Gary Public Transportation Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Gary Public Transportation Corporation (GPTC) is a commuter bus system in Gary, Indiana
that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. Unlike all other transit operators throughout Northwest Indiana, GPTC is a private company.
's Midland Utilities. By that point, Insull held a virtual monopoly over electrically powered public transit throughout northern Illinois, north Indiana and southwest Wisconsin. However, when Insull's fortunes fell in the wake of the Great Depression, Gary Railways Company was sold off to Chicago & Calumet District Transit Company, which made it a subsidiary.
During the 1940s, the streetcar service was gradually replaced with buses. In 1956, the city and interurban buses were split into Gary Transit Inc. and Gary Intercity Lines Inc, respectively. While Gary Intercity Lines ended its services in 1971, Gary Transit lasted until 1975, when it was reorganized into Gary Public Transit Corporation.
At that point, Gary Public Transportation Company became the operator of the newly created Hammond Transit System
. It was forced to cede the service to Hammond Yellow Coach Lines after a judge determined that the company could not operate a system outside Gary city limits. GPTC limited its operations to Gary until 1990, when it inaugurated new express bus routes that originated in downtown Gary and reached into Hammond, East Chicago, Merrillville and Crown Point.
In 2010, Northwest Indiana Public Development Authority announced that it would not provide GTPC any of the funding it provided over the past few years unless the agency signs a memorandum of understanding that signified its willingness to consolidate its operations under Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
. GTPC officials voted against the move on July 2010. The agency was unable to fill the funding funding gap, forcing it to cut routes and decrease service frequencies. The agency is currently contemplating increasing fares and eliminating Saturday service to make up for the budget shortfall.
, East Chicago and Merrillville
, and its service area includes Crown Point
and Hobart
as well. Gary Metro Center serves as the system's primary hub - it also doubles as a South Shore Line station
, connecting riders to destinations in Chicago
and Northern Indiana
. Route 13 provides service to Miller
South Shore Line station. Route 12 connects to EasyGo Lake Transit service
's Red Route and Pace
bus routes at Dan Rabin Transit Center. It also connects to EasyGo Lake Transit service's Green Route and several East Chicago Transit
routes at Indianapolis Boulevard. Curb to curb pickup is available for disabled citizens.
In 2008, GPTC formed a partnership with Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
to increase service on these regional routes, reducing headways on the routes in question. When the partnership ended in the summer of 2010, GPTC to cut down non-rush-hour service back to previous levels. GPTC is currently in the process of applying for another grant to restore the service.
In February 2010, GPTC created a fourth regional route, University Park.
Routes 12 and 17 only stop at specifically designated stops and have higher-than-standard fares.
GPTC's shuttle service to the Woodlake Village Apartment Community was suspended in 2009. This residential area, in the Miller Beach section of Gary, is now served by GPTC's Route 13 on on-demand basis - riders who with to travel to and from Woodlake Village need to contact GPTC at least two hours ahead of time.
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. Unlike all other transit operators throughout Northwest Indiana, GPTC is a private company.
History
The system started out Gary & Interurban Railway Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago – New York Electric Air Line Railroad. Founded in 1908, it operated streetcars and interurban trains throughout Gary and its neighboring suburbs and cities. In 1923, the company was acquired by Samuel InsullSamuel Insull
Samuel Insull was an Anglo-American innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to creating an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States. Insull was notable for purchasing utilities and railroads using holding companies, as well as the abuse of them...
's Midland Utilities. By that point, Insull held a virtual monopoly over electrically powered public transit throughout northern Illinois, north Indiana and southwest Wisconsin. However, when Insull's fortunes fell in the wake of the Great Depression, Gary Railways Company was sold off to Chicago & Calumet District Transit Company, which made it a subsidiary.
During the 1940s, the streetcar service was gradually replaced with buses. In 1956, the city and interurban buses were split into Gary Transit Inc. and Gary Intercity Lines Inc, respectively. While Gary Intercity Lines ended its services in 1971, Gary Transit lasted until 1975, when it was reorganized into Gary Public Transit Corporation.
At that point, Gary Public Transportation Company became the operator of the newly created Hammond Transit System
Hammond Transit
Hammond Transit System is the provider of bus service in the Chicago suburb of Hammond, Indiana. It features four local intra-city routes and one route that provides access to neighboring Whiting and Chicago's East Side neighborhood. The system was established in 1976 as replacement for the...
. It was forced to cede the service to Hammond Yellow Coach Lines after a judge determined that the company could not operate a system outside Gary city limits. GPTC limited its operations to Gary until 1990, when it inaugurated new express bus routes that originated in downtown Gary and reached into Hammond, East Chicago, Merrillville and Crown Point.
In 2010, Northwest Indiana Public Development Authority announced that it would not provide GTPC any of the funding it provided over the past few years unless the agency signs a memorandum of understanding that signified its willingness to consolidate its operations under Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority is a regional public transit agency operating in Northwest Indiana's Lake and Porter counties. Established in 2000, it was known as Regional Transportation Authority until 2005...
. GTPC officials voted against the move on July 2010. The agency was unable to fill the funding funding gap, forcing it to cut routes and decrease service frequencies. The agency is currently contemplating increasing fares and eliminating Saturday service to make up for the budget shortfall.
Current system operations
GPTC primarily serves Gary, with most routes radiating from the Gary Metro Center. GPTC also has express service to locations in HammondHammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
, East Chicago and Merrillville
Merrillville, Indiana
Merrillville is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 35,246 at the 2010 census. Merrillville is located in the east-central portion of Lake County.-Geography:Merrillville is located at ....
, and its service area includes Crown Point
Crown Point, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 27,317 people and 10,976 households in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.20% White, 6.30% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races...
and Hobart
Hobart, Indiana
Hobart is home to many thriving businesses in its downtown shopping district, including the historic Art Theatre.Hobart is also home to the Westfield Southlake Shopping Mall and many surrounding retailers and restaurants, although most businesses are required to list their addresses as Merrillville...
as well. Gary Metro Center serves as the system's primary hub - it also doubles as a South Shore Line station
Gary Metro Center (NICTD)
Gary Metro Center is a South Shore Line commuter station serving the city center of Gary, Indiana. It is one of three NICTD electric train stations in Gary, and serves the Genesis Convention Center, home of the Gary Steelheads basketball team, and the U.S. Steel Yard baseball park, home of the...
, connecting riders to destinations in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Northern Indiana
Northern Indiana
Northern Indiana is the region of Indiana including 26 counties bordering parts of Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. The area is generally sub-classified into other regions. The northwest is economically and culturally intertwined with Chicago, and is considered part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
. Route 13 provides service to Miller
Miller (NICTD)
Miller is a South Shore Line commuter station serving the neighborhood of Miller Beach in eastern Gary, Indiana. The Miller stop is one of three NICTD electric train stations within the current municipal boundaries of Gary....
South Shore Line station. Route 12 connects to EasyGo Lake Transit service
Hammond Transit
Hammond Transit System is the provider of bus service in the Chicago suburb of Hammond, Indiana. It features four local intra-city routes and one route that provides access to neighboring Whiting and Chicago's East Side neighborhood. The system was established in 1976 as replacement for the...
's Red Route and Pace
Pace (transit)
Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in...
bus routes at Dan Rabin Transit Center. It also connects to EasyGo Lake Transit service's Green Route and several East Chicago Transit
East Chicago Transit
East Chicago Transit is the provider of mass transportation in East Chicago, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Three routes are provided within the municipality's limits...
routes at Indianapolis Boulevard. Curb to curb pickup is available for disabled citizens.
Local routes
GPTC defines local routes as those bus lines completely within the corporate boundaries of the City of Gary. Many of these services follow routes that were formerly served by streetcar lines when transit was first established in the Gary area.- Route 1: Tiberon Trails-Colonial Gardens. This route serves Broadway, Gary's main north-south corridor. It terminates in the Glen Park WestGlen Park (Gary)Glen Park, also sometimes called University Park, is the most populous neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. It is situated on the city's far south side, south of the Little Calumet River and Borman Expressway. The neighborhood is often divided into Glen Park East and Glen Park West, on the respective...
neighborhood on the southern end of the City. Route 2: 45th & Johnson- Route 6: Marshalltown/Tarrytown/Crosstown. This east-west route serves far eastern and far western residential neighborhoods, connecting them to other routes via several transfer points.
- Route 7: 9th & Colfax. This route chiefly serves the TollestonTollestonTolleston is a neighborhood and former town in west-central Gary, Indiana. It is situated south of Ambridge, west of Midtown, east of Westside and north of Glen Park. Tolleston is the site of two large city parks , a historic cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River...
and West SideWestside (Gary)In Gary, "West Side" may also refer collectively to the neighborhoods west of Broadway, including Westside, Brunswick, Ambridge Mann and Tolleston....
neighborhoods, including West Side High School. It currently forms loop service in combination with Route 11. - Route 11: 5th & Colfax. This route chiefly serves the Horace MannAmbridge MannAmbridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge, is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south...
and West SideWestside (Gary)In Gary, "West Side" may also refer collectively to the neighborhoods west of Broadway, including Westside, Brunswick, Ambridge Mann and Tolleston....
neighborhoods. It currently forms loop service in combination with Route 7. - Route 13: Oak and County Line. This route serves the Emerson, AetnaAetna (Gary)Aetna is a neighborhood in northeastern Gary, Indiana, south of Miller Beach and east of Interstate 65. As of 2000, the neighborhood had a population of 4,942, which was 83% black and 11% white....
and Miller BeachMiller BeachMiller Beach is a community on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. Originally an independent town first settled in 1851, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary, Indiana in 1918...
neighborhoods on the east side of Gary. Included on this route are the Miller stopMiller (NICTD)Miller is a South Shore Line commuter station serving the neighborhood of Miller Beach in eastern Gary, Indiana. The Miller stop is one of three NICTD electric train stations within the current municipal boundaries of Gary....
for the South Shore commuter line, downtown Miller Beach, and several public beach areas. - Route 15: King Drive. This route is interlined with Route 19, serving as a central loop connecting downtown to the neighborhoods of Horace MannAmbridge MannAmbridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge, is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south...
, TollestonTollestonTolleston is a neighborhood and former town in west-central Gary, Indiana. It is situated south of Ambridge, west of Midtown, east of Westside and north of Glen Park. Tolleston is the site of two large city parks , a historic cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River...
, northern Glen ParkGlen Park (Gary)Glen Park, also sometimes called University Park, is the most populous neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. It is situated on the city's far south side, south of the Little Calumet River and Borman Expressway. The neighborhood is often divided into Glen Park East and Glen Park West, on the respective...
and PulaskiPulaski (Gary)Pulaski is a neighborhood in eastern Gary, Indiana. It is roughly triangular in shape, bounded on the south by the Borman Expressway, on the west by Maryland Street, and on the northeast by the Norfolk Southern railway. It is separated by an industrial corridor from Aetna to its east; it directly...
. - Route 16: Colonial Gardens. This route serves Broadway, Gary's main north-south corridor. It terminates in the Glen Park East neighborhood on the southern end of the City.
- Route 19: West 6th/Hospital - King Drive. This route is interlined with Route 15, serving as a central loop connecting downtown to the neighborhoods of Horace Mann, Tolleston, northern Glen Park and Pulaski.
Regional routes
When the Gary Public Transportation Corporation was created, service outside of the Gary city limits was suspended. In 1995, GPTC returned regional service to Northwest Indiana with the creation of the Tri-City Connection. By 2005, GPTC served five other communities with three regional routes, providing transit to Crown Point, East Chicago, Hammond, Hobart and Merrillville.In 2008, GPTC formed a partnership with Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority is a regional public transit agency operating in Northwest Indiana's Lake and Porter counties. Established in 2000, it was known as Regional Transportation Authority until 2005...
to increase service on these regional routes, reducing headways on the routes in question. When the partnership ended in the summer of 2010, GPTC to cut down non-rush-hour service back to previous levels. GPTC is currently in the process of applying for another grant to restore the service.
In February 2010, GPTC created a fourth regional route, University Park.
Routes 12 and 17 only stop at specifically designated stops and have higher-than-standard fares.
- Route 12: Tri-City Connection. This route serves the Central Business Districts of Gary, Hammond and East Chicago.
- Route 17: Broadway Express. This route serves the Broadway corridor, including the downtown, Midtown and Glen Park neighborhoods of Gary as well as Merrillville and Crown Point.
- Route 20: U.S. 30 Shuttle. This route serves as a feeder for the Broadway Express, providing service to retail and office centers on the U.S. 30 corridor in Merrillville and Hobart.
- Route 21: University Park. This route serves the northern Glen Park neighborhood of Gary as well as the suburban communities of Merrillville and Hobart.
Shuttle service
Route 14: Woodlake Village Shuttle
GPTC's shuttle service to the Woodlake Village Apartment Community was suspended in 2009. This residential area, in the Miller Beach section of Gary, is now served by GPTC's Route 13 on on-demand basis - riders who with to travel to and from Woodlake Village need to contact GPTC at least two hours ahead of time.