That must not be Gary and Hammond, Indiana, I see near the western end, on my clearly marked map of Indiana.
And that must not be South Bend, home of Notre Dame, in the middle.
Break out the sensitivity curves! Let's slap a really big toll on that sucker!
So what's your point? Yes, cities exist along the Toll Road in Indiana. You have read the map. Well done!
The fact remains, though, that the Toll Road exists nearly exclusively for out-of-state traffic. In Ohio, (which, of course, is home to the same I-80 toll road as Indiana), up to 85% of the traffic is out-of-state. In Indiana, only 18% of the cars on the Toll Road are Indiana cars. Again, since the Toll Road exists for almost exclusively out-of-state traffic, why shouldn't out-of-state traffic pay for the upkeep of the road?
As far as your relatives go, there are a number of people that oppose the Toll Road deal in Indiana. My only comment to that is that there are, unfortunately, a huge number of woefully ignorant people in the Hoosier state, especially in considering this Toll Road deal.
Again, I note:
1. Indiana will regain posession of the Toll Road when the lease expires. The state never transferred ownership, and still owns the road.
2. The state was losing money on the operation of the Toll Road. Had been for years.
3. The state received $4 billion in cash for the lease of the road, which will fund dozens of road construction projects throughout the state, including the construction of a new interstate highway from Indianapolis to Evansville.
4. The state receives approximately $7 a second from interest on the $4 billion, which far exceeds the loss that the state realized on its operation of the Toll Road before.
I ask again: why do people think this is a bad deal?