Updates, News, and Events for a Renewed NWI

Renewed NWI

NWI’s urban and rural centers are places people want to come

to and live in, and our environment is safe and healthy.

Spotlight

The majority of NIRPC’s planning activities start on July 1st of each year and with our “New Year” NIRPC would like to share some of the planning activities now underway for a Renewed NWI . In FY2020, the following tasks will be undertaken:

Congestion Management Process Update - The Congestion Management Process (CMP) will be designed to ensure that NWI effectively manages congestion in accordance with the region’s expectations. The process will be updated in light of the many strategies in the NWI 2050 Plan and new technologies that have arisen since 2011, when the CMP was last updated.

E-Commerce in NWI - The emergence of e-commerce is transforming the retail experience in the United States. E-commerce is closing big box retailers in suburban locations and will potentially change the landscape for how residents of NWI purchase goods. E-commerce is also changing how goods and services are being delivered to purchasers. This task will investigate the impacts of e-commerce on NWI and offer recommendations on how best to deal with the rapidly changing retail landscape on land uses and our transportation network..

Transit Asset Management Plan Update - The Transit Asset Management Plan will be updated with new data and asset conditions as required by the Federal Transit Administration for the transit providers in NWI that are sub-recipients of federal-aid through NIRPC.

Transportation Vulnerability Assessment - The Transportation Vulnerability Assessment will examine transportation assets within NWI that are at risk due to changing climate and extreme weather events.

Follow this newsletter and NIRPC’s social media for updates on these planning activities and opportunities to participate.

Economy and Place

Environment

Mobility

NIRPC is collaborating with the Purdue Extension to update the Sensible Tools Handbook and to provide future training for municipal officials. In support of Purdue Extension efforts, NIRPC would like to encourage planners, municipal officials, and interested citizens to attend the Indiana Land Use Summit .

Purdue Extension, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and the Indiana Land Resources Council (ILRC) invite you to this one-day community planning workshop to be held on August 28 at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex located at 1900 E. Main Street in Danville, Indiana.

The Indiana Land Use Summit will highlight a new document series designed to assist local governments on current and emerging land use issues. Titled, “Community Planning for Agriculture and Natural Resources: A Guide for Local Government ,” this series will serve as the launching point for collaborative discussion, guest speakers, breakout sessions, and panel discussions featuring planning, operational, economic, government, and academic perspectives on multiple land use issues. The Summit is open to all attendees with an interest in integrating agriculture and natural resources as part of community land use planning efforts.

Interesting news:

Will eliminating single-family zoning make housing more affordable? - Governing

Ever wonder what an Air Quality Action Day is? Air Quality Action Days are days in which ground level ozone and particulate matter are predicted to reach unhealthy levels. When an area is issued a health scale reading of orange (Air Quality Index range of 101-150) or above, an Air Quality Action Day will be forecast in order to inform the public to take necessary precautions. This information is now published on Apple Maps, if you are an Apple iPhone user. You may also find out if there is an Air Quality Action Day by signing up for updates here . The Air Quality Action Season for Indiana ozone concerns begins May 1 and ends September 30 of each year while PM 2.5 action days can occur year round. If you are wondering what you can do to help improve the air on an Air Quality Action Day, check out this list of tips .

The recently adopted 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP ) is the portfolio of Northwestern Indiana's upcoming capital investments and projects to improve our transportation program. The projects are categorized into one of thirteen programs. There are three programs that improve our roadway networks: Quality of Place , Roadway Improvements , and New Roadways . Below are highlights of each programs' five-year investments throughout Northwestern Indiana.

New Roadways / $5,805,000 / This program funds new roadway links for more direct connections throughout Northwestern Indiana.
Quality of Place / $55,976,474 / This program mostly funds roadway expansion projects already underway in the 2018-2021 TIP.
Roadway Improvements / $93,277,174 / This program improves the asset condition, congestion, or safety of our roadways.

Interesting news: