Illinois road fund still being raided, transit group says

SPRINGFIELD — Taxes on gasoline and license plate fees are among ways Illinois raises nearly $3 billion a year for road construction and repair. But transit advocates say only a fraction of that pays for concrete and steamrollers.

The Transportation for Illinois Coalition is raising red flags about the state’s road fund paying for as much as $176 million for employee health insurance and $41 million for workers’ compensation coverage.

A coalition expert says $500 million from the Illinois Department of Transportation’s road fund was “diverted” to other uses in 2011.

Kelly Kraft is a spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn. She acknowledged $55 million in road fund money subsidizes health care for agencies other than IDOT but that only $21 million is going for IDOT’s workers’ comp liability.