Editorial: Added scrutiny will help keep tollway, other transportation agencies in line

Officials at the Illinois tollway may feel a bit defensive about a new state Senate committee set up to scrutinize transportation agencies in the state.

Good. The tollway's hiring practices - not inappropriately described as "bizarre" by one state lawmaker - demonstrate an agency clearly in need of some political management therapy.

But it's important to note that the tollway isn't the only object of the Urban Modal Transit Oversight Committee's attention. State Sen. Laura Murphy, a Des Plaines Democrat who is spearheading the effort, says the group's mission will be to help leaders and the public learn more about the operations of specific agencies.

"I'm a believer that sunshine makes everything look better," she said.

This added sunshine will be valuable whether the agency be Metra, the RTA, the CTA, Pace or any of the transportation bodies in Illinois and the suburbs that serve hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents and oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in fees and taxpayer spending. At the same time, it certainly won't hurt for the agencies to be aware of the additional scrutiny.

Of course, it's with good reason that the committee will begin by taking a look at management of the tollway. Within its first year after being reconstituted from a tollway board and administration entirely replaced because of questionable contract and hiring practices, the new tollway leadership exploded out of the gates with an inappropriate conflict-of-interest vote by its new chairman, and its new executive director, Jose Alvarez, hired nine former colleagues from the Chicago Housing Authority at salaries totaling more than $1.3 million.

Tollway officials contend the hiring is perfectly appropriate and the individuals hired are well-qualified for their positions. But especially considering the checkered history of insider hiring, contracts and other activities at the tollway, it is well within the public interest for lawmakers to closely follow what's happening there and ensure that its management practices don't simply slide back into old habits.

Murphy is right to observe, too, that this extra level of oversight doesn't have to imply wrongdoing by anyone or be investigative in nature. It will be "a forum to learn and exchange information," she said.

"We hope it will provide an avenue for people to voice concerns and for (transportation) departments to let people know about their operations," she said.

The tollway, it already appears, will have plenty to offer on both sides of that equation. Other transportation agencies likely will, as well. It's good that a forum will exist to identify problems and provide immediate rationale for decisions and actions that could arouse old suspicions.