CROWN POINT | In Rollie Brauer's vision, Crown Point's east side would be built up with hotels, commercial development at the Interstate 65 and U.S. 231 interchange, landscaping and a bike path winding alongside city thoroughfares.

Brauer, who is the chamber's economic development chairman, told about 20 area business leaders Friday that widening Broadway can't wait for further development.

"We need to create an area that is strong and vibrant 100, 150, even 200 years from now," he said.

The New East Side Business Alliance, an offshoot of the chamber, met Friday to discuss circulating a petition to speed up improvements to Broadway.

Broadway is slated for widening between 93rd and 109th avenues in 2012, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation timeline. Widening the road between 109th Avenue and U.S. 231 isn't even on the radar, Brauer said.

The city's 109th interchange project, which is on the fast track for completion, will pack more traffic onto an already congested area, he said.

Broadway already is plagued by traffic problems heading north in the morning and south in the evenings.

"It's very difficult to get places," Brauer said.

Chamber President Sarah Polman said the projected timeline for widening Broadway is "outdated."

She suggested finding alternate routes as another way to alleviate Broadway's traffic.

Chamber Executive Director Gayle Van Sessen said she would like to see 10,000 signatures on the petition to push the proposed road improvement forward. The petition will be circulating among area businesses for the next month and a half.