GARY — Greyhound announced at a Thursday news conference held at Gary's Gateway Park that it will be "almost doubling" intercity bus service to the city.
Greyhound regional vice president Fatih Eroglu said there will be "more service to city of Gary and more connection for residents of Gary," but that the details of the expansion are still being worked out. He said he was unable to provide additional information about new bus timetables, the cost of the new services, and the timeline of their rollout.
The company, which was acquired by Munich-based FlixBus in 2021, is expected to close its Chicago bus depot soon. Greyhound has not yet announced plans for an alternative site. Eroglu declined to answer a question about the anticipated date of the station's closure, citing a desire to focus on issues related to Gary during the press conference.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton lauded news of increased bus service as a win for Gary's residents and a sign of future growth.
"It signals to the market, it signals to a lot of other private entities that Gary, and our logistics, can solve a lot of issues for a lot of companies, for a lot of individuals, from our location perspective," Melton said.
Thursday's event, held by the Gary Public Transportation Corp., also marked the 40th anniversary of the Adam Benjamin Metro Center, which first opened in 1984. The station, the condition of which has deteriorated significantly over the years, is set to be rebuilt through a state and local partnership.
House Enrolled Act 434, passed in 2023 with the help of then-state Senator Melton, made up to $3 million in state matching funds available for the station's revitalization starting in 2025.
Gary is currently awaiting a report from the Notre Dame School of Architecture's Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative that is expected to include plans for a new train station. The Initiative launched a partnership with the city in July and conducted a series of public meetings to gather input from Gary residents on desired changes to the city's downtown.
In August, Notre Dame architects unveiled a series of preliminary plans that included a train station bridging the east and west sides of Broadway that would serve as a "gateway" to Gary for visitors.
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