I-Pass? I’ll pass…

The Illinois Tollway Authoritorians have a new $5.3 billion “congestion relief plan”. Included is eliminating 47 toll workers, hiring 26 State troopers, buying police motorcycles, and a drug-detecting dog. None of which has anything to do with congestion relief. Since when does the tollway’s job include policing and chasing drug users? I thought it was maintaining the road. To pay for this and the retirement of other toll-takers, they’ve doubled tolls for four-wheelers and tripled them for big trucks. They claim it’s to help with maintenance and expansion. But by using I-Pass you can pay the old rate. That can be interpreted as I-Pass users are NOT required to help. I-Pass users, most of whom use the tollway more, don’t have to pay as much. Does that mean if I shop at Walgreens only a few times per year I should be forced to pay double? They want you to use I-Pass because they can track you. It logs your time. Other States with electronic toll taking do it, why not Illinois? You go from one point to the next in under the allowed time and you get a speeding ticket. If they cared about congestion they’d take all the toll plazas out of the main road. You mark where you enter and pay when you exit, paying for only and exactly what you use. Open traffic in between. The beginning, end, and ramp toll booths are already processing ALL of the traffic. With triple rates for trucks the delivery costs for goods just went up, and consumers will make up for that at the stores. $40 in pre-paid tolls will take me 2 years to use, while the State sits on my money. Congestion relief? How about citizen relief?

-Eric (Rick) Ferguson

President, Libertarian Party of Will County, Illinois