Dartmouth Coach services students
Although it’s a relatively recent addition to the College, the Dartmouth Coach is a business most students today could not do without. Whether it’s for a trip to New York for a job interview or a ride to Logan Airport to catch a flight that will take you home, the service makes travel outside of Hanover a possibility. When you can’t drive 15 minutes to get to White River Junction for Amtrak, or find friends with cars, you can at least depend on the black and white buses in front of the Hop.
Founded in 1995, the Dartmouth Coach originally functioned as a van service. The company then switched to a 44 foot-long bus that seated from 35 to 40 people. Today’s buses hold 55 people, but four seats have been removed in order to give people more legroom, says Concord Coach vice president Ken Hunter. Though technically a separate company, the Dartmouth Coach is owned by Concord Coach, manager Peter Stanley said.
The buses to New York have only 28 seats, however, which fill up very quickly. And because the buses cannot accommodate everyone during peak periods such as the beginning and end of academic terms, the New York buses require reservations. The Coach takes pains to provide additional buses during peak time period — for the spring term influx of students a few weeks ago, the company added 12 extra buses.
Hunter adds that the Dartmouth Coach has sought to address this concern by providing regular 44-seat buses and by charging “a little less money.” As can be expected, Dartmouth students are a large part of the Coach’s clients. Thus, even though the company generally caters to individuals aged 18-59, many more travel accommodations are made to suit student needs, Hunter said.
Today’s buses feature wireless internet access, along with various music channels. Every bus also comes with televisions that screen recent popular movies during the ride.
Though the bus to Boston runs approximately every two hours, there are buses that run hourly in the middle of the day to meet demand. The company is also considering adding a 6:30 p.m. bus to Boston.
Indeed, rarely canceling trips and constantly updating service, the Coach has often proved to be consistently reliable.
“We haven’t missed many trips, except for the snowstorm earlier this year when Massachusetts shut down,” Hunter said.
Contrary to popular belief, the College has no affiliation with the bus company. Though the two work closely to determine scheduling, Dartmouth has no financial interest in the Coach. Instead, the Concord Coach works with the Dartmouth Coach, often renting buses out to the Dartmouth Coach. Thus far, Hunter says the company is doing well and running a solid, dependable service. It prides itself on its timeliness.
While the costs for the Coach do add up with several trips a year, particularly for the New York City bus, the Dartmouth Coach’s monopoly on ease, efficiency and accessibility with regard to travel ensures that it will remain a fixture of Dartmouth’s campus for years to come.