Daniels Backs Down on Most of Illiana Toll Road
25 March 2007 06:05 AM | Indiana, NW Indiana and Porter
County
The Indianapolis Star reports that Governor Daniels
has dropped plans for the Indy Commerce
Connector Toll by-pass around Indianapolis and
the Illiana toll road East of I-65.
Good news indeed. However he still wants to build the 10 mile section from the Illinois and Indiana state line to I-65 as a privatized toll road. I still object to that. To be sure I think it should be a toll road, because money is tight for new roads but it should be built and managed by the state.
The Indianapolis Star article suggests that because Daniels cannot pawn these two toll roads the proposed I-69 connection between Indianapolis and Evansville is in doubt. I say, Daniel's should revisit the provisions of I-69 with the Indiana Legislature and build I-69 as a publicly owned and operated toll road. Especially if that road is intended to be a NAFTA super highway, I say toll the heck out of it.
(Actually, if they are going to condemn a right of way between Indianapolis and Evansville they should make it wide enough for dedicated high speed freight and passenger rail to run alongside the highway too and not just a highway.)
The other way to build I-69 is to raise motor fuel taxes for the entire state and dedicate that to building I-69 as a freeway. I'm less enamored by that because in my experience once a tax is imposed you never get rid of it and it only goes up never really down. Government's appetite for money is endless.
Good news indeed. However he still wants to build the 10 mile section from the Illinois and Indiana state line to I-65 as a privatized toll road. I still object to that. To be sure I think it should be a toll road, because money is tight for new roads but it should be built and managed by the state.
The Indianapolis Star article suggests that because Daniels cannot pawn these two toll roads the proposed I-69 connection between Indianapolis and Evansville is in doubt. I say, Daniel's should revisit the provisions of I-69 with the Indiana Legislature and build I-69 as a publicly owned and operated toll road. Especially if that road is intended to be a NAFTA super highway, I say toll the heck out of it.
(Actually, if they are going to condemn a right of way between Indianapolis and Evansville they should make it wide enough for dedicated high speed freight and passenger rail to run alongside the highway too and not just a highway.)
The other way to build I-69 is to raise motor fuel taxes for the entire state and dedicate that to building I-69 as a freeway. I'm less enamored by that because in my experience once a tax is imposed you never get rid of it and it only goes up never really down. Government's appetite for money is endless.
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