Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis House of Representatives voted 96-0 to send House Bill 1618 on to the Indiana Senate. The measure, authored by Rep. Hal Slager, creates a state grant program to fund expansion of the South Shore along the West Lake Corridor.
A second bill concerning the RDA, HB 1398, sponsored by Rep. Ed Soliday, passed the House on Monday. This bill makes several technical changes to the RDA's enabling legislation which will strengthen our case for federal matching dollars on the West Lake Corridor project.
We would like to thank Reps. Slager and Soliday, all the members of the Northwest Indiana delegation and the many Representatives statewide that are supporting our efforts to foster economic growth and development here through a stronger connection to the Chicago market. Without their vision and hard work, none of this would be possible.
Since our inception in 2006, the RDA has invested about $30 million in regional transportation projects, including new rail cars for the South Shore commuter rail line, and parking and station improvements for the ChicaGo Dash service. Commuters who use these services every day to travel to jobs in Chicago bring back a combined $430 million in personal income annually to spend on goods and services here in Northwest Indiana. Currently, the RDA is working with local, state and federal officials to expand South Shore service to Chicago. That expansion, the West Lake Corridor, would result in an additional $231 million in personal income for the regional economy. For more about the project and why it's important, check out RDA President and CEO Bill Hanna's recent interview with nwindianalife.com.
