03/15/07 2007 NIRPC APPOINTMENTS (HEA 1010) APPOINTING AUTHORITY MEMBER APPOINTING AUTHORITY MEMBER LAKE COUNTY PORTER COUNTY Lake County Commissioners Gerry Scheub Porter County Commissioners Robert Harper Lake County Council Will Smith, Jr. Porter County Council Michael Bucko Lake County Surveyor George Van Til Mayor of Gary Shirley Stanford Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke Mayor of Hammond Thomas M. McDermott, Jr. Mayor of Portage Doug Olson Merrillville Town Council Shawn M. Pettit Mayor of Valparaiso H. Jonathan Costas Munster Town Council David F. Shafer Chesterton Town Council David Cincoski Mayor of Hobart Linda Buzinec Hebron Town Council Don Ensign Mayor of East Chicago Richard Medina Porter Town Council William Sexton Griffith Town Council Stanley Dobosz Kouts Town Council David Brooks Highland Town Council Michael Griffin Schererville Town Council Michael Troxell Ogden Dunes Town Council P. Thomas Clouser Mayor of Crown Point Dan Klein Burns Harbor Town Council Robert M. Perrine Mayor of Lake Station Ron Good Beverly Shores Town Council Joan Bliss Mayor of Whiting Joseph M. Stahura Dune Acres Town Council Benjamin Bolton Dyer Town Council Robert Rybicki Pines Town Council Cathi Murray Cedar Lake Town Council Patricia Wisniewski Lowell Town Council Judith Walters LA PORTE COUNTY Winfield Town Council William Teach New Chicago Town Council Roger Pelfrey La Porte County Commissioners Michael Bohacek St. John Town Council Sherry P. Sury La Porte County Council Jerry Cooley Schneider Town Council Richard Ludlow La Porte County Surveyor Robert Przybylinski Mayor of Michigan City Charles Oberlie Mayor of La Porte Leigh Morris Trail Creek Town Council Ron Lombard Long Beach Town Council Bob Schaefer Kingsford Heights Town Council Rosalie Jacobs Kingsbury Town Council Ed Ritter Michiana Shores Town Council Steve Millick Wanatah Town Council Stephen Mockler LaCrosse Town Council vacant Pottawattamie Park Town Council Susan Tochell Westville Town Council vacant Governor of Indiana Chester Dobis To the Citizens of Northwestern Indiana: We are proud to present to you the Connections 2030 Regional Transportation Plan, as amended to be compliant with the Safe, Account- able, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:- A Legacy of Users (SAFETEA-LU) . That current Federal Surface Transportation Act was en- acted on August 10, 2005 . This plan provides the framework for the development of the transportation system, including the network of roads and public transit services from now to the horizon year 2030. This plan addresses immediate and forecasted transportation needs with proposed spending on a variety of high-priority state and local initiatives such as the reconstruction and upgrades of interchanges, new interchanges and added travel lanes on arterial highways. Public transit service improvements are also anticipated. Complementing this plan are parallel planning activities by the Regional Bus Authority to identify the opportunities for new fixed-route bus services, and demand-responsive services to people with mobility limitations. This plan was prepared with the involvement of many stake-holders, including local governments, operators of public transportation services, the Indiana Department of Transportation, advocates for minorities and persons with limited means, and advocates for protection of the environment. Our gratitude is extended to them for their generous investment of time and expertise in the development of this plan. As part of a continuous, cooperative and comprehensive planning process, this plan will lay the foundation for future efforts that will continuously adapt to changes in the development patterns of Northwestern Indiana, and respond to the limitations of financial resources from federal, state and local sources. The plan is the product of one of the three planning domains for the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC). Economic Development and Environment are the other two domains. Together, the three domains are the subject of the comprehensive planning activities of the Commission. NIRPC’s purpose is to create the conditions within which policy makers and the public can create a sustainable, vibrant regional community and quality of life for Northwest Indiana. We believe that this plan provides a strong start down that path. Sincerely, John A. Swanson Executive Director CONNECTIONS 2030— COMPLIANCE AMENDMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Public Involvement.................................................................................................................... 26 Part I: Background......................................................................................................................... I-1 1. Demographic Trends and Forecasts ................................................................................... I-2 2. Regional Transportation System ....................................................................................... I-35 3. Regional Land Use Planning & Design.............................................................................. I-71 4. Environmental Planning..................................................................................................... I-81 5. Economic Development..................................................................................................... I-83 Part II: Transportation Program Development........................................................................... II-1 1. Financial Capacity & Projection.......................................................................................... II-2 2. 2030 Plan Project Evaluation and Selection..................................................................... II-32 3. 2030 Regional Transportation Plan Projects .................................................................... II-58 4. Transportation Improvement Program Guidance ............................................................. II-76 5. Air Quality Conformity Determination ............................................................................... II-89 Part III: Transportation System Strategies ................................................................................ III-1 5 Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission CONNECTIONS 2030— COMPLIANCE AMENDMENT 1. Transportation Management & Operations ........................................................................III-2 2. Congestion Management Process...................................................................................III-11 3. Freight Operations ...........................................................................................................III-21 4. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)............................................................................III-25 5. Transportation Safety ......................................................................................................III-26 6. Transportation Security....................................................................................................III-44 Part IV: Future Initiatives & Needs ...........................................................................................................IV-1 1. Future & Ongoing Studies................................................................................................. IV-2 2. Public Transit .................................................................................................................... IV-8 Appendices.......................................................................................................................................................A-1 Appendix A: Regional/ local Agencies contact information .................................................. A-2 Appendix B: Coordination with Historical and Anthropological Planning................................ A-3 Appendix C: Illustrative Lists of Projects.............................................................................. A-18 Appendix D: Public Comment .............................................................................................. A-21 Appendix E: Acknowledgment ............................................................................................. A-39 6 Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission CONNECTIONS 2030— COMPLIANCE AMENDMENT Introduction Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission CONNECTIONS 2030— COMPLIANCE AMENDMENT Introduction 1 INTRODUCTION Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 greatly impact the relationship between transportation and air COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL quality, particularly transportation planning in REQUIREMENTS non-attainment areas like Northwest Indiana. NIRPC, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization According to SAFETEA-LU, state and metropoli- (MPO), has the responsibility to conduct a trans- tan area transportation plans have to be compliant portation planning process for the Lake, La Porte, with the new federal requirements by July 1, 2007. and Porter County region. This includes parts of SAFETEA-LU kept most of what was required in two Census-defined urbanized areas in Indiana, ISTEA and TEA-21.) Some significant MPO plan- which are the Chicago IL-IN, and Michigan City, ning changes and additions are required by IN-MI urbanized areas. The most significant fed- SAFETEA-LU, which have to be included in trans- eral influences in