Mercer loses its Greyhound bus stop

MERCER, Pa. — A longtime Greyhound bus stop has closed after more than 20 years in business here, leaving customers with a long ride to other pickup points.

In recent years, Greyhound stops also have been eliminated in New Castle and New Wilmington, Pa., and Warren, Ohio.

Greyhound customers now must now travel to Youngstown, Zelienople in Butler County, Meadville in Crawford County or Edinboro in Erie County to catch a bus.

The local stop was at 144 S. Erie St. Dottie Mariner, owner of Dotty’s Sewing and Alterations, a business in the same building, said the longtime franchise owner — a friend of hers — closed in February because of declining revenues.

She said her friend had told her that Greyhound’s online ticket sales had cut into franchise commissions.

After the franchise closed, Greyhound kept the bus stop at the same location. Since there was no longer an office, passengers, who are instructed to arrive at the stop one hour before departure, had no protection from the weather and no restroom facilities.

Instead they congregated outside, causing problems with local businesses.

Mariner said she and five other business owners complained about passengers congregating, damaging property, littering and even occasionally fighting.

As a result, Greyhound closed the stop a few weeks after Labor Day, said Dustin Clark, a spokesman for Greyhound Lines Inc. in Dallas.

For more, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com