By ANNIE GOELLER, Daily Journal of Johnson County staff writer
Indiana House Speaker Pat Bauer said he believes the proposed Indiana Commerce Connector needs more study and that the bill will meet resistance from legislators who don't want another toll road in the state.
"You already have one toll road in the north," said Bauer, D-South Bend.
"Central Indiana certainly doesn't want a toll road."
The bill, which would authorize construction and lease of the beltway through Johnson County and a road in northwestern Indiana, gained approval from the Indiana Senate on Monday.
The measure now moves to the House of Representatives.
State representatives will insist on having final approval in any deal the state makes with a private company to build, maintain and collect tolls on the roads, Bauer said.
"We're going to look at the efficacy of this road, if it's a good deal or a bad deal, and we will insist on having final approval of the deal," he said.
Lingering worries and anger from last year's Major Moves legislation, which authorized allowing a private company to lease the northern Indiana toll road, likely will affect the bill, Bauer said.
Major Moves was a bad deal because the state made about $3 billion to the private company's $150 billion profit, he said.
"Obviously, (state officials) don't know what a good deal, bad deal is," he said.
Representatives received a great deal of negative feedback when the latest toll road was announced, Bauer said.
Both Democrats and Republicans are unhappy with the proposal, he said.
They have several concerns, including whether the road is needed for traffic and whether the state needs any more toll roads.
"Building roads and transportation has been a government responsibility. That is certainly an aspect," he said.
In response to the contention from many lawmakers, including the bill's author, Sen. Tom Wyss, that a toll road is the only way to build roads in the future, Bauer replied: "Then we should stop paying gas taxes."
One of his concerns is whether the road is needed.
A study completed by the Indiana Department of Transportation in 2005 shows that an outer beltway around Indianapolis would not significantly relieve traffic congestion and was not needed, he said.
The state also has not done financial or feasibility studies about the project, he said.
"It seems to me it takes a lot more than a just quick once-over or even twice-over, especially after you've seen the local reaction, which has been very negative, and you've seen the feasibility study, which was negative," he said.
"I think we'll look at it, but that's already two strikes against it," he said.
The state should look at alternatives if the road passes the test of whether it is needed for traffic.
"There's another thing called public transportation. That may be more efficient, that may be faster, that may be less costly and therefore feasible and certainly less of an environmental (impact)," he said.
Bauer said he didn't believe state representatives likely would split the two projects proposed in the bill, the central Indiana toll road and the proposed Illiana Expressway in northwest Indiana.
"The governor put them together, and I don't think what the governor puts together we should tear asunder," he said.
He said it was unfair to stop the project in central Indiana but not the road proposed in northwest Indiana.
"We ought to all work together. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and I don't think this is good for the goose or the gander or any other fowls because I think this road is running afoul," he said.