Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon supports expansion of South Shore Line

The Indiana General Assembly targeted the South Shore Line in Northwest Indiana with the most important economic development initiative of the 2017 session. This year’s efforts are in addition to the ongoing West Lake Corridor Project that will expand service from Hammond to Dyer with plans for additional stations along the route.

The bipartisan law will result in coordinated economic development efforts along the South Shore Line in four counties: Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph. New funding options will be available to take advantage of special residential and commercial development areas along the line, as well as planned improvement projects such as the West Lake Corridor and the double-tracking expansion from Michigan City to Gary.

I am confident these efforts will result in hundreds of new jobs across Northwest Indiana, help new and existing businesses of all sizes succeed, and provide a better experience to the many residents who use this transit option. This is a once-in-a-generation project that will have an impact on all cities and towns located on or near the South Shore Line. Best of all, the plan relies on no tax hikes.

These improvements are the result of local and state leaders who put politics aside and worked together in the best interests of Northwest Indiana.