Let's Build Burnham's Third Ring Road: House Approves Illiana Study Legislation

The Indiana House passed legislation yesterday that would authorize a study of the Illiana Expressway from I-65 in Lake County, Indiana to I-57 in Illinois, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

The measure was passed by voice vote after it was offered as an amendment. The legislation removes the possibility of the Illiana Expressway extending into Porter County or being operated by private entities, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, won support Thursday for a plan to study an Illiana Expressway that won't run through Porter or LaPorte counties or be built with the help of private financing.

The proposal, contained in an amendment the House adopted by a voice vote, still would allow the state to study building the road as a tollway, but only from Interstate 65 in Lake County to Interstate 57 in Illinois. Supporters say the move would put some concrete answers behind a debate now fueled by emotion.

"We need the facts," Soliday said. "Let's get the facts, and let's stop shouting at one another."

The Illiana has been a dream of urban planners for decades. But loud opponents in southern Porter County saw it as a nightmare that would end their bucolic lifestyle.

Reports the Post-Tribune:

The measure allows only a study of the proposal. It does not give the governor authority to enter into a public-private partnership for a company to build the Illiana.

"Let me repeat: There is no P-3 authority in this amendment," Soliday said while explaining his plan, an acknowledgement that much of the opposition in Northwest Indiana to an earlier bill focused on the power it would have given Gov. Mitch Daniels to pursue such a contract to build the Illiana after a study was finished.

Soliday's amendment sets a two-year time limit on the study, and caps the state's payment for the work at $2 million. The study would look only at the western leg of the proposal, from Interstate 57 in Illinois to Interstate 65.

Soliday's amendment would create a bipartisan committee composed of four senators and four representatives to which The Indiana Department of Transportation would report the findings of the feasibility study.

The measure stipulates at least four of the eight members of the committee come from Lake County.

"We can't decide whether to do anything until we have accurate information about whether this would work," Soliday said. "Let's get that information."

Now, let's get out there and study the Illiana Expressway, then build Daniel Burnham's third ring road around Chicago by connecting the Illiana to I-355 at I-80! The visionary planner of Chicago's beautiful lake front saw the need for a third ring road almost a century ago!

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Will Toll Road Plans End Political Careers?

Hoping to defeat plans to authorize the construction of the Illiana Expressway from I-65 to I-57, the Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road plan to make private toll roads a major election issue, writes their leader, Dave Alhberg on CAPIT's message board.

Two years will get us past the current term of the Governor. I'm sure privatization and road building will be a major issue in the election NEXT YEAR.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Truck Freight Arteries

Truck freight traffic flows
to and from
Northwest Indiana
via I-80 / I-94.

The Borman Expressway (I-80/I-94) is a major truck freight artery that is filled with flowing traffic that eventually ends up in Texas, according to a map published by Trans-Texas Corridor using federal highway statistics.

Notice I-69 is another major artery flowing with truck freight traffic.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

200 Illiana Protesters Meet in Lake County

About 200 Illiana Expressway protesters gathered to voice their opposition to the proposed toll road at a meeting organized by the Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

Speakers at the forum -- hosted by Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub and Michael Jordan and Julie Clark, all of whom oppose the proposed road -- said the Illiana would benefit Illinois at the expense of Indiana farmers and taxpayers. They decried governmental eminent domain powers. They voiced concern that the road would worsen urban sprawl.

West Creek Township Trustee/Assessor Rick Niemeyer called the proposed expressway a "road that's going to get people to move through our area as fast as they can without stopping."

Scheub floated his alternative: an extension of Chicago's Lake Shore Drive through Indiana. His proposal would improve Indiana's shoreline, bring highly paid jobs to Indiana and reduce taxes, he said.

I have to admit that I like the idea of extending and creating a Northwest Indiana Lake Shore Drive. Maybe that could be something that would be included in Rep. Pete Visclosky's Marquette Greenway proposal for Lake County's lake front?

I wonder if the compromise solution will be to have the state start purchasing additional I-80 / I-94 right of way north of the existing Borman Expressway to be able to create additional lanes to handle the extra traffic predicted in the next ten years or so. Maybe express lanes for California-to-New-York trucks and local lanes could be created as a compromise solution.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Non-Elected Board To Collect Train Tax?

Will Northwest Indiana residents start paying a train tax imposed by a non-elected board of political appointees to fund a mass transit project connecting Valparaiso and Lowell to the South Shore Train line?

Indiana State Rep. Chet Dobis (D-Merrillville) proposes a new wheel tax of up to $50 to pay for a South Shore Line extension to Lowell and Valparaiso. The new tax would be charged to vehicle owners in Lake and Porter Counties.

The Post-Tribune reports that the train tax plan would let the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority impose the tax to pay for the project that could cost $900 million.

Questions have been raised about the plan to let a non-governmental agency levy taxes, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

State law already permits local vehicle taxes of up to $25, but Lake and Porter are not among the more than three-dozen counties that impose the levy. Dobis' plan would bypass county officials, instead giving the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority power to impose a single rate of up to $50 a year on motorists in Lake and Porter counties.

"I have serious concerns about allowing a non-elected board to impose any kind of tax," said state Rep. Dan Stevenson, D-Highland.

Other lawmakers, including some from outside the region, also questioned the wisdom of turning taxing authority over to the RDA board, which is appointed by county officials, mayors and the governor. Dobis acknowledged the "bone of contention" but suggested the scenario is no different than non-elected school boards that lord over multimillion-dollar construction projects.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

More Evidence The Illiana Fight Unites Both Left And Right

The Daily Kos last month covered the Illiana Expressway issue after blog post author "ManfromMiddleton" picks up a copy of a conservative student newspaper at Purdue University: It's more proof that the Illiana Expressway Toll Road has the potential to unite the political Left and political Right in one coalition.

From the Daily Kos (special recognition to Dalton over at Porter County Politics for noticing it):

Thomas wrote about the Illiana highway project and the regional planning commission's opposition to it earlier today. From Thomas, I expect this, though we've never actually met, I have what I think is a decent understanding of the guy. Walking through one of the buildings on campus earlier this week, I picked up a new paper that I had never seen before, the Purdue Review. What attracted me was a headline on the frontpage, "The Real Toll of Illiana: The End of Rural Indiana", that turned out to be highly critical of Daniels adminstration. All the more suprising then my realization that this was the new campus conservative newspaper. Opening the page to see the Gipper 6 inches from my kisser gave it away.

I'm sure that we disagree about many other things, but I agree with much of what Jeff Schultz has to say.

The Daily Kos quotes Jeff Schultz's article:

Mitch Daniels told the 2006 Republican convention that, "if you are not for this plan, you are against our future." Indiana has always been a rural, Midwestern state. There might be more than corn in Indiana but let's not forget our roots. A big part of future is still in small communities like mine. Don't listen to Daniel's rhetoric. He's a politician and it's his job to lie. Being a newspaper writer, it is my duty to tell you the truth and the truth is that if you are for the building of the Illiana Expressway then you are against our future (those who live in Northwestern Indiana.) Daniels doesn't care. He probably wouldn't mind sacrificing a few, despicable hicks like us off the map. Maybe we are hicks, but we have the right as American to live a life of freedom and happiness.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

LaPorte Businesses Want Illiana Study

While the Illiana Expressway plans may be scaled back or permanently tabled, LaPorte business leaders are requesting Indiana legislators conduct a feasibility study of the highway project.


Writes Daniel Przbyla in the LaPorte Herald Argus:

Forty-eight businesses in La Porte, including 24 manufacturers, signed a petition circulated by the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce last month in support of a feasibility study into the 50-mile tollway that would cut through Lake, Porter and La Porte counties before linking up with the Indiana Toll Road. The petition was forwarded to state legislators, Northwest Indiana Forum and Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

“How can you make an informed decision without a study? Let’s do a study and see what happens,” chamber President Mike Seitz said.

“Fifteen to 20 years from now it will be gridlock on the Borman Expressway (I-94). (La Porte manufacturers) don’t want their trucks idling for hours on the Borman.”

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

What Illiana Expressway?

Residents of northeastern Illinois haven't heard much about the Illiana Expressway proposal, reports the Daily Southtown, even though local Illinois leaders are in favor of the new highway.

The proposed highway remains a favorite of municipal leaders and businesses who favor the economic development it will bring.

Ed Paesel, executive director of the South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association, envisions an expressway south of Monee, running north of the proposed south suburban airport near Peotone and cutting across Illinois 394 along Goodenow Road before reaching I-57.

Paesel said the ongoing widening of the Kingery and Borman expressways will not be enough to handle future traffic volume.

"Every capacity study shows us that in a short number of years, those lanes will be filled up," Paesel said. "There is no room for any more lanes."

And if the path of the Illiana Expressway is not decided soon, the land will be gobbled up by suburban sprawl, he said.

But the motoring public still needs to catch on to the concept.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

South Bend Tribune Calls For Illiana Expressway Study

The South Bend Tribune calls for a study of the feasibility of the Illiana Expressway Toll Road.

Right now, it appears to be 'bye. Or, at best, wait and see. And that might be just as well. But we believe a study of the proposed Illiana Expressway proposal is in order. It could be an important component of a much-needed comprehensive long-term Indiana transportation plan.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Was Giving Lake Co. Tourism Board Property Seizure Power Accidental?

Porter County legislators are upset about a "drafting error" in a dead bill that would have allowed Lake County, Indiana tourism officials to exercise eminent domain around the state, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

This issue had been a topic of discussion at the Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Tollroad message board in late March:

Wrote CAPIT leader Dave Alhberg on the anti Illiana Expressway board March 30:

One of our members brought this to my attention.

House Bill 1166 gives the Lake County Convention and Tourism Bureau the right to eminent domain throughout the state of Indiana! They already have this power in Lake County!

The bill is up for second reading and amendment in the Senate. I sent an e-mail (as a private citizen, not representing CAPIT) to Senators 1 through 8 strongly objecting to this ridiculous granting of eminent domain power. What does the Lake County Tourism Bureau want to condemn in other counties?

If you are like me, and believe that eminent domain powers need to be severely restricted, if not totally abolished, please send an e-mail to the local senators, and include "eminent domain" in your subject line to get their attention.

Thanks for your help!

Dave

A subsequent message showed the new eminent domain power that would be seemingly granted to the Lake County tourism officials:

SECTION 3, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2007]: Sec. 4. (a) The bureau may:

(1) accept and use gifts, grants, and contributions from any public or private source, under terms and conditions that the bureau considers necessary and desirable;

(2) sue and be sued;

(3) enter into contracts and agreements;

(4) make rules necessary for the conduct of its business and the accomplishment of its purposes;

(5) receive and approve, alter, or reject requests and proposals for funding by corporations qualified under subdivision (6);

(6) after its approval of a proposal, transfer money from the promotion fund or from the alternate revenue fund to any Indiana nonprofit corporation to promote and encourage conventions, trade shows, visitors, or special events in the county;

(7) require financial or other reports from any corporation that receives funds under this chapter;

(8) enter into leases under IC 36-1-10 for the construction, acquisition, and equipping of a visitor center; and

(9) exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire property to promote and encourage conventions, trade shows, special events, recreation, and visitors. within the county.

(b) All expenses of the bureau shall be paid from the promotion

Writes the Northwest Indiana Times on the controversial legislation:

Officials in Porter County are up in arms over failed legislation they fear would have given Lake County tourism officials the power to seize private property beyond its borders.

State Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, said the proposal was a drafting error, but Porter County Council President Dan Whitten does not buy the explanation.

"How can they make such an error?" Whitten asked. ...

The bill in question, which is considered dead, called for eliminating the four county appointments to the bureau's governing board and allowing promotion money to be spent outside Lake County. Dobis said he has no plans to resurrect the proposal in another bill.

Giving Lake County officials the power to take property in other parts of the state would have been a bad deal for all involved, except maybe the Lake County officials who would have gained from the ability to grab various properties.

Just think of how much money GUEA's officials could have grabbed if they would have had the power of statewide eminent domain?

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

eminent+domain

tourism

Reports Of The Illiana Expressway's Demise May Be Premature

More on the Northwest Indiana Forum's lobbying effort to keep the Illiana Expressway project alive as an economic incubator for Northwest Indiana comes from today's Post-Tribune:

Now Northwest Indiana business and tourism leaders are quietly trying to persuade legislators to move forward with the project.

In a series of closed-door meetings with key members of the General Assembly last week, representatives of the Northwest Indiana Forum argued funding for a feasibility study of the entire Illiana --from Interstate 57 in Illinois through Interstate 65 to Interstate 94 -- should be approved this session.

Forum Director Vincent Galbiati said the group's objective in Indianapolis was simple: Remind lawmakers there is a great deal of support in Lake and Porter counties for the road project.

"From a business perspective, our membership represents $40 billion in commerce," Galbiati said. "We wanted them to understand business leadership is backing them if they decide to pursue this."

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Business Leaders Continue Push For Illiana Expressway

The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that the Northwest Indiana Forum continues the battle to build the proposed Illiana Expressway by meeting with Indiana legislators.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Interesting CAPIT Thoughts About Chicago

Interesting thoughts about Chicago from the Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road's leader Dave Alhberg on their message board message board:

I was born and raised in Valparaiso, and the land I live on has been in my family for 80 years.

Chicago can fall into Lake Michigan for all I care.............

Dave

Without Chicago, Northwest Indiana fails economically. The reality is that Illinois' high taxes make Indiana very attractive to many Illinois residents. If plans to increase taxes against corporations based in Illinois are approved, it will only be a short time before businesses seek safe harbors in Indiana or Wisconsin.

We should embrace the economic engine that provides the money that feeds many Northwest Indiana families.

The Illiana Expressway from I-65 to I-57 (with my desire for an extension to connect to I-80 and I-355) would be the perfect to increase the wealth for all in Lake County, Indiana.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Will High Farm Land Prices Affect Illiana Expressway Plans?

The proposed Illiana Expressway would cut across farm land in South Lake County. The Post-Tribune's Cristin Nance details how land prices are rising for the 482 farms in Lake County that cover 127,742 acres because of increased demand for corn to produce ethanol.

A single crop is making farm land all over the country more valuable this spring: corn.

The ethanol production boom has boosted prices to close to $4 a bushel. As a result, farmers are expected to plant 90.5 million acres of corn -- a 15 percent increase over 2006.

There are now 114 ethanol refineries nationwide and another 80 under construction. Ethanol plants are popping up all over Indiana and (John) Bryant (Jr) said it's driving up land prices as well.

The estimated value of farm real estate for the county in 2002 was almost $3,000 per acre. Bryant has heard of land prices in the neighborhood of $5,000 to $6,000 range.

"It all depends on where you are," Bryant said.

What will the high land prices mean for the future of the Illiana Expressway?

Will farmers (or their children) be tempted to sell their land if the price is right? Or, will high land prices make it more likely that farmers will hold on to their valuable land?

Will the Illiana Expressway have to be built as an elevated roadway as a compromise to save land while providing a needed transportation route as truck traffic on the Borman Expressway increases in the future as well as provide Lake County with economic development opportunities?

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads

Schererville Historian Predicts Illiana Expressway Will Be Built

The Northwest Indiana Times ran a story detailing the history of the Borman Expressway yesterday that contained a prediction from a Shererville historian that the Illiana Expressway will eventually be built.

(Art) Schweitzer said the current controversy over the Illiana may slow up plans for the roadway, but won't halt its actual construction. That's because prominent developers and business people are backing the road.

"The road will roll through," Schweitzer said. "It's just a matter of time."

My prediction: The Illiana Expressway will be built as well, but it is unlikely that it will be approved if Indiana has a Republican governor and a Democrat-controlled legislature.

Ellsworth Watch reported recently that an operative with funding from the state and national Democratic Party organizations has been organizing people against the I-69 project, even though it has been popular with Evansville politicians for decades.

The economic development opportunities are too great to pass up and local Democrats have expressed support for the Illiana Expressway in the past. Plus, the estimates that highway construction provides high paying union jobs as well as creating thousands of new jobs -- one union local predicts 47,000 jobs are created for each $1 billion in highway funding -- is too much for any political leader to turn down.

It might just be a matter of the Democrats wanting to strip out the aspects of the transportation project they don't like and also denying a victory to the GOP.

Tech Tags: Illiana Illiana+Expressway Illiana+Legislation Illiana+Toll+Road Interstate Transportation Public+Private+Toll+Roads