West Lake Corridor

The West Lake Corridor Commuter Rail Project adds an approximate 8-mile southern branch extension of the South Shore Line to provide direct commuter rail service to the high-growth areas of central and southern Lake County, Indiana. The Project extends south from Hammond, Indiana, to Dyer Indiana. The Project purpose is to increase transportation options for central and southern Lake County residents traveling to downtown Chicago and surrounding areas as well as to South Bend International Airport. The Project will further reduce travel time and costs, and promote economic development opportunities in Lake County.

The FTA’s process for Capital Investment Grant Projects is a structured process with phases:

Project Development: The FTA approved NICTD’s request to enter into the Project Development process in 2016. The Project Development process included an environmental review that included completing environmental studies, developing and reviewing alternatives, and identifying a locally preferred alternative. The locally preferred alternative was documented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which was made available for public review and comment in December 2016.

After reviewing public comments and identifying measures to mitigation impacts, the FTA issued a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision in March 2018.

NICTD submitted Readiness Technical Plans and requested approval from the FTA to enter into the Engineering phase on September 4, 2018, and was subsequently approved to advance into that phase in October 2019, upon the completion of the Project Development phase.

Engineering and Construction: Project design has been completed with enough detail to allow the FTA to evaluate, rate, and approve the designs. The FTA approved the Project as designed and provided a favorable ratings decision in March 2019. NICTD subsequently requested a Full Funding Grant Agreement, which is anticipated to be signed in October 2020. Construction will begin after the Full Funding Grant Agreement is signed. The FTA will continue to provide oversight throughout the construction process. Revenue operations are anticipated to begin in 2026. Construction will begin after a Full Funding Grant Agreement is signed. The FTA will continue to provide oversight throughout the construction process. Revenue operations are anticipated to begin in 2025.

Current estimates for the Project are approximately $852 million, excluding financing costs. Capital costs will be updated as the design progresses through design and engineering.

The Project has received a Medium-High Rating by the FTA. NICTD is working closely with the FTA to obtain a funding recommendation for this Project in Fiscal Year 2020.

It is anticipated that the FTA’s New Starts program will provide 37.5 percent of the Project’s capital cost by obtaining a funding recommendation by FTA. The non-New Starts costs will be covered by a combination of funding sources, including funding from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA), the State of Indiana, and local communities.

Visit the FTA’s New Starts program and process to learn more.

As a recipient of federal funding (e.g., federal fuel tax funds), the West Lake Corridor Project must comply with several federal laws and regulations before it can be implemented, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities which receive federal financial assistance. NICTD is required to have an FTA-approved Title VI Program in place to receive federal funding. Capital funds to NICTD to provide a West Lake extension of commuter rail service require that NICTD provide service equitably along the corridor to “ensure that the level and quality of public transportation service is provided in a nondiscriminatory manner” (FTA Circular 4702.1B). The FEIS includes an evaluation of any potential disproportionate impacts to minority or low-income persons in the corridor, and show that the Project would not exclude those protected by Title VI from the benefits of the new rail service. In addition, the Project must include a Title VI analysis for the siting of the operations and maintenance facilities to ensure that the site-specific impacts are not disparately borne by those protected under Title VI.

The federal environmental review process for the West Lake Corridor Project was completed in March 2018 in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as well as provisions of US DOT’s Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). NICTD prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Project, with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as the Federal Lead Agency and NICTD as the Local Project Sponsor responsible for implementing the Project.

The purpose of the environmental review process was to promote informed decision-making by considering the potential environmental and social impacts of the Project. The FTA and NICTD engaged regulatory agencies with a defined interest in the Project and the public who could potentially be affected by the Project. The environmental review process was structured to encourage participation between government officials, agencies, private businesses, and citizens.

The environmental review process involved the following steps:

Scoping & Screening

Scoping is the first step in the environmental review process under NEPA. It is an early and open process for the public and agencies to provide input on the scope, or range, of issues to be addressed and identify the significant issues related to the proposed action. The input received during scoping meetings held in October 2014 helped to identify the appropriate alternatives and the depth and breadth of environmental analysis to be completed. It also served to identify and eliminate from detailed study the issues that are not significant or have been covered by prior studies.

A broad range of reasonable alternatives were considered for the Project from the onset. The alternatives were evaluated and screened based on operational and engineering constraints, constructability, cost, and environmental concerns. This screening narrowed the alternatives and provided a more well-defined Project and alternatives considered in the DEIS.

DEIS

In December 2016, NICTD published the DEIS, which documented the analysis of potential Project benefits and impacts of several alternatives, including a preferred alternative. The DEIS:

• Identified the Purpose and Need for the Project;
• Described the Project and alternatives considered;
• Evaluated the affected environment and potential environmental impacts of the Project;
• Proposed measures to mitigate unavoidable impacts;
• Enabled decision-makers to identify the solution that best meets the Project Purpose and Need.

NICTD held public hearings in January 2017 to gather feedback on the alternatives. As part of the DEIS process, NICTD and the FTA used public input to help determine the Locally Preferred Alternative, which is also referred to as the Hammond Option 2 Alternative.

Final Environmental Impact Statement & Record of Decision

To complete the environmental review process, FTA and NICTD prepared the FEIS. The primary purpose of the FEIS is to present updates to the Project that have occurred since the DEIS, and to respond to substantive comments received during the DEIS public comment period. Responses are provided in the form of clarifications and references to sections of the FEIS where issues raised are addressed, and factual corrections. The FTA also issued a Record of Decision (ROD) that states FTA’s decision, identifies the alternatives considered in reaching the decision, and describes the means to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts. Mitigation plans, including enforcement and monitoring commitments, are included in the ROD. The FTA issued a combined FEIS and ROD (FEIS/ROD) document pursuant to the US DOT FAST Act on March 1, 2018.

The DEIS was prepared for the Project, with the FTA as the Federal Lead Agency and NICTD as the Local Project Sponsor responsible for implementing the Project. The DEIS was completed in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the US Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act).

The DEIS process involved a detailed analysis of the Project, including potential design options, ridership, costs, social and environmental resources, and other considerations. The analyses provided for more informed decisions about Project elements such as the transit mode, route alignment, station locations, and other infrastructure improvements. The DEIS was available for review from December 16, 2016 through February 3, 2017 by the public and agencies. The FTA issued a FEIS/ROD and Section 4(f) Evaluation in March 2018.

The FEIS/ROD can be reviewed on the Resources page. A list of public libraries that have copies of the FEIS/ROD can be found on the Resources page as well.

Visit the Real Estate page for more information on Acquisitions and Relocations.

Property values are affected by many factors including a variety of market conditions. Research has shown that major transit investments such as commuter rail generally yield positive effects on property values. There is potential for an increase in property values in the areas surrounding proposed commuter rail stations, as commuter rail access can increase the convenience and desirability of nearby residential, commercial, and office properties. Commuter rail transit can also contribute to existing market forces that can increase the potential for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) or redevelopment. Development and redevelopment are managed by the local jurisdictions in the Project Area and are driven predominantly by regional and local economic conditions and land uses as defined in locally adopted comprehensive plans and zoning laws. Transit projects, including commuter rail lines, can advance the timing and increase the intensity of development, especially in areas near proposed stations, as allowed by local comprehensive plans. The direct impacts of a rail project on property values are difficult to assess conclusively because there are so many other factors that also affect property values. Continuing population growth and a strengthening of the local economy within the Project Area would also contribute to redevelopment and increased property values.

Studies on transit investments and property values include:

• "Impacts of Rail Transit on Property Values"
  Roderick B. Diaz Booze | Allen & Hamilton Inc. Mclean, VA
• "Effects of Light and Commuter Rail Transit on Land Prices: Experiences in San Diego County"
  Roberto Cervero
• "The Effect of Rail Transit on Property Values: A Summary of Studies"

Public meetings and hearings were conducted for the Project to provide the opportunity to comment on the Project. Two rounds of public and agency review were conducted during the DEIS phase in fall 2014 and fall 2015 and a final round of hearings were held in January 2017. Visit the Resources page to review past meeting materials. Other individual stakeholder meetings and other meetings were also convened during the course of the study.

Responses to the DEIS are provided as part of the FEIS/ROD and can be found in Appendix H of the FEIS/ROD.

Although the formal comment periods have closed, the public and agencies can still contact us about the Project. The Contact page includes an online comment section to submit questions. Additionally, various Project documents and information are available on our Resources page. You may also email us.

NICTD relies heavily on email and the Project website to communicate with those who have shown interest in the Project. The best way to stay informed about upcoming public meetings and Project updates is to provide us your email address using the comment form. You may also provide a mailing address for meeting notifications. Up-to-date information will be posted on this website, and also our Facebook page.

The Project scope includes four new stations (with parking lots) at Hammond Gateway, South Hammond, Munster Ridge Road, and Munster/Dyer Main Street. The existing South Shore Line Station at Hammond will be demolished, and a new center platform will be constructed at the Hammond Gateway Station to facilitate transfers between West Lake Service and South Shore Line Service. The West Lake platform at Hammond Gateway Station will be part of an elevated station with shelters, an elevator, and stairways. The remaining three stations and the South Shore Line station at Hammond Gateway will be at-grade stations with warming shelters, parking facilities, benches, trash receptacles, and bicycle racks. The Hammond Gateway Station and Munster/Dyer Main Street Station will each have a station building. Station locations are shown on the Maps page.

A Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) Yard that includes an Employee Administration – Light Maintenance (EALM) building will be constructed just south of the Hammond Gateway Station. The yard site is sized to ultimately accommodate a future Maintenance Shop Facility and Car Wash Building. Traction power substations powering the overhead catenary system will be located at the MSF Yard, South Hammond Station, and the Munster/Dyer Main Street Station.

In compliance with ADA standards, the design of the FEIS Preferred Alternative includes access for people with disabilities at all stations and platforms. For example, station designs include ADA parking and a public address system with both speakers and signs to convey information to people with disabilities in compliance with ADA requirements. All platforms will be accessible by ADA-compliant ramps and will include tactile warning strips at their edges. All platforms will be ADA-compliant for boarding and exiting the train. Pedestrian tunnels will also be designed to be compliant and will provide safe, accessible crossing of the tracks. Any new crosswalk ramps and grades for new sidewalks will comply with ADA regulations including pushbuttons and pedestrian signal heads.

Electric powered trains using overhead wires would be used for service, the same as is used on the South Shore Line.

The new track and bridges proposed for the West Lake Corridor service have been designed exclusively for passenger rail service.

Each station includes a parking lot and a pick-up/drop-off area. NICTD will work with the host community in later phases of the Project to determine how parking operations will be handled for each station. It is possible the operation and maintenance will be the responsibility of the host community. Under this scenario, it is possible that a parking fee would be assessed. Host communities will be offered the opportunity to be fully engaged in the design of parking and station facilities.

NICTD is designing stations to be as bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly as possible and would work with local communities to include them in the development of compatible infrastructure for accessing the stations. Installation of bicycle lanes on adjoining streets would be outside the Project’s scope, and it would be in the jurisdiction of the local communities to add bicycle lanes near the stations.

Each station would include station platforms, parking facilities, benches, trash receptacles, bicycle racks, and other site furnishings. Shelter buildings would be located at Munster/Dyer Main Street and Hammond Gateway Stations only.

Yes, bikes will be permitted on the trains.

As part of the FTA Grant Process, NICTD is preparing a financial plan to evaluate different funding strategies and determine West Lake’s zoned fare structure.

The construction of the Project will have short term effects during construction. Construction activities can temporarily affect access to businesses or require detours to traffic. Some construction noise and other inconveniences can be expected adjacent to the alignment. Information regarding construction staging and short-term effects would be communicated with the public.

Through the environmental and preliminary design process, NICTD selected the FEIS Preferred Alternative because it best met the Project purpose and need; however, several design changes have been made since the publication of the DEIS to address public concerns and minimize impacts to the Project Area. NICTD will continue to work with community stakeholders to mitigate impacts to existing neighborhoods. The location of the FEIS Preferred Alternative is a result of many years of study to meet the needs of the Project while balancing impacts on the surrounding community.

The alternatives development process built on several prior studies and the West Lake Corridor DEIS. These studies examined a broad range of alignments, technologies, and transit modes in the Project Area. The concept of providing more-direct access to transit in central, southern, and western Lake County has been considered for more than 25 years in several regional transportation studies. In 2011, NICTD’s West Lake Corridor Study (NICTD 2011) concluded that a rail-based service between the Munster/Dyer area and Metra’s Millennium Station in downtown Chicago would best meet the public transportation needs of northwest Indiana.

The West Lake Corridor Project alternative alignments cross or are in close proximity to several trails including the Monon Trail, Erie Lackawanna Trail, and the Pennsy Greenway. The existing trail network would remain after the Project is completed. However, some of the existing informal/unauthorized footpaths would be permanently closed. The FEIS Preferred Alternative would affect the Monon Trail, the Little Calumet River Trail, and the Pennsy Greenway during construction of the Project. The FEIS Preferred Alternative would overlay approximately 5,000 feet of the Monon Trail between Fisher Street in Munster and Douglas Street in Hammond. The current trail would be relocated adjacent to the Project track in several sections to accommodate the Project track and overhead contact system infrastructure. This would include relocating the Monon Trail pedestrian bridge over the Little Calumet River in Munster so that the Project can retain use of the original railroad track bed. The relocation would require a minor modification of the junction of the Monon Trail with the Little Calumet River Trail by moving it east. Chapter 7 of the FEIS discusses trail impacts in greater detail.

Margo Lane in the West Lakes subdivision and Seminary Drive in the Meadows subdivision would not connect to the parking lot. Pedestrian access will be provided for these subdivisions; however, there would be no vehicular connections and through traffic would not use those neighborhoods. Vehicular access to the parking lot would be from the station driveway at the Sheffield Avenue and Main Street intersection only. See Figure 3.6-3 in the FEIS for a station layout.

Intersection traffic analyses have been conducted for all proposed station accesses and adjacent intersections. Analyses identified less-than-desirable traffic at three intersections and the FEIS includes recommendations to maintain existing operations. The mitigation strategies for the intersections that would be affected near each station are described below.

• Signalized intersections located within 200 feet of the railroad-highway grade crossings would be upgraded to include traffic signal interconnect with the rail warning system.
• Existing traffic signal at Sheffield Avenue and Main Street in Munster and Dyer would be upgraded to accommodate the parking lot driveway as a fourth leg to the intersection.
• The intersection of 173rd Street and Harrison Avenue would be striped to include an eastbound-to-southbound right-turn lane, which would help the intersection operate at an acceptable level of service. Sufficient roadway width exists to make this change without widening the intersection.
• The roundabout being built by the City of Hammond at Holman Avenue and Chicago Street would be monitored for traffic operations, and coordination between the City of Hammond and NICTD would occur regarding cost sharing if an improvement to the roundabout is warranted.

Section 3.5 of the FEIS provides more detail regarding traffic.

Noise and vibration analyses were performed to identify potential Project-related noise and vibration effects to sensitive land uses. Noise and vibration impacts would be mitigated through the implementation of Quiet Zones (to be completed by local jurisdictions), noise barriers, improvements at specific properties, ballast mats, and sleeper pads. Sections 5.2 and 5.3 of the FEIS discuss noise and vibration in detail.