There’s a new entrant into the crowded East coast cheap bus service market. DC2NY, which launches officially on July 26th, has begun advertising their services by handing out cards and fliers around Chinatown. The new bus line will travel only from D.C. to New York (no stops in Baltimore or Philadelphia), picking up from two stops in D.C. — one in Dupont Circle and the other at 14th and Eye NW near McPherson Square — and dropping off outside Penn Station in Manhattan.
Apart from the slightly more central pick-up locations, DC2NY is also billing itself as the “Upscale Bus” with promises of new buses with more comfortable seats than you typically get on a Chinatown bus. Paying an additional $5 round-trip (r/t tickets will cost $40 if booked in advance, $50 if bought at the bus stop) for a newer bus might be worth it, but DC2NY is really trying to sell people on this unique feature: Free wireless Internet on the bus. It sounds too good to be true, and the company is offering a disclaimer which might just mean that it is — “DC2NY passengers will enjoy complimentary internet service while on-board. However, because of connection issues, this service cannot be guaranteed.”
DC2NY is offering a somewhat limited schedule at the beginning, with only one or two departures per day. Still, for only $5 more, seems worth it to at least give the promise of internet access and buses that don’t smell like diapers (for now) a shot.