Hammond, East Chicago and Cedar Lake need to step up to the plate for funding the South Shore extension.
This project would increase access to high-paying jobs in downtown Chicago. Jobs will be created in building the rail line, of course, and that's important. But understanding the true economic impact of the South Shore extension requires the ability to see providing access to jobs as a form of economic development.
Building the extension requires a local buy-in. Federal funds likely will cover half the cost, but not all of it.
The communities that have already committed a share of their local income tax funding — Crown Point, Dyer, Gary, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, St. John, Lake Station, Lowell, Munster, Merrillville, New Chicago, Schererville, Schneider, Whiting, Winfield and Lake County — deserve a pat on the back for understanding the need to build a strong future for Northwest Indiana and acting accordingly.
And then there's Cedar Lake. The Town Council recently voted 4-3 to reject the interlocal agreement in support of the rail project. What a foolish decision.
Cedar Lake residents should be ashamed of what their council members did. That onetime resort town benefited from passenger train travel in the late 1800s to early 1900s, bringing visitors to dozens of hotels in Cedar Lake. The trains brought passengers as well as jobs.
Yet a century later, when the South Shore could deliver jobs again, the town has turned its back on the rails.
As for Hammond and East Chicago, they should realize that a rising tide floats all trains, to mix the metaphor.
Even if officials there don't see a direct benefit to their cities from the South Shore expansion, they would certainly benefit indirectly. Extra income in nearby Lake County communities boosts the entire county.
So Hammond and East Chicago should stop dragging their feet and support the economic improvement that would come from supporting the South Shore extension.