Tollway Accountability Campaign

The Tollway Accountability Campaign (TAC) is a coalition of 14 statewide, regional, and local grassroots citizen groups who believe that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) should be more accountable to Illinois taxpayers, and that the Toll Highway Authority’s massive expansion plans should be reconsidered.  Specifically, our concerns include:

Fiscal responsibility

The Toll Highway Authority has already announced that it has insufficient funds to complete a necessary $4 billion reconstruction of existing toll roads.

Despite this, the Authority is planning two major extensions to I-355 in Will County whose construction cost alone would be $800 million.

Environmental protection

The proposed extensions would destroy invaluable natural areas and consume large amounts of open space and irreplaceable farmland.

The extensions will also accelerate urban sprawl in northeastern Illinois.

Fairness

Financing the new extension would require substantial system-wide toll hikes.

Drivers on existing toll roads, primarily in DuPage and Cook County, would have to pay 89% of the cost of the new extensions, even if they never drive on them.

The cost of the extensions increases the risk that the Authority would have to tap into general funds or Illinois Department of Transportation funds to meet its maintenance, repair, and debt obligations.

Common Sense

There are less costly alternatives that can handle traffic at least as well as the proposed toll road extensions, with less cost to divers and taxpayers and less harm to the environment. Action Plan.

As an agency of the State of Illinois, ISTHA should be accountable to the citizens of Illinois and the General Assembly. Oversight by the General Assembly is virtually non-existent. The General Assembly has no control over ISTHA spending or toll hikes.

The Campaign supports legislation that would:

Establish General Assembly oversight over the Toll Authority including any proposed increase in tolls.

Set a 7 year sunset requirement for legislative authorization to issue bonds for new tollways including the 1993 extension authorizations.

Require future extensions to pay a fair share of their construction costs. 

For more information call: 312/673-6500 ext. 3726 or e-mail Nancy Wagner of ELPC at nwagner@elpc.org.

Campaign Members

Citizens Organized for Sound Transportation (Lake County)
Chicagoland Transportation and Air Quality Commission
Citizen Advocacy Center (Elmhurst)
Conservation Foundation (DuPage, Will, Kendall Co.)
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Illinois Citizen Action (Lake Co.)
Illinois Public Interest Research Group
Lake County Conservation Alliance
League of Women Voters—Lake County
Lincolnway South Corridor Against the Tollway (Will Co.)
McHenry County Defenders
Prairie Rivers Network
Sierra Club
South Cook County Environmental Action Coalition

Join our Campaign Today!!

If you are a member of a group or organization interested in participating in this campaign, or are interested in starting a tollway reform organization in your area, please contact Nancy Wagner at (312) 673-6500 or nwagner@elpc.org. Keep in mind that there are various levels of valuable participation, from simply having your group endorse TAC to sending out mailings and flyers. As our campaign continues to grow, it will send the clear message to elected officials that the residents of Illinois are opposed to any toll increases and demand serious reform at the Toll Authority.