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Broadway Metro Express

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Broadway Metro Express
A view of Broadway in 1915, with former streetcar service
Overview
OperatorGary Public Transportation Corporation
StatusOperational
Began serviceFebruary 19, 2018
Route
Route typeBus rapid transit
LocaleLake County, Indiana, United States
StartAdam Benjamin Jr. Metro Center in Gary
ViaBroadway
EndLake County Government Center in Crown Point
Stations24
Service
Ridership214,455 (2018)

The Broadway Metro Express or BMX operated by Gary Public Transportation Corporation is a bus rapid transit line serving the cities of Gary, Merrillville, and Crown Point in Indiana. The route entered service on February 19, 2018, replacing the previous routes 17 and 18.[1] The Broadway Metro Express connects riders to the South Shore Line, to Downtown Gary and to Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.

History

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BMX service launched on February 19, 2018, through Gary, Merrillville and Crown Point with limited stops, upgraded bus shelters and more frequent service compared to the previous route. This led to it being the first rapid bus service in Indiana. Upon opening, the line ran 11 miles from Gary Metro Center to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville, with service every 20 minutes. It included 17 stops, short sections of bus lanes and new connecting feeder lines. South of 53rd Street, traffic signals are equipped with transit signal priority. As of 2022, GPTC was looking to add the feature to the entire corridor.[2] The $9.5 million project was funded by Gary, Merrillville, the Gary Stormwater District, Legacy Foundation and INDOT.[3] At the same time as BMX was launched, GPTC introduced the Token Transit app, to pay fares.[4]

Through the end of the year, BMX carried 214,455 passengers, a 33 percent increase over 2017's ridership on the previous conventional service, and over twice the 16.3 percent anticipated ridership increase.[5] The route is the second busiest line in Northwest Indiana after the South Shore Line, and serves approximately a quarter of all GPTC riders.[6]

On September 8, 2020, three new stops were added, including the Lake County Government Building, the Adam Benjamin Jr. VA Outpatient Clinic, and the Purdue Research Park/Ivy Tech Campus.[7] In Spring 2022, four battery-electric buses joined the GPTC fleet, plying the Broadway Metro Express route. The BMX route was chosen due to it having the highest ridership in the system.[8]

As of June 2023, service runs every 30 minutes, with plans to increase service to every 20 minutes as ridership grows.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Igor Studenkov (March 15, 2018). "Bus Riders Have a New, Faster Service on Broadway Avenue in Gary". Streetsblog Chicago. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ^ Igor Studenkov (January 19, 2022). "Gary, Indiana considers a switch to all-electric buses". Streetsblog Chicago. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Andrew Steele (December 10, 2017). "Gary bus service to announce Broadway Metro Express start date". NWI Times. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  4. ^ Andrew Steele (December 14, 2017). "Gary Public Transportation preparing February launch of Broadway Metro Express". NWI Times. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Andrew Steele (March 18, 2019). "Gary bus service grew in 2018". NWI Times. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  6. ^ Carrie Napoleon (February 7, 2022). "Gary gets spark to begin transition to electric buses: four vehicles will join current fleet". Chicago Post-Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  7. ^ "GPTC Letter to the Editor" (PDF). Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Carrie Napoleon (February 7, 2022). "Gary gets spark to begin transition to electric buses: four vehicles will join current fleet". Chicago Post-Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "GPTC Broadway Metro Express". Retrieved June 23, 2023.
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