By Andrew Steele, The Times, nwi.com; March 10, 2019
The web of commuter rail that spreads from downtown Chicago into the Illinois suburbs — 490 miles of track with 241 stations — stands in marked contrast to the single lining running along Lake Michigan’s shore, covering 90 miles to South Bend, with 19 stations.
That contrast was at the front of state lawmakers’ minds four years ago when they reauthorized the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, with the idea that the RDA would focus on a transformative project that would take advantage of the Region’s proximity to Chicago.