Where were the buses when the lights went out?
On the road, of course. And many stayed there and stayed the course during the largest blackout in North American history.
Motorcoach and transit bus operators were up to the challenge when the blackout struck a big chunk of the upper Midwest and Northeast United States and Southeast Canada just before the evening rush hour on Aug. 14.
They helped rescue millions who were caught in New York City, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto and many other major cities as subways and trains came to a halt and air conditioners, phones and traffic signals quit.
"People were really anxious to get out of New York City, so it was strictly load and go for us," reports Paul Provost, vice president of Adirondack, Pine Hill and New York Trailways in Kingston, N.Y.
He said the company, which makes daily runs from Manhattan to Upstate New York and Canada, pressed all available buses and drivers into action to help meet the unprecedented demand. "We took anybody who was heading north, and we sold tickets right on the line," he added.

Day and night job
Shortline/Coach USA in Mahwah, N.J., which carries thousands of commuters in and out of New York City every day, worked throughout the night, picking up regulars and others from a temporary staging area at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. "It was really challenging because our passengers go to about 120 different destinations and it was very difficult putting them on the right buses," explained George Grieve, president and manager.
The Green Bus Line, which operates transit service in New York City, juggled its operations so it could get as many buses as possible on its busy Manhattan line to Queens, according to Nick Morfogen, a traffic manager for the private transit company. "We took some buses off some other lines and ended up adding about 20 buses to the Queens run," he said. "And, while we usually shut down at 1 a.m., we stayed on until about 4 a.m., when we had to refuel and get ready for the next day's operations."
Morfogen said the company suspended fares throughout the evening of the blackout and into part of the following day because of the emergency. "It was just something we decided to do," he noted.
Even city tour coaches contributed to getting people out of the city.
Tom Lewis of Grayline New York Sightseeing said its buses were about through for the day and many of them were headed back to the garage empty when the power went out. At one stop, officials from Morgan Stanley connected with the driver and hired three buses to take 135 of its employees to New Jersey so they could get home.
"We also decided that as long as we were running empty to our garage, we would let other people going in that direction ride free on our other buses," he said. "We didn't take them any place specific, but just dropped them off in New Jersey where their families could pick them up and take them home."
Transit agencies in most of the affected cities kept to the streets, too, running their regular routes, although they were unable to keep to any type of schedule because of horrendous traffic jams caused by the deluge of cars and trucks that had to fight nonfunctioning traffic signals and hundreds of people who were walking in the streets.

Communication challenges
Problems persisted throughout the night of the 14th, however, pushing private and public operators to the limit. Among the major troubles was the inability to communicate, as radios went out and cell phone systems were overwhelmed, making it difficult for dispatchers to stay in touch with drivers.
"Our people did an absolutely outstanding job working without radios and telephones," noted Paul Provost of Adirondack Trailways. "Everyone just pitched in and did their job."
Morfogen said Green Bus Lines sent a number of supervisors out to help maintain order and some of them found pay telephones that worked occasionally, allowing them to reach intermittently working company telephones. "It seemed to work a bit," he added.
For many motorcoach operators, the blackout turned out to be a mixed bag.
Indian Trials in Owosso, Mich., picked up unexpected business because the blackout interrupted commercial airline and rail passenger service in Detroit. Ron Sukenik, director of safety, said the Detroit Lions football team called the day after the blackout and chartered seven buses - five for the team and two for family members - to Cincinnati where they had an exhibition game the following night. The team had been scheduled to fly to the game.
Additionally, the company was hired to take a busload of stranded American Airlines passengers and two busloads of Amtrak passengers to Chicago where they could continue their trips. "It worked out pretty well for us," said Sukenik.
Provost said Adirondack Trailways had its biggest day ever on the second day after the blackout, a Saturday. "People who live in New York were just ready to get out into the country and it gave us a record-breaking day," he said. "Too bad every Saturday can't be that busy."

Losses for some
For others, the blackout resulted in lost business and lost revenue.
NAT Tour Bus and Van in Bronx, N.Y., which specializes in transporting seniors to and from adult centers, was able to get all of its riders to their homes the night of the blackout, but didn't get any business the following day. "We lost money," said Karen Aitcheson, a spokeswoman for the company.
Midtown Express Bus Lines in Cleveland had several cancellations for charter runs in the city, according to Shirley Smith. "We just couldn't get where we had to go," she said.
Grieve said Shortline was hit hard the day following the blackout because many people in New York heeded calls by the mayor and governor not to come into the city. One run that usually carries 15,000 daily passengers had only 7,000 and another that usually has 600 passengers had only 87. "It affected us very negatively," he emphasized.
Hopkins Airport Limousine Service in Cleveland lost business, too, because of the airport shutdown and Lake Front Lines in Brook Park, Ohio, lost its regular charter runs to casinos in the Detroit and Windsor, Ont., areas and near Niagara Falls, according to Jim Goebel, whose family owns both businesses. "The telephones were out, too, so people couldn't reach us even if they wanted to use our services," he said.
Michael A. Long of Campus Coach Lines in New York said his charter business was completely shut down by the blackout. "We were locked out of our building because it was considered a fire hazard," he said. "It was a real disaster, the worst we've ever seen."
Others were just lucky.
"We were done with our tours for the day by the time the blackout hit, so it really didn't affect us," said Rich Jaronowski of Trolley Tours in Cleveland.
Despite the ups and downs caused by the blackout, it could have at least one positive affect.
Sukenik says some airline and train passengers who rode Indian Trails' coaches to Chicago had not been on a motorcoach for years and were surprised to see how plush and comfortable they are. It was a pleasant discovery that could cause them to consider motorcoach travel the next time they hit the road.