Let's think positive about Chicago and Transit-Oriented Development
“Stillinoyed” is the phrase used in the highly visible and unpopular (in Illinois) billboards erected by the Hoosier state throughout Chicagoland to lure business from the Windy City and Illinois to Indiana.
The campaign cites lower taxes, better quality of life, lower-priced housing, better schools, and a governor with a pro-business attitude in an attempt to encourage businesses to move to Indiana.
And yet, Chicago is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and love it or hate it, this great city has a wonderful impact on Northwest Indiana, i.e. jobs, museums, theater, and sporting events, to name just a few of their wonderful assets that are just a short drive or train ride away.
Perhaps we need to play better together in the sandbox rather than throwing sand in each other’s faces.
My point is this – Chicago has wonderful, high-paying jobs that Hoosiers love to put on their resumes, and one way of having the best of both worlds, is the opportunity to work in Chicago, and LIVE in Indiana.
Conversely, Chicago has the highest gas prices, and the highest parking rates, in North America. How do we live in the great State of Indiana, and take advantage of those high-paying jobs in Chicago?
Take the South Shore train and avoid paying up to $50 a day for parking.
Hammond and East Chicago have a wonderful opportunity facing them, if and when the South Shore Line is extended to Munster, Dyer, Lowell, and Valparaiso (stay tuned, there are still a few communities not on board with the funding mechanism).
On a daily basis, more than 2,000 cars jam the parking lots in Hammond and East Chicago as commuters leave Indiana for those high-paying jobs in Chicago, and each evening they return to the great State of Indiana, deposit their paychecks, and buy food, clothing, and send their children to Indiana schools.
Transit-Oriented Development is an approach that focuses land uses around a transit station (i.e. the South Shore Rail line), or within a transit corridor. Usually, a TOD occurs within a quarter of a mile, or a 5- to 7-minute walk of a transit station.
With rising energy prices, road congestion, outrageous parking fees, and more interest in walkable neighborhoods, these developments become highly attractive to commuters.
The extension of the South Shore Line will take 7 to 10 years to complete. Hammond and East Chicago have the basic infrastructure in place near their transit stations, and now is the time to start planning Transit-Oriented Developments in these communities.
Dave Ryan is the executive director of the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. The opinions expressed are his own. He can be reached at dryan@lakeshorechamber.com or (219) 931-1000.
7/11/2014 12:00:00 AM
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