Illinois Agrees to Reduce Truck Tolls for I-Pass Users

eorge Billows, executive director of the Illinois Trucking Association, told Transport Topics on Wednesday the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority agreed to lower the new tolls it planned to charge truckers with electronic transponders, except during rush hours.

Under the deal, truckers with I-Pass would pay $3 -- from the initially proposed $4 -- except during morning (6-9 a.m.) and afternoon (3:30-6:30 p.m.) rush hours. Currently, trucks pay $1.50 at most toll plazas.

Billows also said the $3 toll would still be available to truckers without I-PASS between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Many truckers complained about the original increases because they have to make daytime deliveries, which would have prevented them from taking advantage of the cheaper tolls, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"Nationwide, trucks are charged higher toll rates than cars because they cause the bulk of the wear and tear on highways. The damage caused by one truck equals that caused by 10,000 cars, so it is only fair that trucks pay more," Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said when the increases were first announced last month.

The lower rates for trucks with I-PASS were expected to reduce the number of trucks that use local roads, the Tribune reported.

The tollway had predicted that in a worst-case scenario, as many as 21% of trucks would stop using the roads in the first year. Under the amended plan, that number likely would drop by 4% to 5%.

If approved by the highway authority, the new fees would likely be imposed on Jan. 1.

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