A brief history of public transportation in Northwest Indiana

Public transportation has a long, fractured history in Northwest Indiana. Here are some of the milestones:

1903 to 1917: Most mass transit systems were light rail initiatives of streetcars and interurban lines.

1908: Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend Railway (South Shore RR) opened between Hammond and South Bend.

1922 to 1925: Various changes in service and elimination of rail operations to bus service.

1925: Gary Railways Co. introduces bus routes to Michigan City, Hammond, East Chicago, Whiting, Cedar Lake, Hobart, Valparaiso and Merrillville, with connecting transfer points. Routes to Crown Point, Rensselaer and Lafayette also available.

1931: All interurban bus routes introduced in 1925 are discontinued except a Hammond-East Chicago-Whiting route.

1933: Crown Point rail line abandoned and replaced with buses.

1938: Valparaiso rail line abandoned and replaced with buses.

1939: Hobart rail line abandoned and replaced with buses.

1950s: Buses to Valparaiso discontinued.

1956: Gary Railways reorganized into Gary Transit Inc. for city bus services and Gary Intercity Lines Inc. for interurban buses.

1971: All bus service outside Gary discontinued.

1975: Gary Transit Inc. becomes publicly owned as the Gary Public Transportation Corp.

1977: Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District formed to help finance operation of South Shore commuter rail service.

1986: West Lake County Corridor rail expansion proposal picks up steam with HIR Study Commission.

1990s: GPTC reintroduces bus routes to Hammond and Crown Point.

1991: Amtrak ends commuter rail service between Valparaiso and Chicago.

2000: West Lake County Corridor study identifies preferred commuter rail routes to Lowell, Crown Point or Valparaiso.

2007: Valparaiso introduces V-Line local bus service.

2008: Legislative plan to divert local sales tax revenue for rail expansion fails.

2008: Regional Bus Authority expands three regional routes with GPTC.

2008: ChicaGo Dash starts express bus from Valparaiso to Chicago

Source: Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority