Northwest Indiana put its best foot forward Tuesday in presenting a Regional Cities Initiative plan with clear goals and measurable results.
The region's 14-member delegation, led by Bill Hanna, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, laid out a strong case for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to make Northwest Indiana one of two areas to receive state funding for major, game-changing projects.
Seven regions across the state applied for funding.
Northwest Indiana's project deserves strong support within the region and the IEDC.
The region's $42 million request would help fund double-tracking of the South Shore commuter rail line between Gary and Michigan City.
The extra set of tracks would stop trains from having to wait on one of the few sidings while another train passes.
Travel times would be significantly reduced as a result, making it quicker to get to jobs in Chicago that pay, on average, 37 percent more than jobs in Northwest Indiana. Getting to Chicago would take 25 minutes from Hammond, 35 minutes from Gary, 50 minutes from Chesterton, 60 minutes from Michigan City and 90 minutes from South Bend.
That puts Michigan City within an easy commute by train, giving commuters an hour to get work done, read a book or just relax instead of the headaches associated with driving to and from work.
It also makes Northwest Indiana more attractive to younger workers and families who would move here for the lower taxes and higher quality of life Indiana offers.
That's one of the big benefits of this rail project. It spurs economic growth by bringing in new people who would enjoy the transit-oriented development along the main line of the South Shore as well as along the new West Lake extension to Dyer. The developments would offer retail and housing attractive to millennials.
The South Shore is also planning to allow bikes on trains, which will make Northwest Indiana even more attractive to visitors and to millennials.
The effort to make Northwest Indiana, as well as Chicago, more accessible, deserves praise — and funding.
Adding the extra set of tracks is expensive, estimated at $114 million, but the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore, predicts it will double ridership, to at least 25,000 per day.
Northwest Indiana has a proven record of being able to work together on massive economic development efforts, thanks in large part to the General Assembly's creation of the RDA 10 years ago.
The IEDC should recognize the region's ability to deliver on its promises and grant funding to this area's Regional Cities Initiative application.