City To Seek Funding Locally For Passenger Rail Study

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Jennifer [email protected]

Warsaw will seek funding from local organizations to assist with efforts for a Northern Indiana passenger rail study.
Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday approved the city having authority to seek funds for the study to be conducted by Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association.
The entire study is $2 million, to be paid for equally between Indiana and Ohio.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city will approach local government entities to assist in spreading the cost of the study for its portion.
He will seek out local municipalities and foundations to contribute funds. Thallemer said he has a list of nine to 10 agencies he would like to approach including the county, Winona Lake, Grace College, OrthoWorx and KEDCo.
The city of Fort Wayne already has raised $200,000 that will go toward the study.
“All of the mayors along the stops have been charged to raise about 67,500 each,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said Warsaw’s fundraising goal is $70,000, and he has plans to approach different entities and organizations to try to spread the cost out.
“Everyone I have talked to seems to see the benefit and is willing to add to the list of support through donations,” Thallemer said. “It’s critical that we don’t disqualify ourselves by not doing this.”
Jeff Grose, board member, said he felt it was important for the city to seek the funds and keep the ball rolling.
“By in large it is to help defray the large cost and get a broad base of support in the community, which I feel  we have,” Thallemer said.
Richard Davis and Fred Lanahan, with Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association, and Pam Holocher, representing the city of Fort Wayne, attended the city council meeting in October to talk about the proposed plan.
Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx, said in 2009 the organization completed a local study that identified what the impact of high speed rail service would be for the orthopedic industry.
Davis, management consultant for NIPRA, presented a PowerPoint display of the proposed Northern Indiana/Ohio Passenger Rail Corridor that is projected to run from Columbus International Airport in Ohio to Chicago’s Union Station. Stops along the route in Indiana would include Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Plymouth, Valparaiso and Gary.
In Ohio, stops would be in Lima, Kenton, Marysville and the end of the line would be the Columbus International Airport. The future may hold high speed rail service from Chicago to Pittsburg, Pa. Total cost of the project would be about $1.2 billion.

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Warsaw will seek funding from local organizations to assist with efforts for a Northern Indiana passenger rail study.
Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday approved the city having authority to seek funds for the study to be conducted by Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association.
The entire study is $2 million, to be paid for equally between Indiana and Ohio.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city will approach local government entities to assist in spreading the cost of the study for its portion.
He will seek out local municipalities and foundations to contribute funds. Thallemer said he has a list of nine to 10 agencies he would like to approach including the county, Winona Lake, Grace College, OrthoWorx and KEDCo.
The city of Fort Wayne already has raised $200,000 that will go toward the study.
“All of the mayors along the stops have been charged to raise about 67,500 each,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said Warsaw’s fundraising goal is $70,000, and he has plans to approach different entities and organizations to try to spread the cost out.
“Everyone I have talked to seems to see the benefit and is willing to add to the list of support through donations,” Thallemer said. “It’s critical that we don’t disqualify ourselves by not doing this.”
Jeff Grose, board member, said he felt it was important for the city to seek the funds and keep the ball rolling.
“By in large it is to help defray the large cost and get a broad base of support in the community, which I feel  we have,” Thallemer said.
Richard Davis and Fred Lanahan, with Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association, and Pam Holocher, representing the city of Fort Wayne, attended the city council meeting in October to talk about the proposed plan.
Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx, said in 2009 the organization completed a local study that identified what the impact of high speed rail service would be for the orthopedic industry.
Davis, management consultant for NIPRA, presented a PowerPoint display of the proposed Northern Indiana/Ohio Passenger Rail Corridor that is projected to run from Columbus International Airport in Ohio to Chicago’s Union Station. Stops along the route in Indiana would include Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Plymouth, Valparaiso and Gary.
In Ohio, stops would be in Lima, Kenton, Marysville and the end of the line would be the Columbus International Airport. The future may hold high speed rail service from Chicago to Pittsburg, Pa. Total cost of the project would be about $1.2 billion.

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