As the end date of Greyhound’s lease at its downtown Chicago bus station approaches, the company has begun routing more buses through Gary, Indiana, a new analysis of bus schedules shows.
The changes suggest a proactive response to the potential closure of the downtown station, according to the report, from DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.
The institute and advocates have been sounding the alarm about the possible closure of the downtown Chicago bus station for more than a year, saying such a move would have repercussions for low-income travelers, residents of communities without easy access to train or airline service, and others who rely on buses to travel between cities, as well as Chicago’s status as a transportation hub.
The end of the lease is now fast approaching, and an executive of Greyhound’s parent company previously said if nothing changes the company will likely have to leave the facility Sept. 20.
The move comes after a series of sales of Greyhound and its properties in recent years. Greyhound’s parent company sold the bus operation to German company Flix in 2021, but much of the bus line’s real estate was not part of the sale. The Chicago station is now among those owned by Twenty Lake Holdings, an affiliate of Alden Global Capital, which also owns the Chicago Tribune.
Greyhound stations in other cities have already been relocated, in some cases moved miles outside the city center or shifted to only curbside pickup and drop-off locations, with no indoor waiting areas. For example, in Knoxville, Tenn., riders have reported waiting hours outside in the heat and cold for sometimes delayed buses, with no access to food, water, restrooms or a station building, according to local reporting.
In Chicago, Greyhound and other intercity buses already pick up passengers curbside at other sites around the city, but advocates have said closing the downtown station and moving solely to curbside pickup in Chicago could come with consequences, and pose challenges for those waiting to make transfers or traveling during bad weather.
A report issued last month, also from the Chaddick Institute, found closing the downtown station would make Chicago the largest city in the Northern Hemisphere without an intercity bus terminal. The terminal now is used by Flix and Greyhound-branded buses, as well as bus lines Burlington Trailways and Barons Bus.
The Institute’s latest report, based on an analysis of bus schedules, found changes that have seemingly made Gary a hub for bus service. The city has been added as a stop on several routes, in some cases adding miles and time, the analysis found.
“Even a few years ago, the prospect of Chicago losing its role as a connecting hub to Gary would have seemed, at best, improbable,” the report noted. “Now, that prospect appears likely.”
Such a move could also be a loss for travelers, said Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute. The Gary station has a waiting room in a hub that also serves public transit buses and the South Shore rail line, but could still mean longer travel times for intercity bus-riders, fewer amenities and less overall service because of limits on the bus lines that might choose to serve the station, Schwieterman said. If fewer bus lines and routes run to Gary, that could mean fewer available transfers and fewer available destinations.
Other options on the table as the station closure has loomed have included moving more intercity bus pickup and drop-off to Jackson Boulevard outside Union Station, where Greyhound already had a ticket counter nearby, Flix executive Gilda Brewton has previously said. Such a move could require cutting bus service, she has said. And that suggestion has drawn pushback from Amtrak, which owns Union Station, and other advocates concerned about relying on curbside pickups and dropoffs.
City officials also said in late August Greyhound could renew its lease at the current station “under the same terms and conditions that it currently operates under.”
A spokeswoman for Flix said the company had no updates to announce about operations to Gary, and did not answer questions about whether extending the lease or moving operations outside Union Station were still under consideration. No solution has been finalized, but the company is continuing to work on options, she said.
“We remain actively engaged with all relevant stakeholders in Chicago to find a viable solution that meets the needs of travelers and offers a safe, welcoming, and transit-connected location for intercity bus service,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “There’s no finalized solution yet, but we are hopeful that our shared goal of providing equitable and affordable travel for the residents and visitors of Chicago will soon get us there.”
Chicago city officials also did not answer questions about whether extending the lease or moving outside Union Station were still options. In a statement, a spokeswoman for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said only she acknowledged the importance of intercity bus service.
“The City of Chicago acknowledges the critical importance of intercity bus services as a means of regional transit, facilitating access to essential services such as healthcare and employment opportunities,” the spokeswoman said. “The City continues in good faith to partner with transit stakeholders to ensure Chicagoans and travelers have access to accessible, affordable transportation options.”
In Gary, transportation officials declined to discuss specifics of bus service, but Denise Dillard, interim general manager of the Gary Public Transportation Corp., said they are focused on the value of transportation for Gary, Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area.
“It’ll be a value add for all our area,” she said.
It’s possible some Greyhound service could move to Gary while other buses continue to serve downtown Chicago, potentially outside Union Station, Schwieterman said. But any solution should consider creating opportunities for new bus lines to come to Chicago, he said.
“My fear is that bus lines not serving Chicago will be squeezed out of the plan that emerges due to capacity limits or due to deals cut with individual bus lines,” he said.
