An Open Letter to the DC-Maryland-Virginia Region Congressional Delegation –
By the Washington, DC – Virginia – Maryland Motor-Coach Industry
We are the nation’s capital region motorcoach industry. We are independent family-owned businesses, transporting 10.5 million residents and travelers annually across the DMV. People ride our buses to get to work and visit our tourist destinations. We are visible in communities across the region and vital to America’s critical transportation network. Companies like mine carry more than 600 million passengers annually.
Before COVID-19, we employed nearly 3,106 residents across the region and contributed $542 million in economic revenue. Like many transportation industries, that has all changed and virtually every bus company across America has stopped operating. We support the public health restrictions put in place to help flatten the spread of COVID-19, but when people emerge from this crisis, we want our employees to have jobs and want to be able to carry passengers. But today, our future is very uncertain.
Before Congress left Washington, DC for a hiatus they passed a $2 TRILLION aid package to help businesses. That package included nearly $100 BILLION for every mode of passenger transportation (airlines, Amtrak, transit) except for private buses. Our voice in Congress was ignored, leaving our industry and our employees on the side of the road.
We urge you to remember that we bring your constituents to work; your kids on school trips and we drive tourism in our region…literally. We connect America. If we go away, those experiences go away. We need YOUR support NOW.
James Brown, Magic Carpet Tours
Roddy Mitchell, Platinum Tours
Mark & Dave Pounders, Winn Transportation
Stephen Nichols, Blue Ridge Tours, Inc.
Darlene Hooks, Venture Bus Tours, Inc.
Harvey Black, Society Coach Lines Ltd
Warren Newton, Newton Bus Service
Curt Gausman, Pro-American Tours LLC
Joshua Pratt, BRT Transportation
Jacqueline Grice, Agape Travel and Tours
Peter Picknelly, Peter Pan Bus Lines
Alexander Burruss, Silver Lining Charters and Tours LLC
George Cooper, Hound Dog Bus Service
Shannon Drew, ACE Charter Services
Scott Martz Henry, Martz Group
Tim Lane, Academy Express
Jason Quick, Quick’s Bus Company
Adnan Khan, Adventure Tours
Shawn & Sharon Paul, Tidewater Touring Inc
Eddie Sours, Richards Bus Lines
David Messick Jr, Blue Ridge Coach Lines, Inc
Debra Owings, Viriginia Coach Co
Tammy Warren, W&W Luxury Limousine Service
John Mines, Premier Travel, LLC
Dmitri Arsenjev, KD Elite Transportation
Lauren Grote, Rill’s Bus Service
Al Spence, AS Midway Trailways/A.S. Tours Inc
William Torres, DC Trails Inc
Liliana Torres, QT Transport
David Han, Worldwide Tours and Travel
Howard Smith, Oleta Coach Lines
Margaret Day, Reston Limousine
Sharon Hackett, Magic Trails Bus
