Loading ...Indiana Takes Big Step Backward
Score a victory for the forces of limited, rigid and narrow thinking. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels quietly withdrew plans for the Commerce Connector and majorly scaled back plans for the Illiana Expressway. The natives were restless and opposed both plans. These are usually the same people who end opposing DST and running water. I honestly think the only way this state will move forward will be to divided it in half so the people who walk upright are in one half and the low brow, slack-jawed mouth breathers can all live underground.
March 25th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
I dunno… I am generally opposed to more highways because I’d rather have better mass transit. I think that would be more progress than an expressway.
Of course, any mass transit plan will probably be opposed my most of the same people who oppose the expressway.
Sigh.
March 25th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Abdul, You could not be more wrong to compare a proposal to build yet a second outer beltway around Indianapolis to DST. It is the old-way of thinking that always had Indiana looking to build more roads while ignorning mass transit. Northwest Indiana would benefit considerably from expanded mass transit connecting in with Chicago’s elevated rail system. The Indiana Commerce Connector would have represented the most poorly-planned major highway initiative in modern Indiana history. These plans were drawn up by a bunch of greedy road contractors and one law firm which stands to make millions more if the toll roads are built.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Abdul, sometimes Gov. Daniels has good ideas and sometimes he had bad ideas. The ICC was the latter I’m afraid. No studies were conducted to see if the ICC was required. One prior study for a complete loop around the Indy metro area beyond I-465 suggested that road wasn’t a good idea.
Central Indiana already is in violation of EPA clean air regs and adding more highway wouldn’t solve that problem. Urban sprawl is already becoming a problem and “encouraging” more, and likely not well planned, growth would exacerbate that problem.
The concept of truckers paying tolls to go an extra 60 - 80 miles around Indianapolis to avoid traffic seemed odd to me as well. More miles and time on the road due to longer trip distances is the last thing truckers want.
I highly encourage Gov. Daniels to spend $1.5 billion on the transportation needs of Central Indiana. It should be for an elevated people mover system that connects the doughnut counties to downtown Indy with expanded feeder bus coverage. THAT would be forward thinking. It would get cars filled with commuters off the road so semis can get through, it would lower pollution due to less cars on the road, it would enable those who can’t afford reliable cars to have better access to jobs around the metro area. It would also preserve our most valuable resource of farmland that can grow almost anything.
Hopefully you don’t believe my rejection of ICC is a result of my low brow, slack-jawed mouth breathing.
March 25th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Indiana will not support mass transit. A system would be in place now if a profit could be made. Over the years we have tried. The Interurban, Metro, Indygo all failures. Why? Few will use them.
To fund a new system would only waste money. Today, tomorrow or in the near future, if a mass transit system is put in place we will subsidize it for years.
If you like noisy trains and busses that stink of diesel move to Chicago. I prefer a system that won’t tax my Great-Grandchildren.
Nothing will be accomplished except another transit system that Hoosiers won’t use and will need subsidized for generations.
March 25th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
I hope the compromise with the Illiana Expressway is approved because now is the time to build the highway before the inevitable development occurs in the southern portions of Lake County, Indiana and building new roadways involved tearing down people’s houses to get the job done.
The forces opposed to development won’t be able to stop the influx of Illinois residents fleeing high taxes in Cook County. Schererville and Dyer are filling up with brand new residents moving from across the state line.
It is only a matter of time that the farmers sell off their land (or their kids do so) to developers who will put in brand new subdivisions for all of those people wanting to live inexpensively in Indiana, but commute to their Illinois jobs that might not necessarily be located along a South Shore or Metra rail line.
March 25th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
I’m not with you on this one, Abdul. I’m a huge proponent of DST so that argument doesn’t cut it.
My logic is simple. 10 years from now a bypass “around” Indianapolis will primarily benefit those travelling through Indy rather than to Indy. From a commercial perspective, who will xcomprise the bulk of that traffic? It’ll be trade between Canada and Mexico when the I69 corridor is complete. Let them cover the costs and I’d be glad to support the highway. I’m all about progress, but not by using my tax dollars to facilitate the bottom lines of foreign nations.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:54 am
Yes, the ICC would have benefited folks going through Indy. It also would have benefited local residents because it would have gotten thru traffic off of I-465. They can’t just keep adding lanes.
There never will be a profit from mass transit - just continual subsidies for a system likely to be used as much as IndyGo.
Frankly, I’m surprised that Indiana residents who are screaming about taxes are too high would rather have more taxes than a road paid for by someone else.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:56 am
Yes, the ICC would have benefited folks going through Indy. It also would have benefited local residents because it would have gotten thru traffic off of I-465. They can’t just keep adding lanes.
There never will be a profit from mass transit - just continual subsidies for a system likely to be used as much as IndyGo.
Frankly, I’m surprised that Indiana residents who are screaming about taxes are too high would rather have more taxes than a road paid for by someone else.
March 26th, 2007 at 8:14 am
The National Transit Association reported a few years ago, I think in 2002, that no, underline NO, mass transit system in America is truly profitable.
There are other reasons to build a good mass transit system than profit.
Cleaner air. Safety. Convenience.
The costs we’re paying, for dirtier air, for traffic snarl, for accidents which increasingly involve people without health insurance (thus, on our dime)…mass transit in 2007 is more needed than ever.
It is not a panacea. Some reformed road system is still needed, and the governor’s ideas were worthy of prolonged and public discussion.
But just like almost everything else this Littie Lord Fauntleroy wants, he carted it out before the public had much chance to soak it up.
Our collective gag reflect is not very good.
I’m hoping portions of this worthy public debate survive, and existing studies are re-examined and opened up. That would be a victory.
Not studied forever, just opened up more. At some point, action is required.
Here’s an idea for consdieration, and it would cost little. Create HOV lanes around Indy. It would force folks to better-plan their trips. Only in rush hour, and only on certian roads. But this insane dependence on single-occupant vehicles benefits no one except the auto industry.
The lanes exist. HOV works almost everywhere it’s enacted.
March 26th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Abdul:
Sadly, we will make no progress on either road or mass transit infrastucture. Mitch Daniels is trying to take Indiana forward but, as you suggest, too many of our citizens don’t want to think about or prepare for the Indiana of tomorrow.
It’s also important to note that if Daniels hadn’t withdrawn the ICC plan, Pat (Muskrat Love)Bauer had said he would have killed it anyway.
March 26th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Abdul, you call those who disagree with you “mouth-breathers,” yet you take a simpleton’s approach to this issue. You seem to believe that every proposal that we build a road or change something about the state is, by definition, a great idea, and the only reason for opposing something is because one is a stupid hick. Well, that’s a bunch of crap. I supported DST because I thought it important to put Indiana on the national time standard. I support the I-69 extension. On the other hand, I oppose the Commerce Connector because it’s a terrible idea. It’s a solution in search of a problem. The traffic in Indianapolis simply isn’t bad enough to justify such a road. Studies have shown that such a road isn’t a good idea and wouldn’t be highly used, even without the tolls. At this time of day (noon on Monday) why in the world would a through traveler pay a huge toll to save just a few minutes when the traffic isn’t that bad on the existing roads? This road will contribute to and excourage sprawl into areas where the citizens don’t want it, and will further the blight of the city of Indianapolis. There is underutilized land along existing roads, and the areas that are served by the commerce connector are areas where a commute to Indianapolis is feasible. Just because Mitch and road contractors think something is a good idea doesn’t make it so. I have friends of a wide variety of political orientations, and I have not talked to a single person who thinks this is a good idea. Not one.