Illiana Expressway Study Approved By House 91-5

The Indiana House in an overwhelming majority -- 91 in favor to 5 opposed -- has approved a study of the Illiana Expressway in a mass transit study bill, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

Reports the Indianapolis Star:

The House also voted 91-5 to pass SB 105, which would direct the Indiana Department of Transportation to study numerous mass transit projects statewide, including a commuter rail line from Indianapolis to Muncie. The bill also directs further study of the western portion of the Illiana Expressway in Northwest Indiana by a legislative committee.

The Indiana House's approval of the Illiana Expressway study comes on the same day as Scott Ford, a member of the LaPorte County Economic Development Commission, wrote that Indiana's leaders should study the Illiana Expressway proposals in an opinion piece in the Herald Argus.

Our economic future is tied to Chicago and the ability to move our products and people quickly and effectively. The world will continue to shrink and our region’s ability to generate income for its citizens will continue to be directly linked to cost-effective transportation and highways. The economic reality is that there isn’t enough funding to repair our current infrastructure. No one wants to pay more taxes to build new highways and public/private partnerships may be the answer to these funding issues.

We have to have vision and look toward the future. Many of La Porte’s leaders over the last four decades have focused on short-term results that would be visible during their terms of office. Look at where short-term thinking got us today -- a city and county that lags behind state and national averages in income and education. Our best and brightest young people move away because of limited opportunity.

We can’t afford to say no to the Illiana Expressway until every detail and fact is studied extensively. The next 40 years will be impacted by our vision or lack of it.

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