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[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39824.82

17 crossings may be eliminated
The NICTD preliminary concept for rerouting the South Shore through Michigan City eliminates 17 of the current 34 street crossings. The 17 intersections are marked on the preliminary concept for the South Shore relocation. While the crossing at Washington Street is not Xed out, that is the proposed location for a new train station. Based on the plan, the following crossings would be closed:

Carlon Court and adjacent alley, Donnelly Street and adjacent alley, Claire Street, Kentucky Street, Tennessee Street, Elston Street, Manhattan Street, Buffalo Street, Spring Street, Cedar Street, Lafayette Street, York Street, Oak Street, Maple Street and Phillips Avenue.
More South Shore details released

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Property owners with parcels south of current South Shore tracks on 10th and 11th streets await an uncertain future until plans for realigning the commuter train are adopted.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District operates the South Shore and announced last week it intends to significantly re-configure more than two miles of track running through Michigan City. NICTD's preliminary downtown rerouting concept, developed by TranSystems of Chicago, shows the tracks heading south of 10th Street at Sheridan Avenue and proceeding through town to a point just east of Michigan Boulevard, where the regular route resumes.

John Parsons, NICTD spokesperson, said properties north of 11th Street will not be affected. He said the specific houses and properties that would be impacted by the change have not yet been identified. He said the project, estimated at $65 million, has been developed at a "gross level of detail" and changes could be made as the engineering process moves forward.

A map labeled "Preliminary Downtown Reroute Concept" shows a South Shore station and 775-space parking area between Franklin and Wabash streets and from Warren Street north to 11th Street. The map includes station information that lists the current 11th Street parking lot at 42 spaces and the Carroll Avenue station at 155 spaces. Those stations would be replaced with the new downtown station.

The new route is designed to eliminate the curve between 10th and 11th streets near the Amtrak intersection, and also remove the curve at Cedar and Lafayette streets. As now indicated on the map, the tracks run parallel but one row of houses south of the existing 11th street tracks between Kentucky Street and Michigan Boulevard.

At Sheridan Avenue, looking east, the proposed route angles to the right, eventually running well behind the houses on the south side of 10th Street and linking directly with the portion of track that would be just south of 11th Street.

Chicago Street would be rerouted, but it would retain a crossing of the South Shore tracks.

Depending on funding and station design, Parsons said a parking ramp could be constructed, allowing for private developers to create an activity center in the areas surrounding the station.

An environmental impact statement will be required before property can be purchased, Parsons said.

"An environmental impact statement and public hearing are required as part of the process," he said. "The specifics will follow as part of the on-going process to qualify for federal funding."

NICTD has yet to obtain funding for the detailed engineering plan that comes next, Parsons said.

Michigan City Mayor Chuck Oberlie has reviewed the NICTD preliminary downtown route and will present the plan to the City Council for its approval. Parsons expects some issues to be raised by the council at that point.

"We certainly want to develop a plan in concert with Michigan City that meets their needs," Parsons said.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39652.84

11th Street chosen for South Shore station
Project has been in works for 10 years

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - A $65 million project that would substantially change South Shore passenger service to Michigan City will be presented to Mayor Chuck Oberlie and the City Council for review and approval.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District board approved a memorandum of understanding, to be entered into with Michigan City, to improve safety and efficiency on a two-mile stretch of the railroad that runs through the city.

The NICTD decision last Friday moves forward a project that has been discussed for some 10 years, according to Barbara Huston, NICTD board secretary. Huston, La Porte County Commission president, and Mark Yagelski, La Porte County councilman, represent the county on the board.

Oberlie sees the NICTD plan as a positive move for North End redevelopment and he's ready to get it done. He said some federal grants for the project will be available in September. Gerald Hanas, NICTD general manager, said more than one federal grant will be needed to fund the effort, which is expected to take seven to eight years to complete.

Safety was a major factor in the NICTD planning process. New federal regulations require railroads to enhance their safety systems by 2015.

The NICTD plan calls for closing the 11th Street and Carroll Avenue stations and creating a new station with an elevated platform at 11th and Washington streets. The number of street crossings would be reduced from 34 to 17. An 800-vehicle parking lot would serve riders from throughout La Porte County and adjacent areas. Increases in South Shore ridership have created parking problems at the 11th Street and Carroll Avenue stations.

If approved by Michigan City and federal officials, NICTD will spend approximately $15.6 million of the total funding to acquire property along the south side of 10th and 11th streets, creating a fenced off east-west corridor that separates the South Shore from cars.

"Property acquisition will be the big thing," Huston said.

The Michigan City stretch of the South Shore line is the most expensive to maintain and requires "extremely slow speeds," Hanas said. He expects the improvements to shave some six minutes off travel times.

The mayor said the embedded tracks have created additional expenses for the city as well. Streets normally have a 15-to 20-year life span, he said, but 11th Street needs work after eight to 10 years.

The South Shore has operated for 100 years, but the long-standing placement of the tracks is no longer the best option.

"People outside the city are shocked when they see the train coming down the middle of the street," Oberlie said.

Earlier information indicated NICTD was considering moving the South Shore line either south, next to Ames Field, or north on the Amtrak route. In a six-month, privately funded study, consultants in the fields of economic development and urban planning looked at the potential for all three routes to contribute to what they call "transportation-oriented development," meaning areas where people live, work, shop and play within walking distance of a transportation station. They indicated the 11th Street corridor has significant potential, but is farther from the lake and at the southern end of the downtown area.

However, the NICTD officials who attended the public meetings convened by the consultants consistently indicated they preferred to redevelop the 11th Street corridor.

Rich Murphy, 1st Ward city councilman, believes the South Shore study along with several North End redevelopment plans have allowed residents to understand the opportunities.

"NICTD'S commitment to this project is a huge step toward our vision of a vibrant, bustling downtown Michigan City," Murphy said. "We've said all along that to do something great, there would need to be a spirit of cooperation between NICTD and the city."

Hanas said the La Porte County representatives on the NICTD board felt the studies needed to end.

"They felt like the path of studying route alternatives was continuing ad infinitum and needed to be brought to a logical conclusion," Hanas said.

He said NICTD has worked with an engineering firm for the past few months to develop preliminary drawings. Initial plans call for one new track to be installed, with room for a second track in the future.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.