Page 18 - Valparaiso, IN U.S. 30 Corridor Plan

Adopted July 25, 2011
2

Planning Context

SECTION TWO

The Regional Setting
heavy as large distribution centers are pushed farther and farther south of the Interstate
In addition to its multiple functions, the corridor also exists within an economic context 90/94/80 corridor in search of large tracts of open land.
that will influence the type of investment that will occur there in the future. Currently, Although distribution facilities can lead to important regional job growth, larger volumes
the corridor serves mainly as an intra-regional commuter corridor linking the interior of truck traffic have the potential to adversely affect the character and functionality of the
parts of LaPorte and Porter counties to the job and retail centers of Lake County and corridor and may limit its potential for office and high quality retail development. It may
southern Cook County, Illinois. In this capacity, it serves an important “back road” also adversely affect the City’s bucolic, college-town image.
function bypassing the congestion of Interstates 90/94 and I-80 for travelers in the Fort
Wayne – Chicago corridor. In a more immediate sense, the type and intensity of development near the Porter County
Municipal Airport will invariably impact the City’s stretch of U.S 30. Some truck traffic, of
As the region continues to develop (propelled by the inexorable outward stretch of Metro course, must be tolerated. Too much however can conflict with other objectives such as
Chicago), the U.S. 30 corridor can expect to see modest increases in commuter traffic enhancing the approach experience to VU and strengthening the city’s regional “garden
volumes over time. More concerning perhaps, is the continued expansion of Northwest spot” image. In all cases, the City must remain keenly aware of how planning decisions
Indiana’s already large logistics sector which could make the traffic increasingly truck- elsewhere within the corridor can have serious “downstream” impacts.
30

3