Morris says cutting perks part of tollway reforms

Illinois tollway Director Bill Morris started his tenure on the board by asking questions and he hasn't let up yet.

"This is not a reflection on any individual member of the tollway staff. It's the way public business is supposed to be done," said Morris, a former state senator and mayor of Waukegan who now lives in Grayslake.

One year into the job, Morris is chairman of a customer service committee that focuses on the I-PASS system.

While the tollway's cleared up a notorious backlog of late violation notices, there's new issues ahead, Morris said.

These include recent problems collecting out-of-state tolls and the pending expiration of 1.2 million I-PASS transponders in 2013.

Overall, "we're stilling monitoring complaints and compliments," he said. "We're trying to see how to improve signage - things like how to make it easier to pay a missed toll or find an exit."

By the end of the year, the tollway board is expected to choose its next major project from a smorgasbord of options such as rebuilding the Jane Addams (I-90) tollway to extending Route 53 into Lake County or finishing the east leg of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway and a western bypass around the airport.

Morris said the Jane Addams deserves consideration because it's long overdue for repairs and admits he's not a "great fan" of the Route 53 project. But there's a way to go before the board commits to a definite project and questions about how to find the billions of dollars for the work need to be answered, he said.

"I'm not ready to support a toll increase," Morris said, but added that such an option should be part of the discussion.

In terms of restoring public faith in the tollway, Morris said the agency has made strides, including a review of perks by employees such as cars, laptop computers, cell phones and I-PASS transponders.

"I think it's inappropriate," Morris said of the I-PASS privileges. "Most workers do not get paid to drive to and from work. It does open the potential for abuse. And, we have no idea what it costs."