What is happening at the helm of the "orange rocket line"?
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Yagelski: NICTD bill is attempt at Lake County takeover
http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/201 ... 024147.txt
CHESTERTON — A bill proposing to change the makeup of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation Board is causing concern among the current board members about fair representation and a Lake County takeover.
La Porte County Councilman Mark Yagelski, NICTD’s new board chairman, said Friday the bill, filed by Rep. Mara Candelaria-Reardon, a Democrat who represents Munster, is an attempt by Lake County to take over supervision of the South Shore commuter rail line.
The bill proposes to give mayors in the most populous cities served by the South Shore, or their designates, seats on the board, and eliminating representatives from each of the four counties the rail line travels through.
The bill has been referred to the House Roads and Transportation Committee. It would call for four new members from the county in the district with the largest population to be placed on the board, which is Lake County. Seats would go to the mayor of the largest city north of U.S. 6 (Hammond); the mayor of the second-largest city north of U.S. 6 (Gary); the mayor of the third-largest city located north of U.S. 6 (East Chicago); the mayor of the largest city south of U.S. 6 (Hobart); the mayor of the largest city in a county in a district with the second largest population (Portage); and the mayor in the second largest city (Valparaiso).
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Yeah, lets not do this. While it makes some sense to be more represented by the areas that provide the highest ridership, such a makeup would be detrimental to the eastern counties. Would the four Lake county reps vote to improve Michigan City and South Bend service?
