South Shore expansion gets support from mayors

The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Mayor Chuck Oberlie joined with South Bend Mayor Stephen J. Luecke and area businesses Monday to support HB 1220, which provides funding for major improvements to the South Shore.

Sixty other municipalities, organizations, unions and businesses have announced support for expansion of the South Shore south to Valparaiso in Porter County and Lowell in Lake County.

Oberlie said he supports improvements including relocating the rail line serving the South Bend Regional Airport as well as planning and funding of needed improvements in Michigan City.

The legislation would enable the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District to complete a modernization of its overhead power and signal systems in La Porte and St. Joseph counties.

Since moving to the South Bend Regional Airport in 1992, the South Shore has seen a 200 percent increase in ridership out of South Bend compared with a 26 percent increase in overall South Shore ridership during the same period.

The proposed new route would enhance safety by eliminating at least 16 grade crossings in South Bend.

"A two-hour trip from South Bend to downtown Chicago will boost ridership on the South Shore and strengthen our economic ties with the Midwest's largest city ... this reduced travel time makes us a more competitive alternative for housing and business opportunities," Luecke said.

"The South Shore has long been an important part of Michigan City's economy and it is important that as our city continues to rebuild itself that we make the best use of this asset and continue to invest in it," Oberlie added. "This is a regional issue that requires regional cooperation in order to achieve the service improvements that our communities need to move forward."

Michigan City Area Chamber of Commerce, President Tim Bietry said, "During our recent studies of redevelopment of the North End of the city the South Shore was recognized as not only a great asset but also a great opportunity. Connectivity to other communities whether it be to the east or the west is critical to our future growth as a region. We need to make sure we develop multi-modal types of facilities where rail is connected to other forms of mass transit."

HB 1220 passed the House on Jan. 29 and is pending before the Indiana State Senate.

The bill would provide the state share, some $500 million, of the estimated $1 billion cost of extending new lines to Valparaiso and Lowell. It would divert 12.5 percent of the state sales taxes collected in La Porte, St. Joseph, Porter and Lake counties to the railroad expansion. The bill originally proposed to take sales taxes from Porter and Lake for the Valparaiso and Lowell extenstions, but was amended to include La Porte and St. Joseph counties to fund South Shore projects in those counties.