Northwest Indiana leaders are keeping an eye on changes to state and federal transportation funding.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking to eliminate policies related to environmental justice and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Going forward, it plans to focus on "sound economic principals" and "give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average."
As of earlier this month, officials at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission were still waiting to see what the local impacts might be. Director of Transportation Tom Vander Woude told NIRPC's Transportation Committee that the attempted federal funding freeze didn't appear to be slowing down local funding reimbursements. But he worried the changes could impact the approval of NIRPC's Safe Streets and Roads for All grant agreement. He said NIRPC may have to amend some of its plans going forward to reflect the new federal priorities.
Committee members are also looking at proposed legislation in the Indiana General Assembly. House Bill 1461 would change how Indiana funds road projects, including language to make it easier to add tolls to interstate highways.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 323 would restrict lane removal efforts, prohibit ramp metering on expressways and restrict the implementation of variable speed limits. That would presumably impact the Indiana Department of Transportation's I-80/94 FlexRoad project. It could also limit the ability to repair or repaint bus lanes in Gary and Merrillville, according to Gary Public Transportation Corporation Planning and Marketing Manager David Wright. While Senate Bill 323 is unlikely to move forward this session, local leaders worry the language could still be inserted into another bill or that it could be revived in future years.
