(Photo provided, Town of Merrillville)
(Photo provided, Town of Merrillville)
In Lake County,the Hobart/Merrillville Joint Municipal Task Force held its inaugural meeting this month joined by the Indiana Department of Transportation. In February, Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun and Merrillville Town Council President Rick Bella announced the establishment of the task force as an effort to enhance regional connectivity and economic growth in the Region, a news release said. At the first session, topics included congestion along Mississippi Street, adding pedestrian and bike amenities, roundabouts, and potential public transit solutions. Bella said there are many advantages to taking a collaborative approach to these issues and others. Huddlestun said the Mississippi Street corridor is a major point of emphasis, especially around the 79th Avenue intersection.
Merrillville Town Councilman Shawn Pettit says Merrillville has secured about $7 million in federal funding for two separate road reconfiguration projects to enhance the traffic flow and improve safety on Mississippi Street. He said the 79th Avenue and 69th Avenue intersections are targeted, and roundabouts have been proposed to help address traffic issues. Project dates haven’t been scheduled, but design work continues for those initiatives. INDOT is involved in the process.
Officials also explored the possibility of adding other walking paths, and Bella noted Merrillville’s comprehensive plan update suggests a walkway under Interstate 65 to link Merrillville to Hobart. The task force also began discussions about a potential shuttle service in the U.S. 30 corridor in Hobart and Merrillville. Community leaders suggested creating a designated parking area within a local retail area, and a shuttle could loop around and make stops at popular locations in both communities.
The group will continue to meet regularly over coming months to continue discussing the potential shuttle service and other shared ideas. Steve King, Merrillville’s Street Department Director/Engineering Administrator, said an upcoming step would involve creating a plan to emphasize a shared vision and how the initiatives would benefit the two municipalities. That unified plan could be instrumental in obtaining grants and other funding for projects, the town said.
