South Shore Line riders have a chance to weigh in on the service. An online survey is available through Thursday.
It asks passengers how they typically get to the train and to their final destination. It also asks about their travel preferences and what improvements they'd like to see in the future.
The survey is part of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's efforts to update its 20-year strategic plan. Next, the railroad plans to survey the broader community, beyond its own passengers.
This comes as the South Shore Line is considering a 10-percent fare hike. NICTD President Mike Noland says the railroad is facing a fiscal cliff, after ridership and revenues took a hit during the pandemic.
"We have burned through our rainy day fund," Noland told the NICTD board last week. "We're in good conversations with the General Assembly and with the administration to provide the necessary funding to keep us going, but we need to do our part, as well."
Noland said the state would be more likely to boost support, if riders are also asked to chip in more, and he thinks the fare hike is justified by recent service improvements. "We are now performing much, much better," Noland said. "And we've added 14 new trains a day on the weekdays, and we've improved the weekend service schedule, as well, significantly."
The NICTD board will likely be asked to vote on the fare hike in May or July.
