By Ronald Hawkins, Reporter-Times
rhawkins@reportert.com
Morgan County officials are wondering what direction plans and funding for Interstate 69 will take now that Gov. Mitch Daniels has withdrawn his proposal for the Indiana Commerce Connector.
At an Indiana Department of Transportation hearing in February at Bradford Woods and Tuesday at an Indiana House of Representatives committee field hearing at the Morgan County Fairgrounds, a vast majority of residents present spoke against the proposal. The Morgan County Business Development Corp. and the Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce, however, endorsed the concept.
The governor contacted Indiana House and Senate leadership Saturday as well as members of the Senate Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans committees, and the House Roads and Transportation Committee. He also contacted legislators in the areas of the proposed Indiana Commerce Connector and Illiana Expressway to advise them that he was withdrawing his suggestion that action be taken on the Indiana Commerce Connector and the Illiana Expressway east of Interstate 65.
In a letter to state Sen. Thomas Wyss, author of SB1 and chairman of the Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Committee, and Rep. Terri Austin, chairwoman of the Roads and Transportation Committee, Daniels wrote, "Like you, I have been paying close attention to the vigorous public discussion around my proposal to explore new privately funded bypass roads in northwest and central Indiana.
"After legislative action to date, some 40 public meetings, and lots of other open debate, it is clear to me that we are far from the degree of consensus that is necessary before embarking on major public works projects of high local impact. ... Accordingly, I withdraw the suggestion that any action be taken on an Indiana Commerce Connector, or an Illiana Expressway east of I-65. Either of these ideas might benefit from further research, and I would welcome some form of that if your committees are so inclined. But the people of the affected areas have spoken clearly enough to persuade me that these ideas are, at best, premature."
Brenda Buster had opposed the Connector proposal and has fought the planned path for Interstate 69.
"That's what we wanted to happen," said Buster of the governor's decision to withdraw the proposal. "We're cautious as to what he'll do next."
Buster said she was thankful for Austin, who kept her promise to hold committee hearings in communities that would be along the path of the Connector.
"These representatives needed to hear what the people had to say," Buster said. "It's too bad the Mayor (Shannon Buskirk) and most of the (Martinsville Common) Council didn't step forward to protect the people."
Buskirk said he was surprised that the governor withdrew the proposal before it could be studied.
"I was not ready to say one way or another," Buskirk said. "I wanted it to be studied more. I wanted to know where it was going to go."
Martinsville Common Council member Doug Arthur had opposed the proposal and unsuccessfully tried to persuade the council to adopt a letter asking the governor to move very cautiously on the issue.
"I'm pleased," said Arthur of the governor's decision. "He listened to the people. Rep. Austin came in with an open mind. The governor heeded the call of the people."
Martinsville Council President Gary Lester said he thought the Connector proposal had virtues.
"I thought if I-69 was going to be a reality, the Connector would help Martinsville if it were south of town," Lester said. "It would have taken the traffic and put it below us."
Rep. Ralph Foley, R-Martinsville, and Sen. Richard Bray, R-Martinsville, had supported the concept.
"The governor said in the beginning that he'd pay attention to the public sentiment," Foley said. "I don't think he found that public support. He found that from (Morgan County) Economic Development (Corp.) and the (Greater Martinsville) Chamber of Commerce. It may have taken people by surprise."
Foley said he thought the idea of the Connector as a toll road made sense, particularly since he was opposed to the proposed stretch of I-69 from Martinsville to Indianapolis stretch being a toll road.
"It would have bled off traffic from I-69 and given it a longer useful life," Foley said.
John Taylor, executive director of the Morgan County Economic Development Corp., said the group supported the concept at Tuesday's hearing.
This morning, Taylor said, "I'm surprised the governor is not moving forward with this proposal. The sentiment from the people has obviously been spoken, and the governor has taken it to heart. It's a shame an opportunity like this will miss Morgan County, and it will effect development for years to come."
In February, the Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce issued a statement supporting further exploration of the concept and endorsed it further at Tuesday's hearing.
One of the ideas of building the Commerce Connector was to use tolls from it to build I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis, through Morgan County. Now other sources of revenue will be considered.
Part of Senate Bill 1 that would have authorized the study of the Connector also proposed moving the tolling authority from I-69 to the Connector and the Illiana Expressway. With that bill dead in its present form, I-69 could still be a toll road. Before the governor announced the Connector proposal, INDOT officials had said they would seek to add the Martinsville to Indianapolis section of the road to the toll path.
Jane Jankowski, Gov. Daniels' press secretary, said this morning there is $700 million in the Major Moves fund to start construction of I-69. That would cover the cost of building the road from Evansville to Crane. That would begin in fall 2008, she said.
"We'll be looking for another way to pay for the rest of it," Jankowski said. "We'll be looking to what other options there are and what ideas others may have."
Rep. Austin said the field hearings for today in Franklin and Wednesday in Greenfield have been postponed. Rep. Austin has not cancelled the hearings, but he wants to gauge the feelings of committee members about rescheduling the remaining meetings and changing the format into public hearings on alternative transportation issues, such as mass transit, said a spokesman for the legislator.
Reporter Josh Kastrinsky contributed to this story.