NIRPC hears transportation projects, woes

PORTAGE | Members of NIRPC's Transportation Policy Committee met on Tuesday morning to discuss planning, programming, and projects across the region.

Tim Brown of the Regional Bus Authority told Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission officials that despite the agency's 50 percent increase in ridership over the past year, it has met with money difficulties that will soon end its service.

"The RBA is out of money as of June 30, 2012, and will have to collapse services to some 30,000 riders. We need permanent funding for transit. Tell your legislators. Frankly the local solution rests with the county and always has. The only way to truly solve the problem is through income taxes," Brown said.

Roosevelt Allen, Lake County commissioner, said he has been trying to find alternative ways to come up with funding since the General Assembly will not repeal property tax legislation that will not affect tax payers and instead seeks gaming sources.

"They have to find something to amend it into for it to move through this assembly," said Allen.

Jim Pinkerton, of the Indiana Department of Transportation, discussed project lettings and said that demolition of the closed Cline Ave. bridge will begin at the end of February or the beginning of March, from Michigan to Riley Road. He said Ramp D will connect Clive Ave. and Riley Road and will go to letting March 7.

Joe Crnkovich of the Northern Indaina Commuter Transportation District, said trains are scheduled to start using the Kensington bypass Wednesday, which will help prevent delays from trains awaiting clearance through this area. As a result, Kensington has been eliminated as a stop, affecting few riders.

NIRPC's Eman Ibrahim presented a resolution which was unanimously passed to amend the unified planning work program for 2012 to include a new project from the Gary Public Transportation Corp. that include route planning, facilities, planning, regional planning, grant management, and reporting.

"We're trying to find some funding to study the Broadway corridor, completing and utilizing our geographical transportation system, and training staff to use that system. We will be monitoring and making changes to our regional network," said David Wright, of GPTC.