Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Alex Small 30th Street Station will be the new point of departure for P2P buses, which are geared toward Penn and Drexel University students going to New York and Washington, D.C. Round-trip tickets will cost $25. [Click to enlarge]

For students looking to travel to the Big Apple on a budget, cheap transportation just got a little easier.

The P2P Circulator service, which operates low-cost buses between Philadelphia and New York City, is now available at a newly opened Philadelphia terminal at the intersection of 30th and Market streets.

Opened last February, the original P2P Philadelphia station was located at 121 N. 11th St., near the Convention Center, but bus operators said they hope this new terminal will open up the market for both Penn and Drexel University students, given the schools' proximity to 30th Street Station.

"We believe our service at the new location will be great news to all students and faculty staff in University City [because] … it is much closer to … campus and also [has] much better access to other public transportations," said Winny Cheng, project manager for Bestway Coach Express Inc, which runs the service.

P2P costs $25 for a round-trip ticket, versus $40 for the Greyhound Line, which also has a stop at the 30th Street Station.

And while the P2P bus is not the cheapest option of travel - Chinatown buses offer round trips for $5 less - P2P's drop-off point at Penn Station in Manhattan is more centrally located than the city's Chinatown.

Engineering junior Chrysta Irolla, who lives in New York City, said that, as a result, she expects more students to take advantage of the service.

"Penn Station is near almost every major train, and I think it would be much more convenient for most travelers," she said.

The P2P Circulator buses run 10 trips to the city every day. Trips are also offered from 30th Street Station to Washington, D.C.

Cheng said the service boasts a revamped online ticketing system and new buses similar to Greyhound's. Additionally, the company will offer a monthly pass that will allow passengers to use their buses daily.

The P2P company will also offer other promotions for their first-year anniversary in February, including a two-for-one "companion" ticket deal and two free seats for every passenger who purchases a pack of 10 discounted tickets, available at P2P terminals.

Greyhound and Chinatown bus-service representatives could not be reached for comment.

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