Route Number Route Name (Segment Streetcar Buses Notes
2024 2018 2014 2004 1997 /Former Route Name) Or New Bus Introduced
3 Ridge Road New Bus 1996 Disc. 1990's
4 Marshalltown New Bus To 6
L3 L1 6 6 6 Marshalltown New Bus
R1 R1 12 12 12 Lakeshore Connection New Bus 1994
L2 L2 13 13 13 Oak & County Line 10/10/24 6/26/35
(Miller Beach) New Bus 1922
(Tube Works) 5/27/24 2/28/47 Disc.
14 Woodlake Village New Bus 11/20/75 Disc. by GPTC
14 (8th Ave. West) New Bus 1922 Disc. by GPTC
15 15 King Drive New Bus 11/20/75 To 19 2010
15 15 Grant New Bus To 19 2010
RBmx RBmx 17 17 17 Broadway 5/25/08 8/31/46
17 17 17 Crown Point New Bus 1996 To R6 2/19/2018
[Cr. Pt. interurban] 6/29/12 6/17/33 Disc. 1/1/71
18 Broadway/61st New Bus 6/20/11 To R5 1/22/2018
19 19 King Drive New Bus 11/20/75 Disc. 2011
L1 L5 19 19 19 Grant New Bus
R2 R2 20 20 US 30/Lincoln Hwy. New Bus 2000's
L4 L4 21 1 1 Univ. Park (Tiberon) New Bus
L4 L4 21 2 2 Univ. Park (45th) New Bus
L4 L4 21 16 16 Univ. Park (Colonial) New Bus
L3 L5 22 Horace Mann New Bus 9/19/11
R3 R3 23 6 10 Tarrytown New Bus
23 7 7 9th/Colfax 9/ 3/08 8/21/46
[Hammond interurban] 2/ 8/10 8/21/46 Disc. 1/1/71
23 11 11 5th/Colfax 11/13/10 1/ /41
R3 R3 23 Burr/Ridge New Bus 1/30/12
R4 R4 24 Lakeshore South New Bus 5/27/14
R5 R5 18 Merrillville Shuttle New Bus 1/22/18
R6 Ivy Tech Shuttle New Bus 2/19/18 Disc. by GPTC
R6 Lakeshore North New Bus 4/29/24
(Bridge Works) 7/10/11 11/ /40 Disc. by GPTC
(Tin Mill) 11/24/18 1/29/38 Disc. by GPTC
(Sheet Mill) 11/24/18 11/ /40 Disc. by GPTC
[Ind. Har. interurban] 2/16/13 3/19/39 Disc. 1/1/71
[Garyton interurban] 3/20/12 1/25/42 Disc. 1/1/71
[Valpo. interurban] 8/14/12 10/23/38 Disc. 1950's
[Hobart interurban] 5/ 7/14 3/19/39 Disc. 1/1/71
(Kennedy Ave./Hammond) 3/19/14 1924 Disc.
Gary Railways, and interurban bus successor Gary Intercity Lines, had some routes operating beyond the Gary city limits, providing interurban service. But in 1971 all service beyond the city limits was discontinued. And publicly owned successor GPTC was created solely to serve the city. But during the 1990's, GPTC was able to create a few new interurban bus routes.Most of the discontinued routes within the city had existed specifically to serve various plants of US Steel. Historically, the streetcar and bus system was developed with US Steel as a major focus, and with the main terminal at the US Steel main gate on Broadway, a short distance north of downtown and the South Shore Line train station. But the steel industry declined, and the South Shore Line station was rebuilt as an intermodal facility, now used as the GPTC bus terminal.
Local streetcar service was introduced in Hammond in 1909, isolated from main system until opening of Gary to Hammond segment during following year.
The Tube Works streetcar route was originally discontinued in 1932, but restored in 1942 for World War II. Discontinued 2/28/47 as last streetcar route in Gary.
Some of the GPTC bus routes evolved directly from the Gary Railways streetcar routes. In 1975, under public operations, GPTC expanded service with the creation of two new routes. And in 1980, several bus routes were restructured, mainly on Gary's southwest side and involving routes which were originally created as bus routes under private operation.
Until 2010, routes 15 and 19 were basically identical, but operating in one way loops in opposite directions. Previously, route 4 was similarly identical to route 6
Historical information on Gary bus routes has been difficult to obtain. But a special thanks goes to Chicago bus historian Andre Kristopans, for supplying some information for this page. But even Kristopans has been unable to uncover the complete story.
Route numbers are only available for some of the most recent years. In 2018, GPTC renumbered its routes, with "L" (local) and "R" (regional) prefixes. The main Broadway route was then marketed as the "Broadway Metro Express.