Greyhound quietly ends bus service to Lincoln

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BY MATT OLBERDING/Lincoln Journal Star

Two bus companies plan to continue their service to Lincoln even though Greyhound has now abandoned the city and put its depot up for sale.

Officials with Burlington Trailways and Arrow Stage Lines both said their companies will continue to run bus routes out of Lincoln even if they have to move to a different location.

"I don't see any plans or have any plans, unless things would go downhill rapidly, to leave Lincoln," said Ron Moore, president of West Burlington, Iowa-based Burlington Trailways.

Greyhound quietly ended its Lincoln service on Jan. 6. The company did not make an announcement, nor did it issue a news release. The only notification to the city apparently was a short letter the mayor's office received in December.

City Councilwoman Annette McRoy, whose district includes downtown, said she knew nothing about the move.

"I was thinking it looked kind of quiet over there," she said.

Kim Plaskett, a Greyhound spokeswoman, said the company is focusing on core routes and eliminating unprofitable ones and Lincoln fit that category.

Greyhound is selling its Lincoln depot, Plaskett said, because it no longer serves Lincoln, "we don't need the property anymore."

Plaskett said the asking price for the depot on the northwest corner of 10th and P streets is $275,000. The Lancaster County Assessor's Office values the property at just under $190,000.

The property is not listed with any realty company, but Plaskett said anyone wanting more information could contact Greyhound's real estate department.

Greyhound has made at least one overture to a potential buyer: the Lincoln Journal Star.

Bill Johnston, publisher of the Journal Star, said a Greyhound official contacted him about buying the building, which is next door to the newspaper. Lee Enterprises, the parent company of the Journal Star, is not interested in the property, Johnston said.

Jim Maley, general manager of Norfolk-based Arrow Stage Lines, which operates Lincoln service as Black Hills Stage Lines, said his company has discussed with Greyhound the possibility of purchasing the depot.

But Maley said Arrow also has been looking at other properties in and around the downtown area and has identified a couple that could fit its needs.

"It's hard to say what's going to happen at this point," he said.

Maley said he wanted to stress that there is still plenty of bus service in Lincoln.

Black Hills has daily departures to Omaha at 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and a 10:20 a.m. departure to Denver. Burlington Trailways has one departure to each city, 4:30 a.m. to Omaha and 10 p.m. to Denver.

Maley said Arrow took over the bus depot when Greyhound left, leasing it from the company. He said his company hired all the same employees and expanded the hours. His preference would be to remain at the depot even though, "it's a little more space than we need."

Arrow and Burlington started serving Lincoln and other Nebraska cities last August, after Greyhound cut nine stops in the state and reduced Lincoln service to just one daily trip to Omaha.

The companies said they have a good working relationship and would seek to keep their Lincoln operations together at the same location.

Neither company has sought any assistance from the city, but Moore said he would welcome city help.

Reach Matt Olberding at 473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.