PLATTSBURGH, Vt. (WCAX) – Greyhound’s Plattsburgh drop-off and pick-up location is on the move.
Clinton County legislator Robert Hall says the company is looking for a new location after they were told to relocate from a Mountain Mart gas station in Plattsburgh.
“It’s just become a nightmare and they do not sell tickets, so it’s a real problem and they prefer they went somewhere else,” said Hall.
Hall says the county received millions in federal and state funding almost ten years ago for the construction of a bus terminal at the Plattsburgh International Airport, which he says was intended for Greyhound to use. But that never happened, and now a trucking school rents out the terminal.
However, Hall says Greyhound recently approached the county looking to use the airport as its new home.
“This time they wanted to come back to the airport and we are more than willing to have them if they rent space out there,” said Hall.
But Hall says that’s not what Greyhound wants, and instead is asking to drop off people right outside the airport without establishing a local office.
Plattsburgh’s Mayor Chris Rosenquest says he doesn’t see an issue with that whether it’s the airport or bus terminal. “We do not see any reason why the county and Greyhound shouldn’t be negotiating some type of contract or use of the bus terminal was built specifically for that use at the county airport,” said Rosenquest.
But Hall says without an office or waiting area for customers, greyhound’s pitch would mean an environment the county doesn’t believe is safe.
“That’s not good, that’s dangerous. At night time when they would be dropping people off, there is nothing around there, the airport is locked up completely and it’s a very bad situation,” said Hall.
Hall says a better place, based on Greyhound’s wants, would be near critical county services in the heart of the county.
“A much better place for them to be dropped off or for the Greyhound, if they are not going to rent that building and have an office there and open to the public with bathrooms and everything would be down in the City of Plattsburgh,” said Hall.
On Tuesday, Greyhound released a statement saying they worked with Rosenquest’s office to make the area next to the government center their new drop-off location. However, the statement did not address the airport or whether the company has plans to set up an office at the bus terminal.