Posted on April 6, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
Starke County’s representatives in the U.S. 30 Coalition project met Wednesday night to get for statistics on traffic data.
The U.S. 30 proposal would upgrade the highway to freeway standards between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne. In that stretch, the only way to get across U.S. 30 would be with an overpass, and the only way to get on will be at an interchange.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler said data was provided to committee members Wednesday night that included traffic counts, crashes, property owners, and overpass/interchange summaries for each intersection at U.S. 30.
“The U.S. 30 freeway project may not happen for another five to ten years, but Starke County wants to be ahead of the game a little bit and have everything ready so when INDOT does decide to begin the project they will have our input and know what Starke County wants,” said Ritzler.
The coalition members agreed that the most important thing for Starke County is a main artery to Hamlet.
“The main purpose of this freeway project for Starke County is economic development in that area and Hamlet is key to that because we have infrastructure already in place there. If that freeway inhibits access to Hamlet, Starke County Co-op, agriculture, and the industrial park there, that could be a problem. We want to impress upon INDOT, when they do start the project, that is the most important thing for us.”
Ritzler said his crews are busy gathering traffic counts and turning counts for all roads within a mile or two of U.S. 30. He added that traffic patterns change from season to season and it’s important that all of this data is collected now to ensure that a good amount of information is presented to state officials when the time comes.
The coalition members are encouraging as much public input as possible. To gather more information about the project or to voice an opinion, call the Starke County Highway Department at 574-772-3011 or the Starke County Economic Development Foundation at 574-772-5627.
Showing posts with label U.S. 30 Coalition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. 30 Coalition. Show all posts
Friday, April 6, 2018
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Hamlet Interchange Recommended, As U.S. 30 Improvement Discussions Begin
Posted on October 12, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
As Starke County prepares to put together its wish list for the proposed upgrade of U.S. 30, one of the things it’ll be pushing for is an interchange at Hamlet. That’s what Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver told the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday.
He explained that installing an interchange at Starke Street would be difficult, due to the amount of land that would need to be acquired, but there are other options. “Take an example, where Old 30 meets New 30 east of Hamlet. That might be an opportunity,” he said. “It’s an easy route to the town, plus the schools. So I mean those are things are a long ways out, but the whole idea is, even among ourselves we said, ‘You’ve got to respect Hamlet. You can’t limit it to 35.'” They’re also hoping for an interchange at State Road 23.
A committee of local stakeholders will meet for the first time on October 25. Its goal will be to come up with recommendations for the Indiana Department of Transportation to consider, if and when they decide to upgrade U.S. 30 to freeway standards. Weaver said the members were chosen by the Starke County Commissioners. “We have the gentleman that owns Gun Town. He’s on there. I think we have the fire chiefs from Hamlet and Koontz Lake. We have several farmers that farm on both sides, so we can get their reaction to what’s going on. We have the hospital. We have emergency management. We have a county commissioner, county council, a representative from Knox City Council.”
The Hamlet Town Council’s representative is Brian Earnest. He said he plans to work with the town’s fire department to come up with a list of the routes it uses to respond to different locations. “I know with talking to some of the state people that that’s one of the things, like emergency time is one of the big arguments you want to use,” Earnest said.
Meanwhile, Weaver said that Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler is doing traffic counts on all the cross streets. “He’s going to be doing it monthly because you’re going to see different traffic counts whether it’s harvest season, whether Hensler’s are having tree sales and that sort of stuff,” he explained. “So we need to have all that data.”
Starke County is a member of the U.S. 30 Coalition, which is advocating for the upgrade of U.S. 30 to freeway standards between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne. The Hamlet Town Council decided Wednesday to move its October 25 meeting to 7:00 p.m., to allow Earnest to attend the committee meeting.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
As Starke County prepares to put together its wish list for the proposed upgrade of U.S. 30, one of the things it’ll be pushing for is an interchange at Hamlet. That’s what Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver told the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday.
He explained that installing an interchange at Starke Street would be difficult, due to the amount of land that would need to be acquired, but there are other options. “Take an example, where Old 30 meets New 30 east of Hamlet. That might be an opportunity,” he said. “It’s an easy route to the town, plus the schools. So I mean those are things are a long ways out, but the whole idea is, even among ourselves we said, ‘You’ve got to respect Hamlet. You can’t limit it to 35.'” They’re also hoping for an interchange at State Road 23.
A committee of local stakeholders will meet for the first time on October 25. Its goal will be to come up with recommendations for the Indiana Department of Transportation to consider, if and when they decide to upgrade U.S. 30 to freeway standards. Weaver said the members were chosen by the Starke County Commissioners. “We have the gentleman that owns Gun Town. He’s on there. I think we have the fire chiefs from Hamlet and Koontz Lake. We have several farmers that farm on both sides, so we can get their reaction to what’s going on. We have the hospital. We have emergency management. We have a county commissioner, county council, a representative from Knox City Council.”
The Hamlet Town Council’s representative is Brian Earnest. He said he plans to work with the town’s fire department to come up with a list of the routes it uses to respond to different locations. “I know with talking to some of the state people that that’s one of the things, like emergency time is one of the big arguments you want to use,” Earnest said.
Meanwhile, Weaver said that Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler is doing traffic counts on all the cross streets. “He’s going to be doing it monthly because you’re going to see different traffic counts whether it’s harvest season, whether Hensler’s are having tree sales and that sort of stuff,” he explained. “So we need to have all that data.”
Starke County is a member of the U.S. 30 Coalition, which is advocating for the upgrade of U.S. 30 to freeway standards between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne. The Hamlet Town Council decided Wednesday to move its October 25 meeting to 7:00 p.m., to allow Earnest to attend the committee meeting.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
U.S. 30 Coalition Discusses Freeway Plan with Residents
Posted on June 29, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
U.S. 30 is likely to be upgraded to freeway standards in the next 10 years, so now’s the time for local residents to get together and offer their input. That’s what a consultant working with the statewide U.S. 30 Coalition told residents during an informational meeting Wednesday in Hamlet.
Dennis Faulkenberg with transportation consulting firm APPIAN said that while it’s not a done deal yet, the U.S. 30 upgrade is a big priority for the Indiana Department of Transportation. And with recent legislation, funding may be available to make it happen.
The proposal would upgrade U.S. 30 to freeway standards between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne. In that stretch, the only way to get across U.S. 30 would be with an overpass, and the only way to get on will be at an interchange.
Faulkenberg says planning for where those would be placed hasn’t begun yet. He says local residents need to start building consensus on where they want them. Otherwise, he says INDOT will decide for them.
As for why U.S. 30 needs to be upgraded, Faulkenberg points to traffic volumes, safety, and economic development. Right now, 30,000 vehicles use the corridor on a daily basis. INDOT expects that number to increase by more than 8,000 over the next 20 years.
Faulkenberg says that the mix of truck traffic and passenger vehicles, as well as the number of stoplights, have led to safety issues, including some fatal accidents in recent weeks. By upgrading to freeway standards, INDOT projects U.S. 30 would see 323 fewer accidents and four fewer fatalities a year.
Additionally, the upgrade is projected to bring 10,000 new jobs to the U.S. 30 corridor over the next 20 years. Officials with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation say the upgrade is vital to the county’s future, since businesses often refuse to locate beyond a certain distance from freeways.
One concern raised by residents Wednesday was how much property would need to be acquired. Faulkenberg said that the current right of way is probably wide enough already in most areas. Where land acquisition would come into play is at overpass and interchange locations. Residents also questioned why INDOT hasn’t been making minor safety upgrades all along, like acceleration lanes near the Grovertown truck stop.
Residents also wondered if the real issue is trucks avoiding the Indiana Toll Road, and if the way to solve U.S. 30’s traffic problems would be to make changes to the toll road itself. Faulkenberg responded that the two highways probably serve different traffic, but agreed that it might be worth looking into vehicles’ origins and destinations.
The next step is to organize local committees made up of farmers, emergency responders, school officials, and other stakeholders. Starke County is represented in the statewide U.S. 30 Coalition by Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver. Marshall County representatives include Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter and Marshall County Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Jerry Chavez.
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI
U.S. 30 is likely to be upgraded to freeway standards in the next 10 years, so now’s the time for local residents to get together and offer their input. That’s what a consultant working with the statewide U.S. 30 Coalition told residents during an informational meeting Wednesday in Hamlet.
Dennis Faulkenberg with transportation consulting firm APPIAN said that while it’s not a done deal yet, the U.S. 30 upgrade is a big priority for the Indiana Department of Transportation. And with recent legislation, funding may be available to make it happen.
The proposal would upgrade U.S. 30 to freeway standards between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne. In that stretch, the only way to get across U.S. 30 would be with an overpass, and the only way to get on will be at an interchange.
Faulkenberg says planning for where those would be placed hasn’t begun yet. He says local residents need to start building consensus on where they want them. Otherwise, he says INDOT will decide for them.
As for why U.S. 30 needs to be upgraded, Faulkenberg points to traffic volumes, safety, and economic development. Right now, 30,000 vehicles use the corridor on a daily basis. INDOT expects that number to increase by more than 8,000 over the next 20 years.
Faulkenberg says that the mix of truck traffic and passenger vehicles, as well as the number of stoplights, have led to safety issues, including some fatal accidents in recent weeks. By upgrading to freeway standards, INDOT projects U.S. 30 would see 323 fewer accidents and four fewer fatalities a year.
Additionally, the upgrade is projected to bring 10,000 new jobs to the U.S. 30 corridor over the next 20 years. Officials with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation say the upgrade is vital to the county’s future, since businesses often refuse to locate beyond a certain distance from freeways.
One concern raised by residents Wednesday was how much property would need to be acquired. Faulkenberg said that the current right of way is probably wide enough already in most areas. Where land acquisition would come into play is at overpass and interchange locations. Residents also questioned why INDOT hasn’t been making minor safety upgrades all along, like acceleration lanes near the Grovertown truck stop.
Residents also wondered if the real issue is trucks avoiding the Indiana Toll Road, and if the way to solve U.S. 30’s traffic problems would be to make changes to the toll road itself. Faulkenberg responded that the two highways probably serve different traffic, but agreed that it might be worth looking into vehicles’ origins and destinations.
The next step is to organize local committees made up of farmers, emergency responders, school officials, and other stakeholders. Starke County is represented in the statewide U.S. 30 Coalition by Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver. Marshall County representatives include Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter and Marshall County Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Jerry Chavez.
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