Local reaction mixed to road toll funded I-69 project

Local reaction has been mixed to the proposed tolling of I-69 -- a part of Gov. Mitch Daniels' controversial plan to pay for the interstate that will supplant the current State Road 37 from Bloomington to Indianapolis. \nThe local debate concerns the placing of tolls and the leasing to a private company of the yet-to-be-built stretch of I-69 that would connect Indianapolis with Evansville. The governor wants the tolling to pay for part of the $2.8 billion the Indiana Department of Transportation needs to complete its state highway projects.\nDaniels defended his plan during his stop in Bloomington last Thursday, according to a Sept. 30 IDS article. He said the state faces huge costs in upgrading the transportation system and that tolls and leasing options are the only way to expedite the project.\nAccording to the governor's I-69 plan titled Major Moves, "with tolling or public-private partnership ... the construction of the long-discussed I-69 extension from Evansville to Indianapolis could be moved up dramatically." The governor's plan would move the construction timeline of I-69 up from 2017-2035 to as soon as 2008-2018, according to a press release.\nDaniels encouraged Bloomington residents to shoulder the proposed I-69 tolls for the good of the state. \n"I-69 will link the small towns to the national economy so that every part of Indiana has a chance to flourish," he said last week in Bloomington.\nLocal response to the plan has included some backlash. The city government has voiced its opposition to the project. \n"The proposal makes State Road 37 a pay-per-use road," said Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan in a response to the new proposal. "Making people pay for the road twice, both through taxes and now through tolls, is a bad idea." \nAs for the governor's statement that tolling and a public-private partnership is the only way to fund the state's projects, Kruzan said "the project shouldn't be undertaken if the state doesn't have close to the amount of funding necessary to construct it. It's difficult to imagine that if the extremely busy toll road at the northern edge of the state isn't paying for itself that this new toll road would fare any better."\nThe mayor also voiced his concern regarding the effects a tolled I-69 would have on Bloomington and its residents. \n"Tolls will dissuade some people from traveling to the city, but the far greater concern is that local residents will understandably want to avoid the tolls by choosing to use local alternative routes," he said. "Using local alternatives means increased congestion within the community and higher maintenance costs to address additional wear and tear caused by increased use."\nOpposition has also come from environmentalists who say the I-69 construction will destroy thousands of acres of farmland, forests and wetlands, including the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge in Pike County. The Hoosier Environmental Council has proposed an alternative Indianapolis to Evansville route, one they say will not only save the endangered land, but will cost $900 million less than the Indiana DOT plan.\n"We support the building of the I-69 project using the existing I-70 and U.S. 41 route if its going to be built at all because it will be much less damaging to the environment, much less costly and less disruptive to the communities involved," said Hoosier Environmental Council Executive Director Tim Maloney.\nAs for the proposal to toll, Maloney said it reinforces the infeasibility of the governor's plan.\n"The state doesn't have the money to pay for it ... and the toll road idea has never been analyzed in a formal manner as required by law," he said. \nIU students have a variety of opinions regarding the proposed tolling.\nCarmen Shannon, 20, said she was concerned for her father, a local commuter. \n"He takes the 37 all the time, and he won't be happy," she said. "Gas prices are bad enough as it is without paying tolls."\nAt least one man said he believes his fellow residents will handle the added expense of tolled roads without complication.\n"I don't think 69 is a good idea because it will create more of a tax burden and affect the environment," said Salvador Cabada, 26. "But a good part of the population here has expendable wealth; they have so much extra money to spend on entertainment and clothes, so adding the expense of a toll is really just a drop in the ocean to what they already spend."\nAndrew Lauck, chairman of the IU College Republicans, said he supports the governor's initiative. \n"The need for a quick way to move between Evansville and Indianapolis has never been stronger. As the governor has stated, every town in Indiana, especially the small ones, deserves the chance to prosper and move forward," he said. "I-69 provides the opportunity for all of the state to stay connected with each other and will be crucial for future growth in southern Indiana."\nControversy also surrounds the question regarding who will own the highway. Sandra Tokarski of Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads said corporations will control the road if Daniels' private-public partnership proposal is passed. The governor addressed this point of contention at last week's press conference, saying the state would control the road and the state legislature would carry the burden of passing the toll and any leasing plans to private companies.\n"The private-public relationship would leave the state with control of the highway ... and the actual toll would be passed by the Indiana legislature, giving the government ultimate control over the project," Lauck said. "The privatization aspect will save Hoosiers time and money and will free up resources to be used on other statewide transportation needs." \nCity Councilman Chris Sturbaum, whose district, District One, S.R. 37 runs through, expressed dire concern for the future of Bloomington if the interstate is indeed built. \n"What I find sad about the whole I-69 idea is that we're not building for the future but for this doomed era of cheap oil that is even now sliding inevitably into history," he said. "By the time this project is completed, we will be urgently reinstalling rail and light rail transportation if we have any money left. Should this giant river of unwanted asphalt be our legacy to the future of our children? They will shake their heads at this utter failure to see the handwriting on the wall"