The South Shore's operator on Friday took a major step toward applying for federal aid to build a $571 million extension by voting unanimously to hire AECOM, of Los Angeles, to develop a draft environmental impact study.
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District trustees approved going forward with the study just as towns and cities are pledging long-term funding for the 8-mile extension to Dyer.
"The process thus far has produced a lot of questions, probably more questions than answers," said NICTD Trustee and Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay. "So this study will provide a lot of the answers."
Repay said the title "environmental impact study" is a misnomer, as the report will examine all aspects of the project, including its financing.
The draft environmental impact study will eventually be part of an application to proceed submitted to the Federal Transit Administration under its New Starts program, which can pay for 50 percent of the project's cost.
The study will take up to 18 months and could cost up to $3 million. In February, the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority voted to contribute $1 million to the study's cost.
AECOM was hired in August 2010 to oversee Gary/Chicago International Airport's $166 million expansion project. That project is still ongoing, having missed a completion deadline last year.
NICTD trustees also passed a resolution thanking U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, for campaigning for the South Shore extension and affirming NICTD recognizes the project's "economic, social and transportation benefits."
Before the vote, Trustee Sylvia Graham, a Porter County councilwoman, said she was voting in favor "with the assurance there will be no tax on other counties to pay for this."