Gary Metro Center

{{Short description|South Shore Line station in Indiana}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox station | style = NICTD | name = Gary Metro | other_name = Adam Benjamin Metro Center | type = | image = Gary Metro Center Station.jpg | image_caption = Metro Center station in April 2016 | address = 200 West 4th Avenue<br />Gary, Indiana | coordinates = {{coord|41|36|17|N|87|20|18|W|type:railwaystation_region:US-IN|display=inline,title}} | other = Gary Public Transportation Corporation | structure = Elevated | platform = 1 low-level island platform | levels = | tracks = 2 | parking = | bicycle = | passengers = 426 (average weekday)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metra.com/sites/default/files/2021-02/2020_State_of_the_System_Report.pdf|page=SSL-4|title=2020 State of the System Report|date=November 2020|publisher=Metra}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | pass_year = 2019 | pass_percent = | pass_system = | opened = 1984 | closed = | rebuilt = | electrified = | accessible = Yes | architect = H. Seay Cantrell Associates | code = | owned = The city of Gary, Indiana | zone = 5 | former = | services = {{Adjacent stations|system=NICTD|line=South Shore|left=Gary/Chicago Airport|right=Miller}} | other_services_header = Former services | other_services_collapsible = yes | other_services = {{Adjacent stations|system=NICTD|line=Former|left=Ambridge|note-left=Closed 1994|to-left=Randolph Street|right=Miller|to-right=South Bend Airport}} | map_state = collapsed | route_map = {{Routemap|legend=track|inline=y|map= STRf!~STR~L!~MFADEg\STRg!~STR~R!~MFADEg\RP3!~MFADEg\RP3!~MFADEg ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rint|NICTD|SSL}} to {{stl|NICTD|Millennium}} SHI2g+l\STR!~BS2c4\RP3\RP3 PSTR(L)\PSTR(R)\RP3\RP3 RP4q!~MFADEgq\RP4w!~PSTR(L)\RP4e!~PSTR(R)\RP4q!~MSTR!~RP3!~lhSTR\RP4q!~MSTR!~RP3!~lhSTR\RP4q!~MFADEfq ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rmri|left}} {{jctrdt|state=IN|SR|53}} (Broadway) PSTR(L)\PSTR(R)\RP3!~POINTERg@fq\RP3!~POINTERg@fq ~~ ~~ ~~ {{jctrdt|state=IN|I|90|Toll}} SHI2gl\SHI2gr\RP3\RP3 STRf!~STR~L!~MFADEf\STRg!~STR~R!~MFADEf\RP3!~MFADEf\RP3!~MFADEf ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rint|NICTD|SSL}} to {{stl|NICTD|South Bend Airport}} }} | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 15 | mapframe-marker-color = #891b0f | mapframe-marker = rail | mpassengers = }}

'''Gary Metro Center''' (also known as the '''Adam Benjamin Metro Center''') is a multimodal commuter hub operated by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation. It was built in 1984 as an elevated replacement of the previously ground-level Broadway Street station.{{sfn|Ogorek|2012|p=90}} Named in honor of local Representative Adam Benjamin Jr.,<ref name=Zdravich>{{cite news |last1=Zdravich |first1=John |title=Center wins duo design award |url=https://www.gptcbus.com/40th-anniversary-of-metro-center-bus-service-expansion/ |access-date=3 November 2024 |newspaper=The Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=November 23, 1986 |location=Hammond, Indiana |page=C-5}} {{free access}}</ref> who died in 1982. It serves as the central bus terminal and the Downtown Gary station on the South Shore Line. It also serves as a stop for Greyhound Lines and other intercity bus systems.

It is one of three NICTD electric train stations in Gary, and serves the Genesis Convention Center and the U.S. Steel Yard baseball park, home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats baseball team. The RailCats's full name, ''SouthShore RailCats'', honors the South Shore Line.

The station is just south of the Indiana Toll Road (I-90) and the disused Gary Union Station. The tracks of the former Baltimore and Ohio (now CSX) and New York Central Railroads (now Norfolk Southern) also lie near the station.

==Structure== The station consists of a single elevated low-level island platform with mobile wheelchair lifts to allow passengers with disabilities to board and disembark. The platform can be accessed from the second floor of stairs located adjacent to Broadway as well as via an elevated walkway over a parking lot that connects to the second floor of the station building.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mysouthshoreline.com/images/ADA-Accessibility-.pdf|title=ADA Accessibility|publisher=Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=September 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921212021/https://www.mysouthshoreline.com/images/ADA-Accessibility-.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ground floor of the building provides sheltered waiting areas for busses. Surrounding the building lie additional parking.

The second floor used to provide access to an elevated walkway over E4th avenue (US 20) to the south, connecting to the nearby Genesis convention centre, as well as it's parking garage. However, this has been closed since 2020 due to structural issues in the garage, and the centre's closure.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallenberger |first=Michael |date=2024-03-26 |title=Hard Rock Casino donates $3 million to help Gary with downtown blight elimination efforts |url=https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/local-news/2024-03-26/hard-rock-casino-donates-3-million-to-help-gary-with-downtown-blight-elimination-efforts |access-date=2026-05-22 |website=Lakeshore Public Media{{!}} Public Broadcasting for Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland |language=en}}</ref>

The station was designed by Gary-based architectural firm H. Seay Cantrell Associates.<ref name="Zdravich" />

==Bus connections== '''Gary Public Transportation Corporation'''

'''Local Routes''' * Route L1: West-Central via Grant * Route L2: Oak/County Line via Aetna * Route L3: Crosstown Connector * Route L4: University Park '''Regional Routes''' * Route R1: R1: Lakeshore Connection * Route R3: Burr Street and Lake Ridge * Route R-BMX: Broadway Metro Express

'''Greyhound Lines'''

==History== thumb|left|A westbound train at Gary in August 1975 Gary station opened in 1908 as an inaugural stop along the new Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend Railway; it was located at Broadway and Third,{{sfn|Ogorek|2012|p=90}} near the United States Steel Corporation plant and several steam railroad stations. The station building had a footprint of {{convert|23|x|78|ft}} and featured a tile roof. A {{convert|200|ft|adj=mid}} platform, level with car floors, was provided for passengers and freight handling. A storage yard and wye were also provided. It contained a ticket office, waiting rooms, and baggage room.<ref>{{Source-attribution| {{cite news |title=The Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend Railway |url=https://libraryarchives.metro.net/dpgtl/ERJ/erj-electric-railway-journal/1909-erj-volume-33-no-15-april-10.pdf |access-date=31 August 2025 |magazine=Electric Railway Journal |volume=XXXIII |issue=15 |publisher=McGraw Publishing Company |date=April 10, 1909 |pages=681–682}} |inline=y}}</ref> A new station building had replaced the original by the 1950s.{{sfn|Ogorek|2012|p=90}}

The modern station was dedicated on October 16, 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=Benjamin center dedicated |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times/147949353/ |access-date=3 November 2024 |newspaper=The Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=October 17, 1985 |location=Hammond, Indiana |page=A-2}} {{free access}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== * {{Ogorek-South Shore}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090615211043/http://www.nictd.com/stations.html South Shore Line - Stations] * [http://southshore.railfan.net/ss-59.html South Shore Railfan.net] * [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.605158,-87.338401&spn=0.002062,0.004812&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.605107,-87.338008&panoid=FB7jYfPLHw7GN7O0wd8Ndw&cbp=12,176.95,,0,3.61 Station from Google Maps Street View]

Category:South Shore Line stations in Indiana Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1984 Category:Transportation in Gary, Indiana Category:Bus stations in Indiana Category:Transportation buildings and structures in Lake County, Indiana Category:Railway stations in Lake County, Indiana Category:1984 establishments in Indiana