Politics
Illinois Tollway Proposes $26.5 Billion Capital Projects Plan, 57% Toll Hike for Illinois Motorists
The Illinois Tollway board — made up of Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi and nine members appointed by the governor — is considering a 15-year, $26.5 billion construction plan to address deteriorating roads and reduce congestion across the state’s tollway system.
The proposal, called the Driving Connections Plan, would raise passenger vehicle tolls beginning Jan. 1, 2027, by roughly 57%, or about 45 cents per toll. The added revenue would fund development on seven interstates, including the Jane Addams Memorial and Veterans Memorial tollways.
“The Illinois Tollway is more than just roadways – it’s a vital lifeline that connects people to the jobs, goods, healthcare, housing and opportunities they need to thrive,” Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse said in a news release. “Driving Connections reinforces that mission by putting people first and ensuring our customers – and our state – are positioned for long‑term success.”
Supporters say the plan would boost the region’s economy and modernize aging infrastructure. Critics, meanwhile, argue the board is moving too quickly and giving the public little time to weigh in.
The board held in-person public hearings on the proposal from July 13-24 in each county where the tollway operates. It will accept online public comments through Aug. 3.
Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic analysis at the Illinois Policy Institute, said that’s far too little public input on what would be the largest spending increase in the tollway’s history.
“We’ve had less than two months of consideration for the entire plan,” Hill said. “The board could vote as soon as Aug. 19 to approve this toll hike and a $26.5 billion plan. That’s two months to decide a permanent toll increase and billions of dollars in spending. That’s too little time.”
Under the proposal, toll rates would also be adjusted for inflation every two years, meaning motorists could be paying more than the initial spike by 2029.
“The tollway is considering this measure once, but then every two years there’s going to be an automatic increase associated with it,” Hill said. “I don’t think that Illinoisans should give up, in this one instance, the ability for the tollway to increase tolls in perpetuity.”
Despite the costs to motorists, a $26.5 billion injection into public infrastructure would fund the creation of potentially thousands of construction and engineering jobs.
Kara Principe, counsel for the Indiana, Illinois, Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting, said the tollway’s previous capital program, Move Illinois, shows why the board should approve the proposed Driving Connections plan.
Move Illinois was approved in 2012 and is scheduled to conclude in 2027 before Driving Connections would start if approved.
“That plan raised $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenue,” Principe said. “$14 billion was invested into that plan, and we’ve received back $28 billion in economic output, 150,000 jobs over the course of those 15 years. Almost 6,000 jobs per year were construction jobs.”
A recent study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found that Illinois received a 200% return on investment from the Move Illinois program.
The Illinois Tollway says motorists would ultimately save money under the Driving Connections plan. A commuter who passes through two tolls a day at 45 cents per toll for 50 weeks would pay $225 more than they do now.
But the Tollway says motorists would save about $725 a year in vehicle repair and fuel costs by improving road conditions and reducing congestion. They also estimate that the average Chicago driver spends about 100 hours in traffic on the tollway each year, amounting to $1,800 in lost time.
“I understand that there’s a cost to investing, but there’s a real cost to not investing,” Principe said. “Those roads will start deteriorating. That costs businesses time. That costs businesses money. Failing to invest is a big cost as well.”
Hill said he doesn’t trust the Tollway to deliver the economic benefits it says will justify higher costs for motorists. He pointed to the Tollway’s creation in the 1950s, when state leaders promised the roads would become toll-free by 1973 — a pledge that was never fulfilled.
“Fifty years later, the tollway is collecting record amounts of revenue,” Hill said. “We’re considering the largest increase ever. I don’t have the most confidence today, saying what the future will hold if we give this power to the Tollway Authority.”
The Tollway Board meets next Aug. 19 and could vote to approve Driving Connections at that time.
