Updates, News, and Events for a Vibrant NWI

Vibrant NWI

NWI’s economy is thriving, our people are well educated, growth is

planned, and natural and agricultural areas are valued and protected.

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 Vibrant NWI . In FY2020, the following tasks will be undertaken:

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) in NWI - To better prepare NWI for CAVs, this task will review the latest in CAV technology to tailoring strategies to incorporate CAVs into transportation planning for the Region. Without careful monitoring and research of CAVs, the Region risks CAVs having an inefficient, inequitable, or even absent impact on the Region.

Green Streets Policy Recommendation - A Green Streets working group will be composed of LPAs and MS4s to work on and contribute to a potential policy recommendation to the Commission to enhance the performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment.

Sensible Tools Handbook Update - The Sensible Tools Handbook (2007) will be updated to be compatible with NWI 2050 Plan strategies and contemporary trends in transportation and land use. The Handbook is a best practice guide for municipal partners on land use zoning and transportation supportive policies.

Transit Oriented Development Planning - The activities of this task will support the implementation of the NWI 2050 Plan to bring vitality and livability to transit station areas and transit corridors. The task supports linking transportation investments with land use decisions within the region.

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

Economy and Place

Environment

Mobility

NIRPC kicked off the E-commerce in NWI project earlier this summer to investigate trends, impacts and future demands and develop recommendations for transportation and land use. NWI is a very busy hub within the state and much of the nation’s freight and commerce travels through here in some way. As the Chicagoland area extends and people flock to our part of the metropolitan area due to rising taxes and expensive living in Illinois, NWI is in a unique position to capitalize on these migration trends to become an example of how to plan for the future. While E-commerce is a challenge to plan for, due to its fast-paced and logistics-oriented approach, we can still look to recent trends and recognize the basic principles and necessities surrounding the industry.

The first round of Volkswagen Mitigation Settlement awards have been made. In Round One, applicants could be awarded up to $800,000 and a total of $9.8 million was available. NWI secured 36% of the funding with substantial assistance provided to applicants from the NIRPC Green Fleets Program administered by South Shore Clean Cities. The following are the ten awardees:

ADS Logistics –4 diesel drayage vehicles, $800,000 – at the Port of Indiana
City of Hobart – 2 CNG short haul vehicles, $107,244
City of Michigan City –CNG Equipment, $171,133
East Chicago Schools – 5 propane school buses, $129,700
Gary Public Transportation Corporation – Electric transit buses, $800,000
Homewood Disposal – 3 CNG private refuse haulers, $209,211 –Private Refuse
Jack Gray – 11 diesel drayage vehicles, $725,881
Lake Station Schools – 3 propane school buses, $72,043
Michigan City Schools – 8 propane school buses, $207,699
Roll & Hold Warehouse – 1 diesel rail vehicle, $326,551 - at the Port of Indiana

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. Two programs for funding directly impact a community’s “walkability” and “bikeability:” Multi-Use Paths , and Complete Streets . Below are highlights of each programs' five-year investments throughout Northwestern Indiana.

Multi-Use Paths / $23,488,819 / This program funds the construction of multi-use paths for non-motorized transportation users.
Complete Streets / $13,507,261 / This program funds sidewalks, bicycle lanes, Safe Routes to School, and pedestrian signals.

As communities retrofit existing corridors to become more walkable, it is essential that communities are able to measure an area's walkability. This webinar is part of an ongoing series of videos produced by the Transportation Research Board to help communities plan for pedestrian access. These videos illustrate how communities can measure walkability – both in a quantitative and qualitative capacity.

Interesting news: