http://www.state.in.us/legislative/hdpr/R9_10311996.html

Michigan City receives grant for "Trolley to the Dunes"

INDIANAPOLIS (October 31, 1996) -- Visitors to Michigan City will soon be able to take in all of the city's attractions from the comfort of a restored train car, thanks to a federal grant announced today.

State Rep. Tom Alevizos (D-Michigan City) and State Sen. Anita Bowser (D-Michigan City) announced that the city received a $698,000 grant through the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The grant will be used for preservation of a railway connecting the heart of Michigan City with four major tourist attractions, and for rehabilitation of a West-Side building that will be used for a station and museum.

"This is exciting news for Michigan City," Alevizos said. "This project will help boost the community's tourism industry, as well as help revitalize Michigan City's West Side."

The project, nicknamed "Trolley to the Dunes," will make use of refurbished 1928 South Shore Railway cars. The cars will run a circuit connecting the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Lighthouse Place, Washington Park and a riverboat casino which eventually will be anchored on Lake Michigan.

The federal ISTEA program provides funding for transportation projects other than road construction. The grants can be used for a variety of projects, such as alternative transportation systems and historic preservation. The Indiana Department of Transportation administers the grants in this state.

Michigan City was one of 17 Indiana communities to receive an ISTEA grant Thursday, Alevizos said. A total of $8.7 million was awarded.

Alevizos credited Bowser, Michigan City Mayor Sheila Bergerson-Brillson and Gov. Evan Bayh for working hard to secure the grant.