[Southsider2k12]

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS02/703160459

Public opposition to two new toll roads could block projects
Daniels willing to drop them

By Deanna Martin
Associated Press



INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels says he's willing to back off two of his highway proposals if they prove unpopular with the public.

Daniels wanted to seek private developers to build and operate two tollway bypasses: the 75-mile Indiana Commerce Connector that would loop around part of Indianapolis, and the Illiana Expressway that would span 50 miles of northwestern Indiana.

"I think these are good ideas with a lot of upsides, but we will have to have the support of citizens and representatives from the two areas or I'm not interested in proceeding," Daniels said yesterday. "Maybe these ideas will have to wait awhile."

Two legislators from northwestern Indiana said earlier this week that residents do not favor the proposed Illiana tollway, which would link Interstate 94 with Interstate 57 in Illinois.

A forum sponsored by Citizens Against the Privatized Illiana Toll Road drew 1,000 people.

Five public hearings are planned on the proposed Commerce Connector around Indianapolis.

Daniels said he would be listening closely.

"I think the decisive factor ought to be public opinion in the affected areas," Daniels said of the projects. "These ideas are really important to look at, but if folks from those two areas are not ready to move forward or want to slow down in some way, let's talk about it."

House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, said people have already spoken out against the proposals.

"I think the public is against it," he said.

The Republican-controlled Senate has voted for a bill to give Daniels the authority to seek private funding for the projects. But the legislation will likely face tougher going in the House, which is controlled by Democrats.

[Southsider2k12]

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/03/17/bu...2a00078d76a.txt

Michigan City group supports Illiana study
Saturday, March 17, 2007 1:22 AM CDT
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BY ANDREA HOLECEK
holecek@nwitimes.com
219.933.3316

MICHIGAN CITY | The Michigan City Economic Development Corp. is supporting Senate Bill 1, which it says provides for a feasibility study of construction and financing for the proposed Illiana Expressway.

The bill provides funding for a feasibility study of construction, as well as financing for the proposed Illiana Expressway, said John Regetz, executive director of the corporation.

"If the studies come back unacceptable to the governor's office, (Gov. Mitch Daniels) wouldn't accept it," Regetz said Friday. "The bill studies it and gives the governor's office a chance to get proposals. It also gives the governor's office the ability to execute those proposals."

The development corporation doesn't accept the expressway's opponents' premise that the bill would give a "green light" to the Illiana.

"It still has to be designed and there has to be a feasibility study," Regetz said. "There are several parts to it, They're determining costs and what it would look like and what type of public/private partnership would be developed."

That partnership would establish a privately owned toll system, the MCEDC said in a prepared release.

"We want to see the issue examined," Regetz said. "We support the bill and emphasis the fact that there is legislative oversight."

The expressway would help fulfill LaPorte County’s potential for the logistics and manufacturing industrial sectors, the commission said in the release.

The group also said in the release the Illiana would create an uncongested route to Chicago and the western markets, reduce traffic on all the interstates going west and make it feasible to reach those markets from LaPorte County. The group also claims the expressway would make LaPorte County logistics sites attractive to companies that need freight hubs serving Chicago.

"If LaPorte County is to develop industries such as warehousing, distribution and intermodal transfer, then our highway network must support trucking systems that are the final link to supplying the Chicago market," according to the organization's Chairman Tom Edwards.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.michigancityin.com/articles/200.../19/news/n3.txt

Illiana is key for growth, official says

By Rick A. Richards, The News-Dispatch

John Regetz is convinced the Illiana Expressway is the key that will unlock a wave of economic development throughout LaPorte County.

Regetz, executive director of the Michigan City Economic Development Corp., said that even though the proposal has drawn a lot of criticism from residents in LaPorte, Porter and Lake counties, moving ahead with a study for the proposed expressway is the right thing to do.

“Everybody needs to understand that in order to advance, this is one of the things we need to do,” said Regetz.

The Illiana Expressway would connect Interstate 57 in Illinois to Interstate 94 in LaPorte County, following a 55-mile route that would take it south of Crown Point in Lake County, across southern Porter County and then curve north through southern LaPorte County, running south of Westville and then parallel to U.S. 421 to I-94, just south of Michigan City.

A statement Thursday by the MCEDC said, “The Michigan City Economic Development Corp. has resolved to support Senate Bill 0001, providing for a feasibility study of construction and financing for the proposed Illiana Expressway.

“The MCEDC wants the concept studied because it would help fulfill LaPorte County's potential for the logistics and manufacturing industrial sectors. The Illiana Expressway would create an uncongested route to Chicago and the western markets, reduce traffic on all the interstates going west and make it feasible to reach those markets from LaPorte County. This would make La Porte County logistics sites attractive to companies that need freight hubs serving Chicago.”

Regetz said the expressway would encourage the development of warehousing, distribution and intermodal transfer, industries, potentially creating thousands of new jobs in the area.

At the same time, the MCEDC statement supported a similar resolution passed by the city of LaPorte. That resolution also called for expanding U.S. 421 to four lanes from the expressway north to Michigan City

“With the attraction of logistics firms to our Northwest Indiana region, manufacturing firms desire to be in close proximity for faster access to components used in their manufacturing processes and shipping products,” said Regetz. “Agricultural processing operations are also attracted to these locations for bulk transport of raw commodities in and processed materials out.”

The MCEDC resolution comes at a time when Gov. Mitch Daniels indicated that he might back away from supporting the highway if the concept is unpopular with the public.

“I think these are good ideas with a lot of upsides, but we will have to have the support of citizens and representatives from the two areas or I'm not interested in proceeding,” Daniels told The Associated Press.

Following three public hearings in Northwest Indiana on the Illiana Expressway - one in each of the three counties - two state representatives, Robert Kuzman, D-Crown Point, and Dan Stevenson, D-Hammond, have come out against the proposal.

“I think the decisive factor ought to be public opinion in the affected areas,” Daniels said. “These ideas are really important to look at, but if folks from those two areas are not ready to move forward or want to slow down in some way, let's talk about it.”

The Indiana Senate has voted for a bill to give Daniels the authority to seek private funding to build the projects, but it has yet to pass the House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Max Main]

some letter in the anvil chorus said illiana went straight to peotone--why isn't gary being promoted by our gobernador instead of supporting peotone?

[Southsider2k12]

some letter in the anvil chorus said illiana went straight to peotone--why isn't gary being promoted by our gobernador instead of supporting peotone?

The Gary airport is kind of landlocked between all kinds of other infrastructure, but I am not sure why it hasn't been sold better than it has. You have toll road, I-94 and South Shore access to the place, but it hasn't been really talked up. I think the Governors focus on the Illiana has been two fold for bringing opportunity to the counties that this would run through, and relieving congestion on the toll road and i-94. Will those things happen? Who knows.

[Max Main]

it is only 30 miles to downtown chicago. has longer runway than midway, space to grow. Since fed funds are used state lines shoould be irrelevant. But the mayor of chicago is quite loud...and hoosiers are quiet.

think of M C with a major airport 30 miles away!

[RexKickass]

South Shore access to Gary/Chicago isn't as good as it could be. The GCA authority probably should have been much more aggressive in getting an airline like JetBlue or AirTran to fly through Gary rather than Chicago.

[Southsider2k12]

South Shore access to Gary/Chicago isn't as good as it could be. The GCA authority probably should have been much more aggressive in getting an airline like JetBlue or AirTran to fly through Gary rather than Chicago.

The stop is about a couple of miles away from the airport, and there is no shuttle service.

[RexKickass]

You mean writing Gary/Chicago Airport on an existing flagstop sign doesn't really make it an airport stop?

[Southsider2k12]

You mean writing Gary/Chicago Airport on an existing flagstop sign doesn't really make it an airport stop?

I can almost hear Rich Daley changing signs as we speak

[Max Main]

what is a flagstop sign? whaddya mean by the last two posts?

[Southsider2k12]

what is a flagstop sign? whaddya mean by the last two posts?

A flag stop on the South Shore train is a stop where the train only stops if you tell the conductor that you want to get off there. If no one saids that it is there stop, the train goes right through it.

As for the Gary joke, the City of Gary recently changed what used to be called the "Clark Road" stop to the
"Gary/Chicago Airport at Clark Road" stop on the South Shore. That sounds fine until you realize that the Airport is miles away and there is no direct way linking the train stop to the Airport.

The Rich Daley joke was just a little corruption joke about the antics that usually go on in Chicago.

[RexKickass]

A train will slow down at the station and if there are people waiting to board the train, it will stop. Other flagstops on the South Shore include Beverly Shores, New Carlisle, and until a few years ago - Michigan City/Willard St.

[Ang]

So what airlines fly into Gary? I would like to know for travel to home. It would be much easier to fly into Gary than it would be to Chicago. It would also be easier to find some one to pick me up if they know they only have to drive to Gary and back.

[Max Main]

there have been several airlines to fly out of gary. i have taken several flights from there, but i will not fly on hooters.

[Ang]

Does United go through there? I like United and I am a mileage plus member. Usually I fly to O'Hare but that is really a pain in the butt. I hate that airport. I've considered flying into Midway, but if Gary has United, then I might just fly there instead. I keep flying into O'hare because they can handle the big planes, and in my opinion, the bigger the plane the smoother the flight and I suffer from terrible motion sickness so flying is always an ordeal for me.

[Southsider2k12]

Last I knew Gary had no major airlines that flew into it, and the traffic they did have was mostly charter. If you are looking for an easier way to get home, the South Bend airport has a lot more options, plus the South Shore train line starts there so you wouldn't even have to have someone come pick you up.

[Max Main]

And what about Amtrak?

[Southsider2k12]

And what about Amtrak?

Amtrak is expensive. It is way cheaper to fly, and that doesn't even include the time that you save.

[Ang]

Well, when I come home this summer I am going to drive. I'm taking three weeks off and plan to take 90 on the way back so the kids can see Mt. Rushmore and we can shop at Wall Drug. while I'm in town I plan to spend every possible moment on the beach. We have no beaches where I live and it totally sucks.
However, the next time I fly I will check out Denver to South Bend. I didn't even think about taking the train. That would work out perfect cause my ride wouldn't even have to leave MC to get me. Actually, I could walk to my friend's house from the 11th street station so nobody would have to come get me at all.
Thanks for the suggestion Southsider.