The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) will hold a 30-day public comment period on its 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Amendment #4 to its 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan (CRP) Update Companion, and its updated Air Quality Conformity Analysis. The comment period will begin on March 14, 2017 and end on April 13, 2017.
The TIP is NIRPC's short term funding plan, containing over $800 million in state, regional, and local projects. These projects are in the areas of highways, non-motorized transportation, environmental work, public transit, and planning. The projects include everything from smaller local projects like road resurfacing and sidewalk replacement to major projects of regional significance, including the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's (NICTD's) Westlake expansion in Lake County and double-tracking from Gary to Michigan City.
Amendment #4 to the Comprehensive Regional Plan would add two NICTD projects and one INDOT project to NIRPC's 2040 CRP Update Companion, as well as modify two previously planned INDOT highway projects. Because these projects represent regionally significant changes to our transportation network, they must be adopted in NIRPC's long range transportation plan for the region before they can proceed.
ADDITIONS to 2040 CRP Update Companion:
– NICTD's 25 mile double tracking project from Gary to Michigan City;
– NICTD's 9 mile West Lake Corridor Project between Hammond and Dyer;
– INDOT's Interchange Modification on I-80/94 West Bound at I-65.
MODIFICATIONS to 2040 CRP Update Companion:
– INDOT/IDOT Illiana Expressway Corridor: Completion Date moved from 2020 to 2040
– INDOT's I-65 Added Travel Lanes between SR-2 and SR-10 removed from the plan.
As part of the public comment period, NIRPC will be hosting five public comment open houses throughout the region. They are:
– March 21, 2017: NIRPC, 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN 6:00-8:00 pm
– March 22, 2017: Hammond Civic Center, 5825 Sohl Avenue, Hammond, IN 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00 to 8:00 pm
– March 28, 2017: Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN 6:00-8:00 pm
– March 29, 2017: Michigan City City Hall, 100 E Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City, IN 6:00-8:00 pm
– March 30, 2017: The Centennial, 504 Broadway, Gary, IN 6:00-8:00 pm
The meetings will be an open house format and attendees are welcome to come anytime during the meeting time.
In addition to the open houses, comments can also be submitted until April 13, 2017 in the following ways:
– Email: comments@nirpc.org
– Phone: 219-763-6060, ext. 160
– United States Postal Service: NIRPC, 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN 46368
All comments received during the 30-day public comment period will be compiled into a public comment report and responded to. This report will be made available to the public and distributed to the relevant NIRPC committees prior to any action on these items. It is anticipated that action will be taken at the May 9, 2017 meeting of the Technical Planning Committee, followed by the May 18, 2017 meeting of the NIRPC Commission.
The documents will be available for review at the public meetings, as well as NIRPC's website at www.nirpc.org. Requests for alternative formats may be directed to Mary Thorne by calling 219-763-6060, ext. 131, or by email at mthorne@nirpc.org. TTY users may use the Relay Indiana service by calling 711 or 800-743-3333.
