ARTICLES

Here are the weaknesses in the pro-Illiana argument:

They are still operating under the misinformation that beltways decrease congestion--congestion and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have gone up everywhere in the last 20 years despite huge road building efforts, because the associated sprawl development is never factored in to the "congestion relief" equation. See chart on page 2 of www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/2383_ExecSum.pdf

New roads won't cause further disinvestment in the north? See chart on page 4 of the same linked report, where population and jobs decreased in older areas. Look what happened to Gary after I-65 was built in the late 60's--everything moved to I-65 and Rt. 30. (I suspect our Crown Point billionaire wants to repeat this lucrative development thing at an Illiana interchange, and with a public private convention center venture financed by the food and beverage tax that was supposed to finance the Regional Bus Authority.) A local engineering company, long time NIRPC meeting attendee on the pro road side told me the US 30 and I-65 development would eventually move down to the Illiana after a NIRPC meeting recently. Hobart and Merrillville should wake up before this becomes their fate. Portage, Michigan City, and other communities aren’t safe from disinvestment either.

Sustainability--this beltway moves us in absolutely the wrong direction--toward greater fossil fuel and resource use. There is no doubt that sustainable mixed use, dense redevelopment would be better--public transit could naturally follow from that.

It won’t cost us a thing? What about the cost of sprawl to natural areas, air and water pollution, higher taxes, roads that have to be built to accommodate development around the Illiana, the people in the left behind impoverished communities, the staggering cost of criminal justice and welfare (85% of the Lake County budget)…? What is the cost to the region of moving in the wrong direction when fossil fuel costs increase from scarcity and global warming abatement? And then there are the costs of privatization of highways, best explained in www.no-illiana.com/illiana-facts/articles/highwaymen.pdf.

Please write a (paper) letter to
Gov. Mitch Daniels, Statehouse, Indianapolis, IN 46204 and talk/write to your city officials, and state legislators as soon as possible about opposing the Illiana in SB 1, and if there is to be money spent on a study it should be one of revitalization, smart, sustainable growth for the region, NOT a study of Illiana feasibility!

check www.no-illiana.com/ or www.indiana.sierraclub.org/dunelands/ for more info, state legislator contacts

Sandy O’Brien, Dunelands Sierra Club phone 942-2956, ecorealm@msn.com

Please write letters to the editor, they are as good as gold!

(Times) letters@nwitimes.com
(Post Tribune) ptvoice@post-trib.com
(Chesterton Tribune) chestertontrib@earthlink.net
(LaPorte Herald Argus) bboardman@heraldargus.com
(Michigan City News Dispatch) opinion@thenewsdispatch.com