re: "Inner Loop" being studied, Mayor has a mad legislature wasn't clued in

You are correct.

Before they can do this, I think they'll have to move the lanes of Airline to the edge of the right of way to accommodate a freeway in the median.

They might be able to pull that off without elevating the entire freeway section or expropriating a lot of private property. Airline is on a very wide strip of right-of-way.

If that's the plan, and they want to use the toll revenue to pay for bonds that finance the freeway (which will need overpasses and a couple of interchanges), then it's the best plan so far IMO. Think of it like the West Bank Expressway in New Orleans to some degree, with the freeway section being tolled.