no link but got info they got a $300,000 grant for the expansion study, thats not going to build it but will get things rolling.
South Shore Line lands grant to plan expansion The Times
An infusion of federal grant funding will help power the South Shore Line expansion forward.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration awarded the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, or NICTD, a $300,000 grant to plan proposed stations along the planned West Lake extension of the South Shore Line.
"This is great news," NICTD General Manager Mike Noland said.
"The timing on the grant award validates the commitment being made by all three communities (Munster, Dyer, and Hammond) to design stations that provide opportunities for neighborhoods to grow along the West Lake Corridor and the region to flourish."
U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, has championed the 9-mile extension of the commuter rail from Hammond to Dyer.
"This Department of Transportation funding is but one piece of the many pieces that have come together to bring the extension of the South Shore Railroad closer to reality," Visclosky said. "I am convinced that the extension of the South Shore Railroad will spread the economic vitality of the Chicagoland area into Northwest Indiana and allow our region to become the next great economic engine of the state of Indiana."
The federal Transit Oriented Development planning grant will look at how to cultivate mixed-used development around the stations and how much parking is needed. The money can be used to develop multimodal connectivity plans and encourage private-sector investment in development and urban density around the stations.
"This grant will focus attention on effective planning strategies and tools that encourage liveable communities," Noland said. "We look forward to working the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority on this important initiative."
The award shows the viability of transit-oriented development in Northwest Indiana, NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner said.
"You could say it validates the potential and proof of concept in forging this kind of development along transit lines," Warner said. "It bodes well for the region – this kind of thinking is where the future of Northwestern Indiana lies. We've got to think more intentionally about how we're growing and what will be marketable in the future. The awards here help move things along in that direction."
South Shore Line lands grant to plan expansion The Times
An infusion of federal grant funding will help power the South Shore Line expansion forward.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration awarded the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, or NICTD, a $300,000 grant to plan proposed stations along the planned West Lake extension of the South Shore Line.
"This is great news," NICTD General Manager Mike Noland said.
"The timing on the grant award validates the commitment being made by all three communities (Munster, Dyer, and Hammond) to design stations that provide opportunities for neighborhoods to grow along the West Lake Corridor and the region to flourish."
U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, has championed the 9-mile extension of the commuter rail from Hammond to Dyer.
"This Department of Transportation funding is but one piece of the many pieces that have come together to bring the extension of the South Shore Railroad closer to reality," Visclosky said. "I am convinced that the extension of the South Shore Railroad will spread the economic vitality of the Chicagoland area into Northwest Indiana and allow our region to become the next great economic engine of the state of Indiana."
The federal Transit Oriented Development planning grant will look at how to cultivate mixed-used development around the stations and how much parking is needed. The money can be used to develop multimodal connectivity plans and encourage private-sector investment in development and urban density around the stations.
"This grant will focus attention on effective planning strategies and tools that encourage liveable communities," Noland said. "We look forward to working the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority on this important initiative."
The award shows the viability of transit-oriented development in Northwest Indiana, NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner said.
"You could say it validates the potential and proof of concept in forging this kind of development along transit lines," Warner said. "It bodes well for the region – this kind of thinking is where the future of Northwestern Indiana lies. We've got to think more intentionally about how we're growing and what will be marketable in the future. The awards here help move things along in that direction."
