit on the bus during the delay...we were at a truck stop

[David]

actually most everyone is calm....the driver has been very friendly and helpful.

the key here is apparently this is one of the older buses...and folks who have ridden before say this almost never happens.

the driver did tell me the Jax-Atl and Orl-Atl routes are scheduled for the new double decker buses very soon

I was surprised they didn't have the doubledecker buses already when I took it up to Atlanta last month. The one I rode up  looked like a very old greyhound bus basically.  That's a rough delay. Did the wifi work at least?

[blizz01]

How is this doing in JAX - is it going strong?

Unfortunately, I was just reminded of this thread when I saw this story:
Megabus crash in Illinois; 1 dead, 3 dozen hurt

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNkkOfeR-3QBW4bdM0OtQnEEU3WA?docId=c71b06c9523d4c5cbf5e83bd533bb3d2