[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/no-...2351fb3872.html

When the South Shore Line's West Lake Corridor project crossed a major threshold this month with publication of a 600-page environmental impact statement, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky's mantra was: "There is more work to be done."

In addition to technical work on West Lake and the related Double Track NWI initiative, there are targets to hit regarding the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Improvement Grants program, which would fund half the cost of the projects.

"There are no guarantees," Visclosky, a Merrillville Democrat, said about the competitive grant process. The funds would be awarded from an annual federal allocation of about $2.3 billion for the Capital Improvement Grants program. Visclosky said working methodically to meet federal milestones and demonstrating community support are key.

"I am fully confident that if all of us continue to work hard, in a deliberate fashion, and with a regional sense of purpose, the economic landscape of Northwest Indiana will be transformed for the betterment of every resident and future generations,” Visclosky said.