EDITORIAL: South Shore project must stay on track

Times of Northwest Indiana

People who remember region history will recall that long before the big push to extend South Shore service to Lowell and Valparaiso, the West Lake Corridor project was discussed for years.

It was because of the West Lake Corridor study, in fact, that extending commuter rail service to Valparaiso even entered the picture. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore passenger trains, contracted for a study that showed service should be extended not only to Lowell but also to Valparaiso.

And now service to Lowell might be temporarily shelved, ironically, so service to Valparaiso can have a better shot at success.

"Getting one leg going may be the best chance of eventually getting both," NICTD Marketing Director John Parsons said.

NICTD and its consultant say building just one branch of the extension would save money, of course, and make the project more palatable.

The Federal Transit Administration would be expected to pay half of the project's cost, assuming Northwest Indiana succeeds in getting funding under the highly competitive New Starts program.

With U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., an entrenched member of the House Appropriations Committee, the region's chances of getting federal funding seem good.

The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority would be asked to chip in $150 million, the amount the RDA's strategic plan indicates might be appropriate for the South Shore project.

That leaves the balance to be generated at either the state or local level or both.

Parsons said recently no decision has been made about which leg to build first.

Although it was the extension to Lowell that began the conversation, the extension to Valparaiso seems the most promising in terms of attracting riders, alleviating highway congestion, improving pollution and uniting the region.

If the Lowell leg of the expansion has to wait for a while because the Valparaiso extension is the more likely to get funded, so be it. Just make sure the Lowell project isn't postponed indefinitely.