(cache) Mitch's Myths - the road to hell is paved with PR

Mitch's Myths - the road to hell is paved with PR

Indy Bypass Toll Road - the latest proposal without a need

Illiana Toll Road - will northern Indiana have any free roads left?

New Terrain I-69 - throwing a billion dollars out the window

Indiana Toll Road - raw deal with lessons for other toll road proposals

LINKS

No Illiana Expressway
No Illiana Toll Road
Shelby County
      Community
      Preservation Group
MajorMoves
CARR
CountUS!
Hoosier Environmental
              Council
Common Sense I-69
Environmental Law
        and Policy Center

TURF
Truth Be Tolled
Texas Toll Party
San Antonio Toll Party
Stop SmartPort

Save Our Turnpikes
Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers
Association

No Tolls - UK

YouTube

PBS: Texas Tollroads - part 1
PBS: Texas Tollroads - part 2
Strayhorn Speaks

Specific Information

CISTMS Study

SB 1 both toll roads
SB 14 rail privatization
SB 239 indy bypass
SB 291 illiana
SB 468 corridors and eminent domain
HB 1209 gives gov full privatization authority

"The Highwaymen" -- by Daniel Schulman & James Ridgeway for Mother Jones -- An expose' about the sale of the IN Toll Road by Mitch Daniels -- this is a MUST READ !!

Mitch's Myths

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is myth-taken more than most people. His PR machine continues to spin yarns of a prosperous Indiana if we only sell off all our Hoosier assets. Anyone who disagrees is told by the Governor to 'do their homework'. So, those of you in search of homework help have come to the right website. Follow the text links for more detailed information and to review the citations for yourself.

Mitch's Myth - highways bring jobs - This is one of Mitch's favorites. He says for every $1 billion boondoggle of tarmac laid, 47,000 jobs will be created.
Myth Busted - highways shuffle jobs - The study Mitch cites is much discredited for the assumptions imbedded in the analysis. When corrected there is little to no net job creation -- just jobs moving from one location to another. The Heritage Foundation takes it a step further when they say "creating jobs is not the same thing as creating value".

Mitch's Myth - highways are the answer to congestion - This is one of the sales pitches Mitch's PR machine has tried to push to justify the Indy ByPass Toll Road.
Myth Busted - mass transit is the real answer to congestion- This myth is simply past its prime. Major cities need to have mass transportation of its populations. Time to face the facts that mass transit is cost effective and lead to far less environmental damage, including smog. What is of additional interest is the fact that mass transit leads to the production of more jobs and more long-term jobs than does highway construction.

Mitch's Myth - the Indy ByPass Toll Road will relieve congestion on I-465 around Indy - As noted above, the perpetual PR machine that operates from the Governor's office is trying to sell the Indy ByPass Toll Road in part by saying it will relieve congestion on I-465 in Indianapolis.
Myth Busted - INDOT study says traffic impact minimal - INDOT's CISTMS study concludes that comparatively small improvements to the roads we have in the suburban counties surrounding Indianapolis are all that is justified by the traffic impacts modeling. While a freeway ringing Indy would reduce traffic volume in the NE corner of I-465, volume between on I-70 would increase. In addition, the study suggested lower traffic volumes on the north and west legs of I-465, but Mitch isn't suggesting the Indy ByPass Toll Road be a complete ring around Indy - rather just extend from the NE corner at I-69 and circling to the south and west until it meets I-70 west of the airport.

Mitch's Myth - the Indy ByPass Toll Road will create economic development in the ByPass Towns - Again the unchallenged myth that highways bring prosperity is being touted.
Myth Busted - little economic impact forecast - Looking again to the CISTMS study from 2005, the also concluded that there would be little change in land uses by constructing a freeway loop around Indy. We also must take this moment to mention that Indiana ranks 4th in the Nation in rural interstate density and Indianapolis leads the nation interstate connections. Yet Indiana rank 2nd in the nation in per capita job loss in the 7 year period 1993-2000.

Mitch's Myth - the Indy ByPass Toll Road will help the economy of SW Indiana - This is because the proposed procedes from the privatization of the Indy ByPass Toll Road would help fund the construction of New Terrain I-69. Mitch says that will help spur the economy of counties that lag in job creation.
Myth Busted - building New Terrain I-69 will hurt the poorest counties in Indiana - New Terrain I-69 would travel through the state's 2nd highest per capital income region. Common Sense I-69 (I-70 / US 41) travels through the state's lowest per capita income region.

Mitch's Myth - trucks will pay to avoid Indy - Despite the facts and INDOT's own studies, Mitch's PR machine wants you to believe that the bulk of any tolls will be paid by the trucks who just hate traveling through Indy.
Myth Busted - highways shuffle jobs - We have already mentioned INDOT's CISTMS study several times above. Among their other conclusions, they found that most of the traffic is local and has a destination inside Indianapolis so they will not be diverted. An additional INDOT study completed in 1997 shows that existing I-69 has only a trickle of truck traffic compared to I-65. If any significant diverstion of truck traffic were really intended, then the NW corner of Indy would not be exclude from the partial beltway being proposed as the Indy ByPass Toll Road.

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