For students planning weekend trips to New York City, but daunted by bus fares nearing $50, relief may be in sight.
OurBus, a company offering intercity routes across the East Coast, added an Easton stop last weekend in its service from the Lehigh Valley to Manhattan. A one-way trip — departing from the downtown transit station — costs as low as $25.
Service began Saturday and will run Friday through Monday each week, according to Axel Hellman, the chief operating officer of OurBus. The Easton stop is the route’s final stop before Manhattan.
Hellman said the stop was added to target Lafayette College’s student population.
“We know that one of the largest communities of interest where they want to travel but they don’t necessarily have a car is college students,” Hellman said, who worked with local bus service LANTA to use the Easton transit center.
He added that fares may drop to as low as $20 in limited situations, including discounts for riders who refer a friend.
Besides driving or ride-sharing, the only other transportation option for those looking to travel to New York City directly from downtown Easton is the TransBridge bus line, which charges $52 for a one-way ticket.
OurBus — first piloted in Easton in 2017 — uses a “crowdsourced” model to plan routes, according to a Tuesday news release announcing the Easton stop. The company relies on data analytics, feedback from riders and partnerships with local riders to determine where demand for a stop is strong.
“We’re looking at expanding in Pennsylvania, and this is part of our broader programs looking at different underserved college communities,” said Samuel Chan, who works in media relations at OurBus.
Andreas Pelekis ’26 and Makenna McCall ’27 contributed reporting.