Workers from the Chicago area seek enjoyable living arrangements outside Chicago's urban core, and their pursuit of those desires has created growth and stronger property values in some Northwest Indiana communities. Lately there's been discussion of providing commuter rail service to Valparaiso and Lowell, and there appears to be sufficient demand to justify the investment. The main impediment to realizing that service lack of available funds.
Michigan City already has commuter rail service connecting it with Chicago, and the South Shore's on-time performance is generally reliable because its trains do not have to contend with a host railroad's freight trains for access to the right of way, an issue that is becoming increasingly problematic on some commuter rail systems. Good maintenance and capital investment in station improvements, catenary upgrades and butt-welding of rail are steadily improving the commuter experience. To resolve capacity shortfalls the railroad has ordered 14 new Sumitomo bi-level gallery cars, with the first slated for delivery in November 2008.
Michigan City has amenities that can be built upon to restore the community's prestige and vitality. Washington Park, with its good beach and landmark lighthouse, is a short walk from 11th and Franklin and a pleasant escape from the glass and steel and concrete of urban centers; Lighthouse Place is a retail shopping destination for many people; and the Indiana Dunes with their trails, campgrounds and beautiful beaches are only a few minutes' trip by car, somewhat longer by bicycle on the Calumet Trail.
I've read about proposals for relocating the South Shore tracks from 11th Street to a route farther south, parallel to the CSX tracks. Relocating the line would improve train performance, reduce maintenance costs, and make available more space for commuter parking. There's no doubt that all those advantages are real.
Before taking an expensive action that challenges what little life remains downtown, though, the South Shore management and community leaders should explore options that can build synergy between the valuable transportation resource that already exists, and a downtown in need of resuscitation.
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has gained widespread favor among urban planners both in creating new communities and in bringing life back to existing ones. Generally the concept involves a commuter transportation center, usually rail, surrounded by residential, commercial and mixed-use development clustered within a ten-minute walk (half mile). The relationship of downtown Michigan City and the existing South Shore route is ideally suited for TOD.
Rather than moving the tracks from 11th Street, consider this:
Many of the properties along 11th Street are in poor condition and most do not have a pressing need for curbside access. 11th Street isn't a significant arterial street for auto and truck traffic, either. I propose providing access to street-frontage properties via reconstructed, or where needed, newly-created east-west alleys. Many street crossings on 11th Street can be eliminated, leaving every third or fourth cross-street open. The rail infrastructure can be exhumed from beneath the asphalt and reconstructed using conventional ballast and cross-tie technology and given one or more passing sidings or possibly double-tracked at least part of the way to eliminate delays when eastbound and westbound trains meet at Michigan City. Protecting the right of way with fencing and protecting the remaining cross streets with gates and flashers will allow increased train speeds with improved safety for motorists, train crews and passengers.
Enough street ROW can be left on either side of the tracks to provide access for emergency vehicles, occasional local traffic and non-motorized transport (bicycles). Utility infrastructure should be rebuilt concurrently with the street and railroad reconstruction, to make the area more attractive for development.
Downtown has vacant and underutilized buildings that might be restored to commercial and residential use appropriate to Transit Oriented Development. Some have been defaced with 1970s modifications, but if they're structurally sound, they could be made into attractive properties once more. The Warren Building is pretty much architecturally intact, and it's large and of an attractive design. I can visualize it as lofts/condos, with ground-floor retail. I can't testify as to its current structural/mechanical condition.
The big churches appear well cared for, and they've probably been a stabilizing influence in downtown. Visually they contribute quite a lot. The downtown is fairly clean and free of tagging and other vandalism, and many buildings, though vacant, appear to be in fair-to-good condition. I like to imagine Franklin as an attractive streetscape that people want to be part of, with restored heritage buildings and appropriate infill.
The South Shore trains in their present location are essential to making it happen.
