Residents packed Munster Town Council chambers Friday morning for an opportunity to question Town Council members and representatives of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District over the proposed South Shore train station at Ridge Road and Manor Avenue.
“I don’t want the stop on Ridge Road whatsoever,” said Tom Davis, 61, who lives in the 8400 block of Harrison Avenue. “How would you like it if the train went through your back yard?”
Davis was one of a few expressing their opposition about trains running behind their homes.
“You’ll be able to see right into my daughter’s bedroom window from the train,” another resident said.
The station is one of four planned along the West Lake Corridor Project, which includes two in Hammond, Ridge Road and Manor Avenue and at the Munster-Dyer border.
Councilman John Reed acknowledged the residents’ concerns, saying it is a “scary time,” as there are a lot of moving parts with the project.
“We want Munster to be a place people come back to, not a place to escape,” he said.
The plan for the station shows that Harrison Avenue will feed into the Ridge Road station parking lot. Concerns over traffic, noise, crime and the aesthetics of the project were also noted, along with confusion over the potential of NICTD to purchase up to 18 homes in the neighborhood to complete the project.
Mike Noland, NICTD president and chief executive officer, defended the Ridge Road stop, saying it was the “perfect location” to attract riders. He also said the area was rife for future development as an economic byproduct of the station.
Although not a done deal until the Federal Transportation Agency makes its final determination, Noland indicated the Ridge Road was the preferred location for the station and that other sites were not under consideration.
Munster Town Manager Dustin Anderson assured residents the town would not use eminent domain to acquire for such development. He added that Munster would prefer to perform its own maintenance and upkeep of the parking lot to ensure is met the high standards over other town properties.
Noland estimated the Ridge Road station would attract approximately 500 riders a day at the outset, and that the parking area would be expanded over the next 20 years as ridership grows. He said the residents could expect 24 trains a day going to and from Chicago.
While town officials say they share many of the same concerns as the residents and are seeking solutions now, they are not of the mind to oppose the project or seek another location for the commuter rail stop.
Council President Joe Simonetto said people who live in Munster typically work somewhere else, including downtown Chicago.
“How they travel each day to work is a big-ticket item for them,” he said.
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Next meeting is Tuesday
The public is invited to a meeting about the proposed Munster and Dyer South Shore commuter rail stations beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Centennial Park Clubhouse, 900 N. Centennial Drive, Munster.
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