Northwest Indiana could be solution to Midwest gridlock

MERRILLVILLE | It will come as little surprise to local motorists that Chicago is a bottleneck to high-speed travel.

But it's more than that, U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House's transportation and infrastructure committee, told a regional transportation conference Monday.

"To move a shipping container 1,800 miles from Los Angeles to Chicago costs approximately $300. To move it just seven miles through Chicago costs another $300," Oberstar said.

Northwest Indiana could be the solution.

"Rail congestion in Chicago is a benefit to you. Becoming an air-freight reliever, building an intermodal (rail) center make enormous sense. You get into the national picture," Oberstar said.

He was a keynote speaker at the Moving Northwest Indiana Forward forum, sponsored by The Times, NIPSCO, the Northwest Indiana Forum Inc., Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Purdue University, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., and Whiteco Industries.

Oberstar said his Minnesota district is connected to Northwest Indiana's steel mills through the low-grade iron ore mined there and shipped here via the Great Lakes.

He described the region as a "muscular heartland" of agricultural products whose rails and interstate highways are central to national commerce.

He said we are competing with China, which is sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into steel production and transportation infrastructure while, "we are underinvesting at home."

"The foundation to economic growth is transportation. Gary is in the path of growth. You are a first-tier airport that has capacity for growth. You need to extend the main runway at the Gary/Chicago Airport to 9,000 feet. That would be longer than anything at Midway," he said.

"You have Indiana Harbor and The Port of Indiana, which are underutilized ports," Oberstar said.

He is involved in legislation to make the St. Lawrence Seaway more accessible under a binational authority eliminating duplication of maintenance costs and fees between the United States and Canada.

He said extending the South Shore light rail lines south into Lake County and east into Porter County would pay dividends.

"Commuter rail service is one of the highest priority new economy companies have in locating their headquarters," Oberstar said.

"There are towns that would give their right arm for assets like that," Oberstar said.

Lake County Councilman Will Smith, D-Gary, who also is chairman of the Transportation Committee of the National Association of Counties, said, "(Oberstar) touched on something I've been pushing on, the waterways as an option for relieving congestion."