Illinois Tollway
Illinois Tollway Headquarters | |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 1941 |
Type | Independent |
Headquarters | 2700 Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, Illinois 41°48′22″N 88°03′04″W / 41.80611°N 88.05111°W |
Employees | 1,704[1] |
Annual budget | $696 million[2] |
Agency executives | |
Parent agency | State of Illinois |
Website | www |
Map | |
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Illinois charged with building, operating, and maintaining toll roads in the state. The roads, as well as the authority itself, are sometimes referred to as the Illinois Tollway.[a] The system opened in 1958 in the Chicago area, and has subsequently expanded to include the eastern and central sections of Interstate 88 (I-88) extending into the northwestern part of the state. Beginning in 2005, the system was reconstructed to include more lanes and open road tolling, the latter of which uses I-Pass transponders to collect revenue as vehicles pass antennas at toll plazas or designated entrance or exit ramps. As of 2017[update], ISTHA maintains and operates 294 miles (473 km) of tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois.[4]
History
The original Toll Highway Authority was established in 1941.
In the 1970s, the East–West Tollway was extended west from Sugar Grove to Dixon with a freeway continuing to the Quad Cities. The route was later given the I-88 designation in order to obtain a higher speed limit. In 2004, ISTHA voted to rename this route the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.
In June 1984, Republican minority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, James "Pate" Philip, helped push through legislation authorizing the construction of the North–South Tollway, then referred to as simply the DuPage Tollway.[10] Officials at the Morton Arboretum, one of the nation's premier woodland research centers, promptly filed a federal lawsuit to block construction of the tollway. They also promised to prevent the tollway authority from obtaining environmental approval from federal officials.[11] Ultimately, the lawsuit was settled, and I-355 was opened in 1989 as a tollway between Army Trail Road and I-55 near Bollingbrook.[12] On November 24, 2007, a 12.5 miles (20.1 km) extension of I-355 opened to link I-55 to I-80. Construction of that I-355 extension began after years of delays and environmental litigation.[13]
The Illinois Tollway website officially launched on September 1, 1997.[14] The website includes online ordering of I-Pass transponders and managing I-Pass accounts.[15] In 2009-2010, the website underwent a $4.4 million e-commerce overhaul.[16]
In 2004, ISTHA made a strategic decision to expand the tollway system instead of converting the roads to freeways. It adopted a $6.3 billion Congestion Relief Program.
The Congestion Relief Program was followed by another 15 year capital program named Move Illinois. Approved by ISTHA in 2011, the $14 billion capital program will address the remaining perceived needs of tollway system not addressed by the Congestion Relief Program, as well as construct several new projects. The program is expected to create 120,000 jobs and add $21 billion to the economy.[20] The projects in Move Illinois include reconstructing and widening I-90 between Rockford and the Kennedy Expressway as well as I-294 between Balmoral Ave and 95th Street; new projects include constructing the Elgin-O'Hare Western Access project as well as an interchange between I-294 and I-57 (previously, the Interstates crossed, but had no direct connection).[21]
Legislation passed in 2013 gives the authority the power to build high-speed rail lines if there is funding made available, similar to the authority of other state high-speed rail authorities.[22] It is the only road-related authority with rail construction powers in the United States.
Structure
The Tollway's board of directors has eleven members. The
ISTHA's annual budget for fiscal year 2010 totals $696 million.
The Executive Director of ISTHA supervises 12 departments.[29]
The Tollway is patrolled by both police and non-police fleets. The Tollway comprises a separate Illinois State Police District 15, one of 21 districts of the Illinois State Police.[30] ISTHA also operates a fleet of Highway Emergency Lane Patrol vehicles which assist stranded motorists with mechanical problems, flat tires or insufficient fuel. Each year, the H.E.L.P. Trucks assist more than 35,000 motorists and log nearly 1.5 million patrol miles.[31]
Toll roads
Illinois State Toll Highway System | |
---|---|
System information | |
Maintained by ISTHA | |
Length | 306.13 mi (492.67 km) |
Formed | August 20, 1958[7] |
Highway names | |
Interstates | Interstate X (I-X) |
US Highways | U.S. Route X (US X) |
State | Illinois Route X (IL X) |
System links | |
As of 2017[update], ISTHA maintains and operates 306 miles (492 km) of tollways in 12 counties in northern Illinois, comprising five routes:
- Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-39/I-90/US 51)
- Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)
- Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway/Chicago–Kansas City Expressway (I-88/IL 56/IL 110)
- Tri-State Tollway (I-80/I-94/I-294)
- Elgin-O'Hare Tollway (IL 390)
Except for the vicinity of
ISTHA also operates tolling for the Longmeadow Parkway toll bridge that is maintained by Kane County, Illinois.
Toll collection
ISTHA sets its tolls at a level necessary to maintain and operate the system while retiring its bond debt,[33] and it is required to conduct public hearings on any proposed toll increase.[34] In 1958, the tolls were set at 25 cents at the main plazas and 10 cents at the exit ramps.[33] In 1983, the tolls increased to 40 cents at the main plazas and 15 cents at most ramps. With the advent of the I-Pass system in 2005, the tolls for cash payments were doubled, while rates for cars equipped with I-Pass transponders remained the same. On January 1, 2012, tolls increased by 87 percent, to 75 cents at the main plazas for transponder-equipped cars, and $1.50 for those paying cash.[35] In addition, congestion pricing is used to charge trucks a rate which is $0.50 or $1.00 higher during rush hour than during off-peak hours.[36]
Until the mid-1970s, the
I-Pass is the Illinois Tollway’s electronic transponder toll collection system that allows drivers to pre-pay their tolls. As of 2010[update], Tollway drivers use 3.3 million I-Pass transponders.[37] Every toll lane on the system is equipped to accept I-Pass which can also be used on the Chicago Skyway and anywhere E-ZPass is accepted. (E-ZPass is a transponder consortium of toll road authorities on the East Coast.)[38] A refundable deposit of $10 and $20 in pre-paid tolls is charged at the time of purchase. Illinois Tollway offers an auto-pay replenishment option by registering a credit or debit card to an I-Pass account at the time of activation. Each month, the minimum balance and replenishment amounts are recalculated based on the average usage during the previous six months. A special program for low-income motorists allows them to obtain I-Pass units with a reduced outlay of $20.[39] Users choosing to replenish their account without auto-pay are responsible for monitoring their transactions and balance and must pay a $20 refundable deposit.[40] There are various options for self-pay replenishment, including the Tollway Service Centers located at five oasis rest stops. Customers wishing to pay by check or cash can pay at the oasis customer service centers or can buy $20 I-Pass Gift Cards at Jewel-Osco.[41]
ISTHA has implemented open road tolling, allowing any vehicle with an I-Pass or E-ZPass transponder to continue through the toll plaza at highway speeds while those paying cash have to stop at a tollbooth. If a vehicle registered with I-Pass passes through a toll collection without the transponder, the toll amount will be automatically deducted from the respective I-Pass account. This process is called "V-Tolls" (Video Tolls).[40]
On February 25, 2021, ISTHA announced that cash tolling would be fully eliminated throughout the system, making permanent a moratorium on cash toll collection in place since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower-income motorists will be able to acquire an initial deposit-free I-Pass based on income requirements, and ISTHA had already instituted an online pay option for video tolling and pay-by-plate customers without I-Pass or EZPass transponders in June 2020 as a response to the pandemic. Plans regarding demolition of the side cash lanes along the tollways (which outside one I-Pass lane now designated to allow users to check their account status by an indicator lamp, are blocked off) are yet to be determined.[42]
Criticism
ISTHA and the toll highway system in Illinois have undergone much criticism since the 1980s. Construction of the North–South Tollway (
Much of the criticism in the 1980s and 1990s was centered on the continued existence of ISTHA itself, and its quasi-independent status from even the Illinois General Assembly. The original decision to build the tollway was made in an era when five states used toll roads to create a superhighway between New York and Chicago. This predated the Interstate Highway System and the associated funding from federal gasoline taxes. Critics argue that Tollway users are paying twice, first by paying tolls and then by paying the same gasoline taxes that other motorists pay.[43] Citizens' groups formed in the 1990s to try to force ISTHA to disband, and convert the toll highways in Illinois into freeways. This stems from the 1953 law that established the then Illinois State Toll Highway Commission.[44] By 1999, Governor George Ryan began to publicly discuss the closure of ISTHA and the abolition of toll collection in Illinois,[45] but the plans were eclipsed by Ryan's increasing scandals.[46] After Ryan declined to run for re-election and his successor, Governor Rod Blagojevich, had been elected (but had not yet taken office), the ISTHA board publicly suggested a sudden hike in toll rates that the new Governor could simply blame on his outgoing predecessor.[citation needed] The previous adjustment to Illinois toll rates had taken place in 1983.[47] ISTHA would have been able to raise rates without approval of the Illinois General Assembly because of its quasi-independent nature. However, a rate hike did not go into effect at that time. Ultimately, the toll rates for I-Pass users remained at 1983 prices while the toll rate for cash payers doubled. Practically, the I-Pass system and open road tolling appears to have removed the annoying aspect of toll collection which motivated many toll opponents, and subsequently the calls to ending the tolls have quieted.
The Sierra Club criticized the capital projects as adding to urban sprawl while hurting air quality.[48] In response, the expense of implementing Open Road Tolling has justified by claiming it significantly decreases the amount of pollution from vehicle exhaust that enters the air. This is because the old barrier style tollbooths adds to the amount of time that certain vehicles spend on the roadway by requiring them to slow down, stop, and sometimes idle for several minutes while waiting to pay their tolls. The introduction of the I-Pass system has greatly alleviated this problem since all vehicles with an I-Pass or E-Zpass can continue to travel at normal highway speeds through the toll plazas.[49]
In 2003, during Governor George Ryan's administration, ISTHA entered into a
On December 9, 2008, Governor Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges including allegations that he solicited campaign donations from Tollway construction contractors.[53] On December 18, Dalley resigned claiming that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan would not grant waivers from the state ethics law that prohibited high level ISTHA executives from being employed by contractors within a year of leaving office.[54] In January 2009, Governor Blagojevich was impeached, tried, and removed from office for abuse of power, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. Following this, ISTHA Board appointed a new chief executive without consulting Quinn.[52] On August 12, 2009, John Mitola, who was appointed the ISTHA board chairman in 2003 by Governor Blagojevich, resigned for personal reasons. The next day, Governor Quinn appointed a new chairman and two new board members.[52] Ex-ISTHA Chairman Mitola was reported to have failed to disclose an investment in a real estate development with former state purchasing and contracting CEO Michael Rumman under ousted Governor Blagojevich.[55] In addition, a number of top ISTHA staff members have left in 2009.[56][57][58]
Notes
- Daily Herald, the authority's full name is used. On some of the authority's signage, and in letters to the editor, "Illinois Tollway" is used. The authority's official website uses both.
References
- ^ a b Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ a b Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ a b "Executive Staff - Illinois Tollway". www.illinoistollway.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (n.d.). "Illinois Tollway: Realizing the Future 2017 Annual Report". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ Young, D. M. "Streets and Highways". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved December 26, 2005.
- University of Illinois at Chicago Library. Archived from the originalon June 18, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2005.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Roads and Bridges". Toll Highway Act. Illinois General Assembly. 605 ILCS 10/. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
- ISSN 1085-6706. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ ISSN 1085-6706. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hausner, Les (December 22, 1989). "Opening of I-355 Will Put Some Zip in Du Page Traffic". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2008.
- ^ "Tollway Timeline". The Herald News. Joliet, IL. November 11, 2007. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2008.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (August 28, 1997). "Tollway Launches Official Web Site". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on October 12, 1997. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "I-Pass Account Access". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 93. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "Congestion-Relief Program". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ a b Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "Projects by Roadway". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 104. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "Capital Program Overview" (PDF). Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ "Illinois Tollway Capital Programs". Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ^ "Bill to allow bullet trains along Illinois tollways heads to Pat Quinn - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL". Rrstar.com. June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
- ISSN 1085-6706. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Finance and Investor Information Overview/Finance and Investor Information". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 107. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Year Ending December 31, 2018". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 67. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
- ^ Illinois Code. 605 ILCS 10/9
- ^ Illinois Code. 605 ILCS 10/16
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. pp. 20, 72. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "Help Trucks & *999". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ "About the Skyway". Archived from the original on December 27, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ a b Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (December 17, 2009). "2010 Budget" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ Illinois Code. 605 ILCS 10/11(c)
- ^ "Illinois Tollway Board Approves Steep 87 Percent Toll Increase". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "How Toll Rates Were Established" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "Facts, Figures & History". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "On the Road: Other Toll Systems". Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "I-Pass Assist". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ a b Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "Frequently Asked Questions About I-Pass". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. "About I-Pass". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ^ Jimenez, Abdel (February 25, 2021). "Illinois Tollway Will Permanently End Cash Toll Collections Nearly a Year After Switching to All-Electronic Payments". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ McCoppin, Robert (1997). "Tollways the Driving Force Behind Jobs, Growth". Archived from the original on November 12, 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- ^ "Run Like Hell". Cliff's Notes. December 15, 2003. Archived from the original on February 18, 2005. Retrieved December 27, 2005.[self-published source]
- ^ Thompson, Don & Fusco, Chris. "Tollway to Freeway: Can it be done?". Archived from the original on January 13, 2005. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
- ^ "Putting Customers in the Driver's Seat: The Case for Tolls". Reason Foundation. Archived from the original on March 13, 2003. Retrieved December 27, 2005.
- ^ "An Agency Ripe for Reform: The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority". Newsletter. Citizen Advocacy Center. Spring 2002. Archived from the original on November 15, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2005.
- ^ "Woods & Wetlands". Illinois Sierra Club Newsletter. Fall 2004. Archived from the original on September 18, 2004. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
- .
- ^ Pyke, Marni (November 5, 2009). "Tollway Gets an Earful on Oasis Contracts at Hearing". Daily Herald. Arlington, IL. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ISSN 1085-6706. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Ryan, Joseph & Patterson, John (August 15, 2009). "Toll Authority Was Ready to Forgive Millions Oasis Operator Owed It". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
- ^ "Blagojevich Arrested on Federal Charges". Chicago Breaking News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ISSN 1085-6706. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ryan, Joseph & Ahern, Sheila (August 15, 2009). "Former Tollway Chairman's Undisclosed Land Deal Raises Flags". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ Pyke, Marni (September 18, 2009). "Another Illinois Tollway Official Hits the Road". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ Pyke, Marni (August 28, 2009). "Illinois Tollway Inspector General Resigns". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ Pyke, Marni (January 9, 2010). "Tollway Gets New Chief Investigator". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Retrieved January 16, 2010.