The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission on Thursday approved applications for five bus projects totaling $6.1 million over three years that could lead to restoration for some services and the expansion of others.
By early next year, Gary Public Transportation Corp. hopes to add a new route that runs from the Metro Center to Griffith, and Valparaiso's V-Line wants to expand its Yellow Route serving the west and north sides of the city, according to amendments to NIRPC's Transportation Improvement Program approved Thursday.
However, NIRPC officials cautioned the cash infusion will not solve the financial woes of bus services in Lake County, which have led to multiple service cutbacks during the past year. The Northwestern Indiana Regional Bus Authority already has said funding will run out by next June for its easygo Lake Transit service in Hammond, and it will shut down unless a local subsidy can be found.
"We are like the little Dutch boy sticking our fingers in the dike anywhere we can to keep it from bursting," said Gary Evers, NIRPC transportation projects manager.
The application for the money still must be approved by the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. The federal agency already has determined the projects are eligible for the funds.
In addition to establishing a new bus route, GPTC plans to restore bus service on its Broadway routes that was cut when a subsidy from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority was pulled last year.
GPTC Broadway buses currently run every half hour from the Metro Center to 61st Avenue and only every hour south of there to Crown Point, said David Wright, GPTC planning and marketing director. With the increased federal funding, service could be restored to one-half hour south of 61st and perhaps to every 20 minutes north of there, Wright said.
GPTC is applying for almost $1.4 million for establishing the new route and the same amount for increasing the frequency of Broadway buses.
Valparaiso's fast-growing V-Line service would get $900,000 if its application is approved for expansion of the Yellow Route. It is applying for another $1 million for expanding its ChicaGo DASH express bus service to the Loop.
The RBA plans to use the $1.4 million it has applied for to cut down on waits between buses on its Red and Green easygo Lake Transit routes. Those routes had service every half-hour during peak morning and evening travel times during the RBA's first year of operating the service. But the peak service was eliminated over the summer so that riders must now wait an hour between buses on each route.