The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) will hold a 30-day public comment period on the Air Quality Conformity Determination Report, NWI 2050+ Amendment No. 1, and 2024-2028 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment No. 24-05. The Air Quality Conformity Determination Report demonstrates how implementing the projects in NWI 2050+ Amendment No. 1 and the 2024-2028 TIP Amendment No. 24-05 will not cause the precursors of ground-level ozone pollution to exceed the motor vehicle emissions budgets in the Indiana State Implementation Plan. A copy of the updated Air Quality Conformity Determination Report document can be found on the NIRPC website here: [insert hyperlink]. The following is a summary of the changes brought about by the addition of the I-80/94 FlexRoad Project to the original Air Quality Conformity Determination Report:
- P. 7 added the I-80/94 FlexRoad Project to Table 2.1.1 as a $245.4 million project complete by 2030
- P. 14, changed Table 5.9 to reflect the updated Ozone precursor emissions (NOx and VOC) expected to result from all the previous projects in NWI 2050+ and the 2024 to 2028 TIP
- NOx decreased from 5.44 to 5.08 tons per summer day in 2030
- VOC decreased from 2.06 to 2.02 tons per summer day in 2030
- Pp. 16-17, added minutes from an Interagency Consultation Group (ICG) meeting held December 19, 2024, between NIRPC, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
NWI 2050+ is the long-range plan for Northwest Indiana that builds on the main themes of NWI 2050 envisioning a Region which is connected, renewed, united, and vibrant. NWI 2050+ takes a deeper dive into several topics of importance to Northwest Indiana including roadways, transit, freight traffic, active transportation networks, land use patterns, and climate change. The final draft was approved by the NIRPC Executive Board at their meeting held July 20, 2023. The NWI 2050+ document can be viewed at the following link:NWI-2050-Plus-Final-Adopted.pdf. Amendment No. 1 adds the I-80/94 FlexRoad project. NWI 2050+ Amendment No. 1 can be viewed at the following link: NWI 2050+ Amendment No. 1
NIRPC’s TIP is a short-range financial and spending plan for the utilization of federal transportation funding and for regionally significant projects. These federal funds can be used for highway, transit, and non-motorized transportation projects. NIRPC's TIP includes projects undertaken by municipalities, counties, transit operators, and the State of Indiana. Federal planning regulations guide the preparation and development of the TIP documents. The 2024 to 2028 Transportation Improvement Program can be found at: 2024-2028-NIRPC-TIP-Final-Adopted-and-Approved.pdf. Amendment No. 24-05 adds the I-80/94 FlexRoad project. The Amendment can be viewed at the following link: FY 2024-2028 TIP Amendment No. 24-05.
Comments may be submitted until January 23, 2025, in the following ways:
- Email: comments@nirpc.org
- Phone: 219-763-6060
- United States Postal Service: NIRPC, 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN 46368
A public meeting will also be held on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 2 PM to 4 PM CST in the Lake Michigan Room at 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN 46368.
All comments received during the 30-day public comment period will be compiled into a public comment report and responded to. This report will be made available to the public and distributed to the relevant NIRPC committees prior to any action on these items. It is anticipated that action will be taken at the February 4, 2025, meeting of the Transportation Committee, followed by the February 20, 2025, meeting of the NIRPC Commission.
Documents and information will be available for review at NIRPC’s website here. Requests for alternative formats may be directed to NIRPC by calling 219-763-6060, or by email at comments@nirpc.org. TTY users may use the Relay Indiana service by calling 711 or 800-743-3333.
NIRPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Council of Governments for La Porte, Lake, and Porter counties in Northwest Indiana. Working collaboratively across the region, NIRPC coordinates regional comprehensive planning and programming for transportation, economic development, and environmental policy