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......... LETTER: June 12, 2003 Letter to Star regarding Mayor Peterson and I-69 Catherine Burton, President of McANA, sent the following letter to the Editor of the Indianapolis Star. Sometimes, when confronting controversial topics that are political "hot potatoes", the easiest way of doing something is by doing nothing at all. Much to the dismay of the neighborhoods which will be devastated by a "new terrain" approach to the upgrade of Interstate 69, this appears to be exactly what the Peterson administration is doing. From the time that INDOT started the latest round of "public" discussions on the I-69 issue, Marion County residents have pleaded with the Mayor to take a stand on the matter of new construction (as opposed to the more reasonable alternative of improvements to the existing U.S. 41/I-70 route). The response from the 25th floor has consistently been that the "city" had not taken a position beyond supplying evaluative comments to INDOT from the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) - comments which concluded that the new terrain route preferred by the governor would have the most detrimental impact on Marion County residents. The lack of public leadership in this matter is truly puzzling in an administration that is supposed to be such a strong advocate of neighborhoods. Particularly in light of the fact that mayors and elected officials from almost every other city impacted by this boondoggle of a project have had the foresight and fortitude to voice an opinion. Now, INDOT has requested the MPO to include the new terrain route in its long range transportation plan for Marion County. Apparently, INDOT Commissioner Nichols has explained to the City that this is just an "administrative" step required by the federal government so that the state can begin its Tier 2 environmental impact and feasibility study - the completion of which could well be the next nail in the coffin being built for the neighborhoods, farm land, and highway repair dollars that are going to be consumed by the "chosen route" by new terrain proponents. There are three problems with this "procedural administrative" step. The first is that effective public process in this matter is once again being compromised by a hearing schedule with the City which has a compressed, fast track time frame with poor, haphazard notification to those residents on whose backs this highway will be built. The second is that suddenly, the MPO’s evaluation of the environmental impacts has mysteriously changed so that the new terrain route, previously identified as the most onerous for Indianapolis’ air quality, is now no problem. At the writing of this letter, no explanation was readily available to the public in time to review it before the first hearing with the City about the criteria used to arrive at this about-face, or why a second "opinion" study was even initiated. The third, and perhaps most critical, is that having the MPO’s long range transportation modified to include the new terrain route, is in fact, giving the City’s tacit approval to the new terrain route. We must ask why the Peterson Administration has been so notably silent and passive in this debate? Unless we are all being led down a merry path by INDOT and those willing to spend 2 billion dollars on an unnecessary and damaging new road, the new construction route of I-69 is NOT a done deal. There is still time and opportunity for a more reasonable, cost effective route to be chosen. Or will our City continue to sit back, do as it is told, and allow the state to dictate what happens in our County? Catherine
A. Burton,
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