‘Taxation on auto-pilot’ vs. ‘an economic engine’: Speakers take sides on toll hike

Gubernatorial politics emerged along with consumer concerns at the latest Illinois tollway hearing on a roughly 57% passenger car rate hike and new capital program Wednesday in Aurora.

It was the 11th of 13 hearings at which the agency is pitching its $26.5 billion Driving Connections improvement plan. The initiative would be partly funded by raising passenger vehicle tolls for I-PASS users from an average of 7 cents a mile to 11 cents, beginning Jan. 1.

Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog spoke in favor of the plan, noting that she represents “one of the fastest growing counties in Illinois.”

“The Illinois tollway has long been more that a roadway system. It’s an economic engine that connects communities, supports commerce and provides the infrastructure that allows our region to compete,” she said.

Driving Connections will enable faster commutes on toll roads and enhance express bus service, Pierog noted. “Every investment we make today creates opportunities that extend well beyond the life of this project itself.”

Along with the passenger car spike, truckers would pay 30% more, which has drawn an outcry from the industry. Meanwhile, all users would see cost-of-living increases every two years starting in 2029, if approved by the tollway board.

The biennial spike caught the attention of Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey.

“That’s taxation on auto-pilot,” commented Bailey, who is running against incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the November general election.

The former senator from downstate testified Illinoisans are already experiencing higher gas, groceries and utilities. “Now this board is considering the largest toll increase in Illinois history,” Bailey said.

“For the average commuter passing through two more toll plazas a day, that’s roughly $225 more a year,” he said. “That might not sound much to the people making these decisions but it matters to families paying the bills.

“This is not simply a toll increase. It’s an increase in the cost of living.”

Numerous representatives from labor unions, along with construction and engineering firms, spoke in favor of the plan.

Driving Connections includes more than $14.6 billion for toll road reconstruction and rehab, nearly $3.36 billion for interchange upgrades and about $880 million for widening.

“Infrastructure investments aren’t abstract, it affects us everyday,” said Tom Hein with the American Council of Engineering Companies. “A better transportation system means parents get home sooner, get to the soccer game, students and workers travel more safely, commutes become more reliable and predictable.

“As engineers, we know it’s far better to invest before problems become emergencies.”

But Aurora resident Elizabeth Earl is worried about the impact of the rate hike.

“We use the tollway all the time and I am totally opposed to the increase,” Earl said.

She estimated commuting between Aurora to Oak Brook daily would result in a roughly $475 increase per year. “That’s really just not reasonable for the average citizen in Illinois.”