Flixbus Ready for Inter-City Service in the USA

Flixbus is launching in Los Angeles, aiming for the kind of fast success they've had in Europe where they quickly became the continent’s largest bus provider after being founded in 2013.

1 minute read

May 21, 2018, 6:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Intercity Bus

Flixbus in Berlin. | Florian Fèvre / Wikimedia Commons

Flixbus, the European bus giant, launched service in the United States this month, with a hub in Los Angeles. "Since launching in Germany in 2013, FlixBus has exploded into the largest bus network in Europe, transporting 40 million passengers last year, and stealing business away from national train services," Jill Petzinger writes for Quartz.

The company's CEO and USA managing director, Pierre Gourdin, thinks that the changing transit landscape, with the rise of ride hailing and ride-share services, makes now the perfect time to enter the US market. "Gourdin added that the '…new generation does not want to drive anymore' as it’s not an efficient use of time. The bus giant’s overarching ambition is to revamp the shoddy image of bus travel in the US," Petzinger writes. But if Flixbus is to take over the long-distance bus industry they'll have to contend with the more than 100-year-old Greyhound service, a company that also happens to be owned by a European conglomerate.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 in Quartz

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Large blank mall building with only two cars in large parking lot.

Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House

If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.

April 18, 2024 - Central Penn Business Journal

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Young woman and man seated on subway car looking at phones.

Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features

It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.

April 19 - BGR

Ohio state capitol dome against dramatic lightly cloudy sky.

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production

A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.

April 19 - Daytona Daily News

Aerial view of Interstate 290 or Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant

Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.

April 19 - Streetsblog Chicago

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.