Drivers who use the Illinois Tollway could face higher fees under a sweeping overhaul of statewide public transit signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Under the proposed increase, tolls for passenger vehicles would rise $0.45, while semi drivers would be subjected to a greater hike.After years of “fiscal cliffs and “doomsday scenarios,” Chicago transit now has a financial lifeline from Springfield, and Charlie Wojciechowski breaks down what’s in the bill.
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, which calls for $1.5 billion in new annual transit funding, includes increases in both passenger and commercial vehicle tolls to fund the Illinois Tollway capital program.State officials said toll revenue will continue to go toward Tollway maintenance, operations and capital improvements -- and those dollars will remains separate from the $1.5 billion, which will be dedicated to transit improvements across Illinois.Along with the toll hike for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles would be subject to a staggering 30% toll increase. Additional fare hikes are possible, as well. Prices could increase every two years based on inflation, capped at 4% a year, according to the legislation. Pritzker's office shared a fact sheet about the measure, in which they insisted rates along the Illinois Tollway remain low and are"below most peer systems nationwide."Supporters have said the higher tollway fares could generate as much as $1 billion annually the tollways, which serve about a dozen counties.The Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative-leaning thinktank, said the average toll hike could cost the typical commuter as much as $329 more per year starting in 2027. Truck drivers, meanwhile, would pay up to an additional $1,264 in tolls, the institute stated.
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