CHICAGO Despite warnings from federal safety officials and politicians, curbside bus departures increased 31 percent during 2011, compared with 2010, according to a study published by DePaul Universitys Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.

megabus.com and BoltBus led U.S. curbside bus companies that boosted trips by 32 percent during the year as travelers opted to leave their cars behind and surf the Internet while traveling, said DePaul researchers.

The mushrooming popularity of U.S. intercity buses picking up passengers at the curb -- rather than in a terminal -- has been growing since the industry reversed a 46-year decline in 2006, said Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute.

Overall intercity bus traffic, including traditional service, grew last year at the fastest pace since 2008, the institute said.

Higher gasoline prices make driving a car more expensive at the same time buses are offering free access to Wi-Fi and cheaper fares than planes and trains, Schwieterman said.

Once viewed as a last resort in the U.S., intercity bus travel is now attracting more affluent riders, students and women traveling alone, he said.

"Bus travel is suddenly cool," Schwieterman said. "Theres a fatigue over driving, combined with a revitalized image of the bus."

Beats the airlines

Daily intercity curbside bus departures increased to 778 from 589 a year ago, according to the DePaul study. Scheduled departures for the total bus industry, which includes Greyhound Lines, increased 7.1 percent to 2,693.

That compares with a gain of 1.5 percent for airline seat miles and 1.2 percent for rail seat miles, according to the study.

The institutes annual snapshot of the bus industry is based on the number of industrywide departures on one Friday in December.

As bus customers grow, fares are increasing, Schwieterman said.

Routes where fares of $20 or less were once common are now seeing tickets priced at $35 or $40, he said.

megabus and BoltBus offer a limited number of seats for as little as $1 with advanced booking. Typical one-way New York-to-Washington megabus fares range from $17 to $26, according to its website. BoltBus tickets range from $15 to $27.

Safety questions

Regulators stepped up their oversight of bus travel after a series of fatal crashes early in 2011.

The National Transportation Safety Board warned in an Oct. 31 study that curbside operators are seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal wreck than intercity lines with more conventional business models. (See Nov.15 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

Neither of the two largest U.S. curbside operators -- megabus and BoltBus -- were involved in last years fatal accidents. A megabus coach traveling to Toronto crashed into a rail overpass outside of Syracuse, N,Y., in September 2010, killing four.

The NTSBs warning about the dangers of curbside buses included so-called Chinatown operators, which can operate under multiple names, the board said.

The DePaul researchers dont include Chinatown companies in their calculations because the operators tend to pool their buses, may not run them under independent brands, and may also use unmarked, leased buses, Schwieterman said.

Adding routes

New routes helped drive growth. BoltBus set up a hub in Newark, N.J., with 40 daily buses to Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, the study said.

Greyhound Express was launched in 2011 in Chicago and on the East Coast, and plans to expand further.

megabus opened hubs in Pittsburgh, with 38 departures, and Atlanta, with 29. Its Chicago and New York hubs appear to now be profitable, the study said. More traffic at existing hubs in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia also is bolstering growth, said a megabus spokeswoman.