Infrastructure News Summary
For November 12, 2007

KEYSTONE TRUCK TRAFFIC IS ON MEETING AGENDA
Indianapolis Star
Francesca Jarosz
11-12-07

Carmel City Council's utilities, transportation and public safety committee meets Tuesday to discuss the city's proposal to ban heavy trucks on Keystone Avenue. Under the proposed ordinance, which was brought before the council in a special meeting last month, the city would prohibit trucks weighing more than 16,000 pounds from the roadway between 96th Street and its intersection with U.S. 31. Certain vehicles, such as school buses and trucks making local deliveries, would be exceptions. Brainard has said eliminating cross-country trucks would be the first step in giving the road a more residential feel. Members of the public can attend Tuesday's meeting and offer input. It will be at 5 p.m. in the caucus room at City Hall.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/LOCAL/711100376/1155/LOCAL010103

EXPRESS BUSES DRAW RIDERS
Indianapolis Star
John Tuohy
11-10-07

Fishers - The number of passengers on IndyGo's Fishers Express from Fishers to Indianapolis has increased more than 30 percent its first three weeks in service. The buses carried 208 riders on the first day, Oct. 15, and averaged 229 passengers that week. By the end of last week, the average daily ridership had risen to 307 passengers. Monday, the bus hit its highest number of passengers in a day -- 379. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/LOCAL/711100315/1177/LOCAL010203

TOWN OPPOSES SOUTH SHORE EXTENSION
NWI Times
Melanie Csepiga
10-12-07

Cedar Lake - Town Council has jumped the track and is off the South Shore rail extension bandwagon. In what may have been a surprise move to many, the council last week declined to adopt a resolution that would have stated the council's support of the South Shore extensions to Lowell and Valparaiso. Vincent Galbiati, the Northwest Indiana Forum director who has been beating the South Shore extension drum in visits to region communities, said Friday that he is surprised by the Cedar Lake Town Council's decision. http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/12/news/top_news/docfdc5d8694ea4dfe38625739100099501.txt

VISCLOSKY AT CENTER OF WASHINGTON PORK STORM
NWI Times
Keith Benman
11-11-07

U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky finds himself at the center of the national firestorm over "pork" spending, those pet projects members of Congress fund with earmarks to major bills. The Indiana Democrat has been identified as the sixth-biggest earmarker in the U.S. House, with $116.8 million set aside for special projects in fiscal 2008 budget bills, according to figures compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense. … "The appropriations we receive through Congressman Visclosky are extremely important in meeting our annual improvement targets," said John Parsons, marketing and planning director for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. The district operates the South Shore commuter railroad. It would receive $5 million this year for its catenary wire improvement projects under a Visclosky earmark. http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/11/updates/top_stories/doc473548a01795b728818508.txt

ROUNDABOUT WORK WRAPPING UP FOR FALL
NWI Times
Phil Wieland
11-11-07

Valparaiso - Drivers might not be seeing the light at the end of the roundabout construction tunnel, but they should be seeing the lights around it. Stuart Summers, executive director of the city's Redevelopment Commission, said at Thursday's commission meeting that five of the street lights that were moved two weeks ago from the South Sturdy Road area to light the roundabout still weren't getting power yet. That problem apparently was corrected Friday. Summers said the contractor, Walsh and Kelly, expects to complete all but the North Sturdy leg of the project and some of the sidewalk and the landscaping work by the end of the month. That work will be completed in the spring. http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/11/news/porter_county/doc3d0d70ae0ddf5cb1862573900008aa1a.txt

CITY OKS CONTRACTS FOR VALPARAISO ST. PROJECT
NWI Times
Phil Wieland
11-10-07

Two contracts dealing with the Valparaiso Street reconstruction were approved this week by the city's Board of Public Works and Safety. City Engineering Director David Pilz said the contractor, Grimmer Construction, of Highland, hopes to start work Dec. 1 on the long awaited project and already started moving equipment to the site. Construction is expected to continue until May 2009. At Thursday's meeting, the board of works approved a supplemental contract with its Indianapolis engineering consultant HNTB for work the company has done since completing the construction design and for more help through the rest of the term of the project. http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/10/news/porter_county/doce62a671e9a4a52e18625738f0009354c.txt

MAIN STREET WON'T REOPEN JUST YET
South Bend Tribune
Sue Lowe
11-10-07

Mishawaka - It could be another two weeks before Main Street will be open at the Canadian National Railroad tracks north of the St. Joseph River. It was supposed to open this coming Monday, but Gary West said the railroad company wants the city's contractors to finish driving metal pilings to protect the temporary tracks before the street reopens. The pilings will keep the temporary tracks from shifting as the underpass is dug nearby. Driving the pilings has caused some settling of the temporary tracks. So the company wants that work finished before a temporary crossing over them is paved. Trains will use the temporary tracks while the underpass is built. Rieth-Riley Construction Co. is the contractor for the work. The city is selling $14.8 million in bonds to pay for the work, and St. Joseph County will pay the city $5 million over 10 years for it. http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/News01/711100320/1011/News