EDITORIAL: Please Call it What it is, the Illiana TOLLway

Editorial originally published here.

In regard to the editorial, “Illiana Expressway must go forward,” please stop misleading readers by referring to this roadway as an expressway. It will be a P3 (Public-Private Partnership) tollway.

P3’s often include compensation provisions requiring the state, or more precisely, the taxpayers, to compensate the private operator if toll revenues are not met. So although it may be true that private investors will pay to build the tollway, the taxpayers will unknowingly be subsidizing it for years to come.

Over the past four years, I’ve attended numerous Illiana meetings and have researched its value and need. The negative impacts (finance-related, ownership-related, environmental-related and study-related) associated with the proposed Illiana far outweigh any positives, especially for Indiana.

I’m sure the Metropolitan Planning Council did their homework. Please educate yourself by attending Illiana-related meetings before parroting INDOT, IDOT and the Illiana Corridor Study Group’s views and statistics.

– Donna Slikas, Lowell

If you think you may be affected by the Illiana Expressway and/or are interested in a free consultation, contact our eminent domain landowner attorneys at 1-888-318-3761 or visit us on the web at www.landownerattorneys.com.