RBA hears commuters want bus service to continue

DYER | About 30 regular easygo Chicago Express riders were told Tuesday night the buses should be able to motor on until June, when most of the funding sources will run out.

Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority Executive Director Tim Brown told riders at a public hearing at Dyer Baptist Church that easygo Lake Transit Service in Hammond and the express bus face the same fate as federal stimulus and local funds dry up.

"What the RBA needs more than anything in the world is a permanent source of local funding," former Lake County Council member and RBA board member Tom O'Donnell said.

Riders told RBA officials they should be going to local towns to seek support for a service many of their residents are using.

"It shouldn't be hard to find something when people from all these towns are using these buses," said Sue Gifford, a regular express bus rider from Dyer.

The easygo Chicago Express service now attracts about 2,700 riders per month. Two buses depart Dyer in the morning on weekdays and the return trip is made in the evening.

Brown told those attending the hearing fares pay for only about 32 percent of the service's cost. Grants from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority and federal government pay the rest. The total cost for the service, which is provided under contract by the Free Enterprise System bus company, is about $600,000 per year.

The RBA is considering a second Northwest Indiana stop at Wicker Park in Highland, Brown said.

The RBA is not expected to make a final decision on how long to continue service until next year.

In addition to comments taken Tuesday night, the RBA is accepting written comments until 3 p.m. Dec. 9. They can be mailed to RBA, 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN 46368. Comments also can be emailed to bmalone@rba-nwi.org.