Latest news with #Bajek
Chicago Tribune
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
INDOT to expand Safe Zones program to Lake County
An Indiana agency is taking extra action to reduce speeding on Interstate 65, a representative announced Monday morning. 'Safety is the driving force behind this program,' said Secretary of Transportation Matt Ubelhor in a news release. 'We want everyone to go home to their loved ones at the end of the day.' The Indiana Department of Transportation will expand its Safe Zones program. The program enforcement will include a truck and cameras in an I-65 construction zone between mile markers 235 and 239, said INDOT spokeswoman Cassandra Bajek. 'If you've driven on I-65, you've probably seen some of the signage go up,' Bajek said. 'That's alerting people to the fact that it will be a speed-enforced work zone with cameras.' Safe Zones was created after the passage of House Enrolled Act 1015 during the 2023 Indiana legislative session. Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, created the legislation and required INDOT to start a program to enforce worksite speed limits. INDOT started the program in 2024 in Hancock County near Indianapolis, Bajek said. The department only issued fine warnings, she added. Safe Zones has been active in a work zone on Interstate 465 and Interstate 69 since May. The Safe Zones program can only be used at four locations statewide, and Bajek said it could be used at other Northwest Indiana locations in the future. When a vehicle drives faster than 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, the Safe Zones system will capture a photo of the license plate. The first incident will lead to a no-fine warning, the second will be a $75 civil penalty and every violation after will be $150. Collected money goes to the state's general fund, according to the Safe Zones website. 'We're not trying to make as much money as possible for INDOT,' Bajek said. 'For us, the goal is not about raising money through fines. The goal is to have people slow down and to save lives, and that's what we're hoping to see through this program.' So far, the data for Safe Zones has been promising, Bajek said Monday. INDOT also has looked at data from other states, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, which she said have also shown results. License plate data is only collected to issue fines for speeding and will not be utilized for other potential offenses, Bajek said. Cameras for the program are located on trucks in the work zone, she said, and are not located on the interstate. 'Those are all to monitor real-time traffic conditions,' Bajek said. 'Those do not have the capability to track speed or take a picture of someone's license plate.'
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
I-65 fiery truck crashes ignite conversation about tolling, expanding highway
Recent fiery truck accidents on Interstate 65 in southern Lake and Jasper counties in the spring resulted in long traffic delays and asphalt repairs, which have resurfaced questions about tolling and expanding I-65. House Enrolled Act 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including Interstate 80/94 and I-65. Specifically, the law allows the Indiana Department of Transportation to submit a request to the Federal Highway Administration for a waiver to toll lanes on interstate highways. If the waiver is granted, the legislature would not have to enact a statute for the Indiana finance authority to take action on tolling. Indiana uses fuel tax to fund road projects, Braun said at an event in Munster last month, but as vehicles become more fuel efficient drivers have been buying less gas. Braun said he 'probably will' ask for federal approval to toll Indiana highways. 'It's going to have to be considered because otherwise, I don't think we can maintain our main arteries,' Braun said. 'Asking for the ability to do it doesn't mean you're going to do it comprehensively. You do it selectively, where the need is the greatest.' Indiana Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cassandra Bajek said Monday that the department hasn't received information from the governor's office or the legislature about beginning to toll roads in Indiana. 'That question is still being answered. We're still waiting to hear what their intent was with that one,' Bajek said. Expanding I-65 to three lanes, for both northbound and southbound traffic, 'is always a topic of conversation' at INDOT, 'however we do not currently have a project in place to do so' in Northwest Indiana, Bajek said. A truck fire in April led to paint cans exploding from the vehicle and halting traffic on I-65 southbound. A truck driver pulled over near mile-marker 231 on I-65 southbound around 1 p.m. April 21. The driver noticed the brakes on one side of the tractor were glowing red and started on fire, according to an Indiana State Police news release. The driver ran to get a fire extinguisher from the cab, but when she returned the fire had spread to the trailer, which was filled with paint cans, according to the release. The paint cans 'ignited and caused an intense fire that quickly spread to the adjacent trees and even caught the asphalt roadway surface on fire,' according to the release. As crews worked to put out the fire, there was a moment when north and southbound lanes were closed because of the smoke. When the scene was cleared, a large section of asphalt had to be replaced, according to the release. The highway was closed for approximately 16 hours, Bajek said. A semi-truck crash in May led to a fire, closed I-65 near Lowell for hours and needed asphalt repair. A UPS truck crashed while headed northbound on I-65 near mile-marker 238.8 May 17 after exiting a construction zone lane restriction. The truck 'experienced a sudden tire failure on one of the steer tires' which resulted in the driver losing control of the truck, according to an Indiana State Police news release. The truck and trailer overturned, which blocked the entire roadway, and caught fire. The driver was able to get out of the truck but was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. The asphalt was damaged and deemed unsafe for traffic, according to the release, so it had to be replaced and refilled. The road was closed for approximately 10 hours, Bajek said. As a result, beginning in June, the Lake County Sheriff's Department Traffic Unit began enforcing operations targeting overweight vehicles that are damaging roadways and impacting driver safety along the state line in southwest Lake County, according to a Lake County Sheriff's Department news release. The department will send out more than 60 warning notices to companies and drivers of vehicles in violation of weight limits. Drivers will receive tickets if they continue to ignore weight restrictions on county roadways, according to the sheriff's release. In Lake County, there is a 15-ton limit on 197th, 185th and 151st from U.S. 41 west to State Line Road, according to the sheriff's release. 'We are taking this proactive approach to help reduce the kind of heavy traffic on weight restricted roads that causes significant wear and tear on the roads,' Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said in the release. 'The accelerated degradation of the roads leads to increased maintenance costs for taxpayers.' akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
I-65 fiery truck crashes ignite conversation about tolling, expanding highway
Recent fiery truck accidents on Interstate 65 in southern Lake and Jasper counties in the spring resulted in long traffic delays and asphalt repairs, which have resurfaced questions about tolling and expanding I-65. House Enrolled Act 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including Interstate 80/94 and I-65. Specifically, the law allows the Indiana Department of Transportation to submit a request to the Federal Highway Administration for a waiver to toll lanes on interstate highways. If the waiver is granted, the legislature would not have to enact a statute for the Indiana finance authority to take action on tolling. Indiana uses fuel tax to fund road projects, Braun said at an event in Munster last month, but as vehicles become more fuel efficient drivers have been buying less gas. Braun said he 'probably will' ask for federal approval to toll Indiana highways. 'It's going to have to be considered because otherwise, I don't think we can maintain our main arteries,' Braun said. 'Asking for the ability to do it doesn't mean you're going to do it comprehensively. You do it selectively, where the need is the greatest.' Indiana Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cassandra Bajek said Monday that the department hasn't received information from the governor's office or the legislature about beginning to toll roads in Indiana. 'That question is still being answered. We're still waiting to hear what their intent was with that one,' Bajek said. Expanding I-65 to three lanes, for both northbound and southbound traffic, 'is always a topic of conversation' at INDOT, 'however we do not currently have a project in place to do so' in Northwest Indiana, Bajek said. A truck fire in April led to paint cans exploding from the vehicle and halting traffic on I-65 southbound. A truck driver pulled over near mile-marker 231 on I-65 southbound around 1 p.m. April 21. The driver noticed the brakes on one side of the tractor were glowing red and started on fire, according to an Indiana State Police news release. The driver ran to get a fire extinguisher from the cab, but when she returned the fire had spread to the trailer, which was filled with paint cans, according to the release. The paint cans 'ignited and caused an intense fire that quickly spread to the adjacent trees and even caught the asphalt roadway surface on fire,' according to the release. As crews worked to put out the fire, there was a moment when north and southbound lanes were closed because of the smoke. When the scene was cleared, a large section of asphalt had to be replaced, according to the release. The highway was closed for approximately 16 hours, Bajek said. A semi-truck crash in May led to a fire, closed I-65 near Lowell for hours and needed asphalt repair. A UPS truck crashed while headed northbound on I-65 near mile-marker 238.8 May 17 after exiting a construction zone lane restriction. The truck 'experienced a sudden tire failure on one of the steer tires' which resulted in the driver losing control of the truck, according to an Indiana State Police news release. The truck and trailer overturned, which blocked the entire roadway, and caught fire. The driver was able to get out of the truck but was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. The asphalt was damaged and deemed unsafe for traffic, according to the release, so it had to be replaced and refilled. The road was closed for approximately 10 hours, Bajek said. As a result, beginning in June, the Lake County Sheriff's Department Traffic Unit began enforcing operations targeting overweight vehicles that are damaging roadways and impacting driver safety along the state line in southwest Lake County, according to a Lake County Sheriff's Department news release. The department will send out more than 60 warning notices to companies and drivers of vehicles in violation of weight limits. Drivers will receive tickets if they continue to ignore weight restrictions on county roadways, according to the sheriff's release. In Lake County, there is a 15-ton limit on 197th, 185th and 151st from U.S. 41 west to State Line Road, according to the sheriff's release. 'We are taking this proactive approach to help reduce the kind of heavy traffic on weight restricted roads that causes significant wear and tear on the roads,' Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said in the release. 'The accelerated degradation of the roads leads to increased maintenance costs for taxpayers.'
Chicago Tribune
10-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana Department of Transportation nixes idea of arboretum for road interchange in Porter
The idea of developing an arboretum in the green space around the Indiana 49 and U.S. 20 interchange was rejected by the Indiana Department of Transportation. Architecture students from Ball State University recently presented a study of the interchange during a Porter Plan Commission meeting. Jeremy Merrill, an assistant professor of landscape architecture, relayed by video feed the observations of his students. The town of Porter was looking for ideas to enhance the appearance of the intersection as an entrance into the community. Porter Town Councilman James Burge, I-2nd, arranged for the Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning to do the study, free of charge. The plan included an arboretum with winding trails, a mound, a playground and an amphitheater on the southeast side of the intersection, which would link up with the nearby Indiana Dunes Visitor Center off Indiana 49. Merrill even proposed having a pedestrian bridge over the entrance ramp. 'That plan was much more complex than what we might be able to have there,' said Cassy Bajek, an INDOT spokeswoman. The reason why INDOT had to say no was the safety concern for people in the area of the interchange. 'We don't want people to come in and out of the roadway,' Bajek said. Bajek said there are clear parameters of what the town can do with the intersection. The town would be permitted to do landscaping projects and welcome signs. Michael Barry, Porter's building commissioner and development director, said the town will look at landscaping options and artwork to spruce up the area. He said it was clear, though, that INDOT doesn't want people congregating within the intersection's green space. Barry said the town will talk with the Indiana Dunes National Park to coordinate with plans for the Visitor Center. The Ball State students did pitch other intriguing ideas outside of the Indiana 49 and U.S. 20 interchange that the town would consider, Barry said Barry said one proposal addressed the greater connectivity of trails within the Porter community. In recent weeks, Barry said he has been working with Parks Director Brian Bugajski and Rob Albrecht-Mallinger, a plan commission and Board of Zoning Appeals board member, on the trails issue. An obstacle is the recent Indiana state budget cut out money for the Next Level Trails program, which helps to fund the construction of trails, Barry said. The town wants to see its current trail that goes north on Waverly Road extended to Porter Beach. Barry said what the town can do downtown is widen the sidewalk on Lincoln Street to 8 feet so it can accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. That could help to connect the trail from Waverly Road and Lincoln Street to the Porter Brickyard Trail, which runs down Beam Street. The Porter Brickyard Trail has a bridge over U.S. 20 and runs through the Indiana Dunes National Park, linking with the Calumet Trail/Marquette Greenway at North Mineral Springs Road. Barry said the one thing he plans to do this year is install wayfinding signs for the Porter Brickyard Trail and other trails within the town to better inform bicyclists and pedestrians. There are practically no signs for the trails now.
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
‘You have a problem there': Duneland stretch of US 20 has history of wrecks
US 20 has been tagged with the nickname 'Bloody 20' because of its history of wrecks in Northwest Indiana. There is even a Facebook page devoted to tracking crashes on 'The Bloody 20' in LaPorte County. Chesterton Town Councilman James Ton, R-1st, said that U.S. 20 was originally built to relieve traffic on US 12. Before Interstate 94 was constructed in sections across Northwest Indiana during the 1950s and 60s, US 20 was a major east-west highway. The Indiana State Police at one time had its Post #1 near the US 20-Indiana 49 interchange. Traffic can still be a challenge on US 20 these days and Ton believes that a two-mile Duneland corridor from Tremont Road to Brummitt Road in Westchester Township fits the 'Bloody 20' moniker. Ton said he tracked down an official from the Indiana Department of Transportation about the safety issue on US 20 after the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 20. 'They need to understand that there is a problem. It is a situation that needs a remedy,' Ton said. It so happened that when Ton spoke to the Town Council on Feb. 24 about his talk with an INDOT official, there was a fatal crash on US 20 at Brummitt Road earlier that day. Chesterton Police provided backup for the Porter County Sheriff's Office. Eric Buzalski, 43, of LaPorte was driving his pickup truck west on US 20 when he went left-of-center while passing a vehicle and struck an eastbound semi head-on. Another eastbound semi-trailer also became involved in the ensuing crash that took hours to untangle. Buzalski was pronounced dead at the scene. What happened with the crash illustrated one of the main issues for that stretch of US 20There are four lanes with no median. Ton said that the section of US 20 is also susceptible to lane violations because it's not a divided highway. Another problem is the lack of turning lanes, which results in rear-end collisions because motorists don't stop in time, Ton said. There are also a number of businesses near Tremont Road, along with side streets that empty onto US 20 which pose additional safety challenges. INDOT acknowledges that many of the observations made by Ton are true. Cassy Bajek, a spokeswoman for INDOT's office in LaPorte, said she doesn't have accurate crash data available for that portion of US. 20. But in speaking with the traffic team, Bajek said the type of highway like US 20 — four lanes undivided without turn lanes — is prone to more operational issues. 'There are more challenges with side-street traffic crossing, four lanes without having a refuge in the middle, people stopped on the highway waiting to turn left, no median barrier wall,' Bajek said in an email. However, Bajek said that there are limited options for that section of US 20 because of space constraints: Indiana Dunes National Park is on the north and there are railroad tracks alongside the highway on the south side. Bajek said that INDOT might explore some options but there are no timelines and no official study is planned. It might not have been the answer that Ton was looking for, but he believes it's still important to raise the issue. 'The main thing I wanted to get across is, you have a problem there,' Ton said.
