VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — A Porter County commissioner said he would oppose a tax increase on county residents to help pay for an estimated $500 million extension of the South Shore commuter rail line.

Commissioner Bob Harper said he did not believe the planned extension to Valparaiso and southern Lake County would be worth the cost.

He said he was skeptical about the demand for the new lines. Harper is a member of the board of directors for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

A district study found that last year during peak hours, between 755 and 799 riders used the three Porter County stations on the line that runs between South Bend and downtown Chicago.

“Maybe another 740 (riders) will use it, but it’s a half a billion dollars,” Harper said. “In my thought process, you have to weigh the possible benefits against the tax increase.”

The proposed extensions would likely be paid for by federal and state grants and Lake and Porter counties.

Studies on estimated ridership on the extended lines have not yet been completed for the South Shore, which carried more than 4 million passengers in 2006 and has rush-hour trains filled past capacity.

The continued growth of Porter County’s population will just add to the demand for the commuter line, said John Swanson, executive director of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

“You’ve got to look at what is the ridership potential,” Swanson said.

Posted 12/26/2007