Indianapolis -- Indiana needs to grasp onto every logistical opportunity if it wants to continue to lead the country in the transportation industry, government and transportation leaders said Wednesday on the second day of a two-day forum.
Indiana has 14 interstate highways, which is more than any other state. Indiana is situated within a 500-mile radius of more than 82 million people, and the state ranks ninth for railroad mileage. It ranks 15th in waterborne shipping, and 15 percent of all freight touches the state.
But if the modes of transportation aren't connected through a central location or intermodal, the benefits to being so transportationally blessed won't be as beneficial, said Michael Gallis, a leader in transportation initiatives.
"We don't have a transportation problem, we have a transportation crisis," Gallis said. "The system was developed as a series of separate modes. Each of the modes was built and operated by separate independent pieces. As a result, it's a highly fragmented system."
The solution would be to build an intermodal, said Gov. Mitch Daniels, who said he's been in daily talks to bring an intermodal to LaPorte County.
One of the obstacles facing LaPorte's proposed intermodal is the emergence of a railroad willing to be a central part of the facility, Daniels said. But he suggested that an opportunity of this size must be seized so Indiana can continue to serve as an economic leader.
Daniels said Indiana is on its way to becoming the leader in transportation through its toll roads and through the Major Moves initiatives, but it needs to continue to build roads and logistical options to attract even more businesses. He said he understood that new routes, roads and infrastructure will displace some residents. But if Indiana doesn't move forward, it will start losing money.
"There are costs to doing nothing," he said. "In this state, we're going to solve this."
While Daniels has been advocating for an intermodal in LaPorte, there are some difficulties with placing the facility in Northwest Indiana, said Rob Giradot, director of business development for CSX Intermodal, based in Florida.
Giradot said intermodals should be situated near a major metropolitan market, which works for LaPorte. It should be located on a high density mainline with superior highway access and capacity, he said. The intermodal also should be placed on a continuous land parcel of more than 200 acres.
The biggest key to creating a successful intermodal, Giradot said, would be the support of the community. In LaPorte, economic developers and officials have pledged their ongoing support, but many residents have protested the proposed facility.
Some protesters came to the summit to learn more about the intermodal because they said public officials and private developers haven't given them any information.
"We wanted to find out what's going on," said Martin Dolan, a LaPorte County man who wants to learn more about the intermodal.