The Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission released its 2021 Annual Report on Thursday. NIRPC directs federal funding, and programming, for transportation infrastructure, environmental programs, and economic development initiatives in the region. The Commission functions as a forum for municipal and county governments in Lake, Porter, and La Porte counties. The report is available on the NIRPC website at www.nirpc.org.
NIRPC accomplishments during 2021 included funding for transportation infrastructure improvements, such as the 109th Street corridor between Crown Point and Winfield, and intersection safety projects around schools in Cedar Lake and Hobart. An online inventory of bus stops throughout the region undertaken in 2021 helps transit riders navigate potential challenges to boarding.
NIRPC administered the federal Economic Development District for the region and launched Recover NWI, a loan program to support businesses as they recover from the negative impacts of the pandemic.
Environmental work on brownfield rehabilitation assisted efforts in Hammond and Gary to return polluted and unusable properties to viable commercial properties. NIRPC’s CommuniTree program distributed 345 trees to 17 municipalities during the year.
Collaborative work at NIRPC contributed to major projects for the benefit of the region. NIRPC’s 2021 work on transit-oriented development along the South Shore and the new Westlake commuter rail corridor will help those municipalities assess effective development decisions. Funding for the Marquette Greenway was secured with a $17.8 million RAISE grant from the USDOT. NIRPC also worked with One Region, the Northwest Indiana Forum, and other organizations to further the prospect of a long-range quantum computing corridor between Chicago and South Bend.
“NIRPC persevered in maintaining a comprehensive and collaborative planning and programming process for the residents and businesses of Northwest Indiana, even in the face of COVID challenges,” said NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner. “NIRPC’s work advanced transportation, environmental, and economic development solutions to the many challenges the region faced in 2021 and helped direct critical federal funds for the region’s recovery.”
NIRPC’s 2021 Annual Report is available at www.nirpc.org .
NIRPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Council of Governments for Lake, Porter, and La Porte counties in Northwest Indiana. Working collaboratively across the region, NIRPC coordinates regional comprehensive planning and programming for transportation, economic development, and environmental policy.
The Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission dedication plaque and building in Portage, Indiana
NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner, December 2021