CROWN POINT — The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority Board of Directors on Thursday approved a $1.6 million contribution to preliminary engineering work for the South Shore's "double-tracking" project.
The project will add a second set of rails between Gary and Michigan City, helping to reduce trip times to and from Chicago.
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District officials have estimated the double-tracking project could cost more than $100 million in total, with half financed by the federal government and half from local and state funds.
The RDA board also approved chipping in $75,000 for a Legacy Foundation project helping Gary's Miller neighborhood plan its future.
The RDA's contribution is aimed at planning for transit oriented development around Miller's South Shore train station and for planning Marquette Park's future.
The Legacy Foundation's Neighborhood Spotlight program consists of a range of activities aimed at involving residents and the business community in planning a neighborhood's future. The Miller neighborhood was chosen in 2014.
The South Shore commuter railroad and Lake Michigan access are two of the RDA's state-mandated areas of focus.
The RDA is also interviewing candidates for the job of planning transit oriented development along the proposed West Lake Corridor from Hammond to Dyer. That contract will be paid by a federal grant. RDA President and CEO Bill Hanna said the corridor is already attracting interest.
"There's a lot of optimism informally that we're getting from people who work in these markets," Hanna said.
That project has an estimated cost of $571 million.
Engineering firm AECOM is currently working with NICTD on a draft environmental impact statement that will provide firm details of the project. It's scheduled for publication late this year.
The double-tracking and West Lake projects constitute a major investment in making train-based commuting to Chicago faster and more convenient.
"This is a total system upgrade for Northwest Indiana," Hanna said of the two projects.
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