The clock is ticking for the Greyhound bus terminal in downtown Dallas, as the company prepares to shut its doors come October. Owned by Twenty Lake Holdings after a sell-off not including the German parent company Flix SE, the aging art deco building at 205 South Lamar Street has seen countless passengers pass through its halls since its construction in the 1940s. A regular at the Greyhound terminal, Charlie Marie expressed her concern about the impending closure saying, "You could be out here for hours and hours from getting wet to freezing in the rain to getting snatched up, hurt or robbed", according to NBC DFW.
Greyhound, while parting ways with its vintage station, assured that it won't be leaving Dallas high and dry. In an email statement, Greyhound's PR Manager Mike Ogulnick said, "We are in the early phases of working with the City of Dallas to identify Greyhound’s future terminal location." Thus, passengers, many of whom rely on the affordable bus service as their primary mode of inter-city transport, can look forward to continued operations in the area. In a move seen across the U.S., Greyhound has been transitioning operations to curbside services or relocating terminals to more remote, suburban locales with lesser access to public transport, as per NBC DFW.
Meanwhile, Dallas City Council Transportation Committee Chairman Omar Narvaez has been proactive, underlining that residents will not simply be "left on the curb." Discussing Union Station and other potential sites, he said, "Lots of different options, and we’re looking at everything to see what makes the most sense." City plans include an expanded ground transportation hub that is currently in the works, potentially integrating the high-speed rail that North Texas has been deliberating once more into the fold, per NBC DFW.
Taxi and Uber drivers who've long depended on the downtown terminal's steady stream of travelers fear the hit to their livelihood. Abebe Getaun, a taxi driver who frequented the site, lamented about the impact on his income and others in the ride-hailing service, "It’s not only taxi, I mean, a lot of Uber drivers make money here, too," he said. Considering the building's history of being a "habitual nuisance property" due to past crimes, security will be a factor wherever the new terminal is established, according to NBC DFW.
Despite the door closing on a piece of Dallas's transit history, Greyhound, serving about 16 million riders annually, remains committed to maintaining its presence in the city. This is further evidenced by the ongoing talks with city officials to secure a new home for its terminal, as detailed by Greyhound's confirmation of these efforts in an email, giving hope to passengers who depend on their buses for affordable travel, as reported by KERA News.
