Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority
Encyclopedia
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. The agency is responsible for improving public transit options in Northwestern Indiana by consolidating and modifying existing services and introducing new ones to fill the gaps. Under the current consolidation plan, RBA will eventually assume responsibility for running all existing bus services in Lake and Porter counties. The details of the plan are still under development as of January 2010.
RBA is funded by Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority until December 2011. If it does not come up with an alternative funding source, the agency and the services it operates will be shut down.
to operate three express inter-city routes - Route 12:Tri City Connection, Route 17: South Broadway Express and Route 20: U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway Circular. RBA increased service frequency from an hour to half an hour. Route 12 connects Gary to Hammond Transit System's Dan Rabin Transit Center, allowing commuters to transfer to HTS and PACE buses. Route 17 connects Gary to Merrillville's Century Mall. Route 20 acts as a feeder service four Route 17, connecting riders to shopping destinations throughout Merrillville.
As of January 2010, RBA assumed responsibility for running Hammond Transit System
, which serves the cities of Hammond and Whitting. Originally, the system routes, prices and service frequency remained the same. The only visible indicator of the new ownership were the "EasyGo" stickers applied over all "Hammond Transit System" labels on the buses (the bus stop signage still retains the old name). On August 2, 2010, the RBA revamped the system as EasyGo Lake Transit service, expanding its reach to several Lake County suburbs and adding a new express route that links between Munster and Porter country government offices at Crown Point.
On February 1, 2010, RBA introduced a new rush hour express bus service between Dyer
and downtown Chicago in a manner similar to Valparaiso's ChicaGo Dash
. Known as EasyGo Chicago, it makes two trips from Dyer fire station to the Loop in the mornings and two return trips to Dyer in the evenings. The tickets cost $7.50 each way. So far, the ridership has been modest (an average of 17 riders per day). It is funded using RBA funds and a stimulus grant for the first two years. It is unclear how it will be funded once the stimulus funds expire.
RBA is currently considering taking over GPTC
transit system and potentially tweaking the routes to make them more compatible with Hammond Transit System routes it already controls. No deal has been finalized as of July 2010.
Northwest Indiana
Northwest Indiana, also known as the South Shore and The Calumet Region or simply The Region, comprises Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana. This region neighbors Lake Michigan and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
's Lake
Lake County, Indiana
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The county contains a mix of urban,...
and Porter
Porter County, Indiana
Porter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 164,343. Much of the population growth has to do with the expansion of the Chicago Metropolitan Area eastward into Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso...
counties. Established in 2000, it was known as Regional Transportation Authority until 2005. The agency is responsible for improving public transit options in Northwestern Indiana by consolidating and modifying existing services and introducing new ones to fill the gaps. Under the current consolidation plan, RBA will eventually assume responsibility for running all existing bus services in Lake and Porter counties. The details of the plan are still under development as of January 2010.
RBA is funded by Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority until December 2011. If it does not come up with an alternative funding source, the agency and the services it operates will be shut down.
Services operated by RBA
In 2008, RBA partnered up with Gary Public Transportation CorporationGary Public Transportation Corporation
The Gary Public Transportation Corporation is a commuter bus system in Gary, Indiana that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs...
to operate three express inter-city routes - Route 12:Tri City Connection, Route 17: South Broadway Express and Route 20: U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway Circular. RBA increased service frequency from an hour to half an hour. Route 12 connects Gary to Hammond Transit System's Dan Rabin Transit Center, allowing commuters to transfer to HTS and PACE buses. Route 17 connects Gary to Merrillville's Century Mall. Route 20 acts as a feeder service four Route 17, connecting riders to shopping destinations throughout Merrillville.
As of January 2010, RBA assumed responsibility for running 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...
, which serves the cities of Hammond and Whitting. Originally, the system routes, prices and service frequency remained the same. The only visible indicator of the new ownership were the "EasyGo" stickers applied over all "Hammond Transit System" labels on the buses (the bus stop signage still retains the old name). On August 2, 2010, the RBA revamped the system as EasyGo Lake Transit service, expanding its reach to several Lake County suburbs and adding a new express route that links between Munster and Porter country government offices at Crown Point.
On February 1, 2010, RBA introduced a new rush hour express bus service between Dyer
Dyer, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,390 people residing in the town. The population density was 2,731.67 people per square mile . There were 6,125 housing units at an average density of 1,020.83 per square mile...
and downtown Chicago in a manner similar to Valparaiso's ChicaGo Dash
ChicaGo Dash
ChicaGo Dash is an express bus service between Chicago and Valparaiso. It is jointly run by the city of Valparaiso and the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission, with substantial financial support from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority...
. Known as EasyGo Chicago, it makes two trips from Dyer fire station to the Loop in the mornings and two return trips to Dyer in the evenings. The tickets cost $7.50 each way. So far, the ridership has been modest (an average of 17 riders per day). It is funded using RBA funds and a stimulus grant for the first two years. It is unclear how it will be funded once the stimulus funds expire.
RBA is currently considering taking over GPTC
Gary Public Transportation Corporation
The Gary Public Transportation Corporation is a commuter bus system in Gary, Indiana that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs...
transit system and potentially tweaking the routes to make them more compatible with Hammond Transit System routes it already controls. No deal has been finalized as of July 2010.