Except when delivering passengers to rail stations and dense concentrations of work, entertainment, recreation or residential venues, express bus services compete with surface transportation vehicles and systems with generally negative and conflicting results. Insertion of express bus lanes and vehicles into existing street rights of way causes a diminishing of access and efficiency to automobile and truck transportation on those roadways; while providing little or none of the congestion relief promised by the promoters of the express service. Any congestion relief that may result from introduction and operation of express bus services is likely to occur in locations other than on the streets over which the buses travel.
The generally negative and disruptive impacts of bus operation on adjacent pedestrian, business and residential environments are made all the more intrusive by larger, and often longer, express bus vehicles operating on city streets. More likely to block intersections and pedestrian crosswalks, articulated and oversized express buses tend to have increased impact on street and surrounding activity settings and environments.
Express bus systems normally operate only from major mass transit stations such as rail stations, public transportation centers, and large population activity centers such as sports arenas and airports.
