Young, Braun, Visclosky Applaud West Lake Corridor Funding
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), U.S. Senator Mike Braun, and U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky applauded tonight’s announcement of $100 million in funding for the West Lake Corridor Commuter Rail Project. The sum is a down payment on this important Hoosier infrastructure project and if all project stipulations continue to be met, these funds will be the first portion of full federal funding that has been requested.
President Trump made the announcement along with several other transportation grants on Twitter.
“This is the result of years of visionary planning, hard work, and commitment at all levels of government,” Young, Braun and Visclosky said. “This initial funding by the Trump Administration shows that they recognize the importance of the West Lake Corridor and its ability to grow our state’s economy with new jobs and business development. We couldn’t be more excited about the significant progress we’ve made together.”
The West Lake Corridor Commuter Rail Project includes the construction of a new eight mile commuter rail line extending from Hammond to Dyer, as well as the construction of four new stations and a new maintenance facility. This project paired with NICTD’s Double Track Northwest Indiana Project is expected to attract roughly $2.3 billion in private investment to Northwest Indiana, and create more than 6,000 new jobs and $3 billion in economic impact by 2048.
In June 2017, Senator Young invited U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao to Indiana to see proposed NICTD projects. Later that summer he hosted Secretary Chao in South Bend at the South Bend Airport, where he stressed the importance of the West Lake Corridor Commuter Rail Project.
Young, Braun, and Visclosky have also held numerous meetings with federal and state transportation officials, Governor Holcomb, and other third party stakeholders. In September 2018, Senator Young, former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), and Congressman Visclosky sent a letter to the FTA urging swift consideration of the West Lake Corridor Project.
###