The 2016 update to the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority's Comprehensive Strategic Plan is now available online.
The new report details how South Shore commuter rail expansion will have a transformative effect on Northwest Indiana:
- Construction of the West Lake Corridor and double-tracking the existing South Shore line from Gary to Michigan City will support approximately 2,000 construction jobs during the construction period from 2018 to 2022. And together, these to improvements to the South Shore system are projected to create about 5,700 permanent jobs in Lake and Porter counties by 2046.
- The West Lake Corridor will increase the South Shore's daily ridership from about 14,500 now to more than 21,000. Completion of the double-tracking project will boost ridership to over 24,000.
- Station area development is projected to generate an additional $435 million in local property tax revenues for Hammond, Munster, Dyer, East Chicago, Gary, Miller, Ogden Dunes and Portage from 2018 to 2039.
- The economic activity generated by the commuter rail investments will produce additional revenue for the State of Indiana - more than 4 times the State's annual commitment within 20 years.
