# Illinois Toll Roads



## woody underwood (Feb 9, 2004)

While traveling through Illinois last month, we pulled off I-80 for gas, didn't have the $1.40 in change for the machine and just blew it off. Are they gonna come get me??????????


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## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

woody underwood said:


> While traveling through Illinois last month, we pulled off I-80 for gas, didn't have the $1.40 in change for the machine and just blew it off. Are they gonna come get me??????????


 Assuming their systems were working right, they took a picture of your plate and you'll get a nastygram in the mail asking you to pay for violation.

I hope you filled up your change holder for the next time around!


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

alee said:


> Assuming their systems were working right, they took a picture of your plate and you'll get a nastygram in the mail asking you to pay for violation.
> 
> I hope you filled up your change holder for the next time around!


Right.

Toll Violations


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

alee said:


> Assuming their systems were working right, they took a picture of your plate and you'll get a nastygram in the mail asking you to pay for violation.
> 
> I hope you filled up your change holder for the next time around!


The cameras work VERY well, speaking for myself and my friends. I got a very nice and clear picture of the back of my truck with a very legible plate. Fortunately for me, I had an I-pass, so no fines were assessed, but my friends weren't so lucky. My boss got hit for a number so big he wouldn't talk about it, but he's on a payment plan. Of course, he blew through the tolls for years. Most of the time, they wait for four offenses before they mail the fines. Of course, what are they going to do to you? In Illinois, they suspend your license if you don't pay, but I don't know how that would work for an out-of-state person.


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## FalconGuy (Sep 27, 2002)

Takes me back to my days of bending my rear plate down while riding my bike through tolls......


A buddy used to say, steal the necessities you can afford the luxuries, he hasn't paid a toll in NJ in years, he will need a mortgage if they ever catch him.


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## TeamM3 (Dec 24, 2002)

I go through the cash toll with my tow-dolley trailer (4 axles) and just pay the cash auto fee, even if they took my pic the towed car is being pulled backwards hiding it's tag and the towing vehcle tag too


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## TeamM3 (Dec 24, 2002)

cwsqbm said:


> Of course, what are they going to do to you? In Illinois, they suspend your license if you don't pay, but I don't know how that would work for an out-of-state person.


If they ever pulled you over and it came up on your license search you'd probably go straight to jail. However, all states share info now and I think they wcould apply to your state to suspend your license. I forgot about a speeding ticket I got in VA once and they sent me a nasty-gram threatening to do just that.


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## toshweir27 (Jan 4, 2002)

The ticket will arrive in the mail with a nice photo of your rear plate. The tolls around here have gotten ridiculous for the out-of-state drivers. They have doubled since last year for non-I-Pass drivers.


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## obmd1 (Jan 17, 2005)

FalconGuy said:


> Takes me back to my days of bending my rear plate down while riding my bike through tolls......
> 
> A buddy used to say, steal the necessities you can afford the luxuries, he hasn't paid a toll in NJ in years, he will need a mortgage if they ever catch him.


I used to blow through the Garden State Parkway tolls for years... would have thought they would have cameras by now... or at least GATES!! There was a time, after a toll hike, that there were flocks of troopers waiting for you after the plaza if you skipped th 35 cents...

Now with ezpass... it's hardly worth the risk.


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## gwells67 (Jun 20, 2003)

Don't blow the tools in NJ! The cops hang out in the booths and write tickets. My GF got one and it was not cheap. I've gotten about 4 of them, but I just called a gave my other car's ez pass account. I don't know how they got my so many times...but they did..


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## nanobug (Aug 19, 2005)

When I went to IL last year I didn't pay any tolls and I never got any letters or fines.


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## MaxBuck (Jan 30, 2005)

Illinois toll roads suck. I was in a big rush to get to O'Hare in a rental car and failed to ensure I would have $4.83 in exact f**cking change to get through all the booths. Sure enough, I blew through the last one with no remaining change.

I received a notice from Thrifty Rentacar that my charge card would be charged $250 for the fine and administrative charges. Fortunately my company picked up the cost, but it was a painful lesson.


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

MaxBuck said:


> Illinois toll roads suck. I was in a big rush to get to O'Hare in a rental car and failed to ensure I would have $4.83 in exact f**cking change to get through all the booths. Sure enough, I blew through the last one with no remaining change.
> 
> I received a notice from Thrifty Rentacar that my charge card would be charged $250 for the fine and administrative charges. Fortunately my company picked up the cost, but it was a painful lesson.


Welcome to the biggest scam: they removed the person in the booth (maybe a year or two ago) when you are getting off for O'hare, so if you don't have change, your f****d. That's what the tollway things of out-of-town tourists. I've had problems with that exit too, but fortunately I have my truck registered on my I-pass account, so I didn't get fine for blowing the toll without a transponder when I've left it in my car.


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

cwsqbm said:


> Welcome to the biggest scam: they removed the person in the booth (maybe a year or two ago) when you are getting off for O'hare, so if you don't have change, your f****d. That's what the tollway things of out-of-town tourists. I've had problems with that exit too, but fortunately I have my truck registered on my I-pass account, so I didn't get fine for blowing the toll without a transponder when I've left it in my car.


http://www.illinoistollway.com/port...3_179445:53_179478&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

Artslinger said:


> http://www.illinoistollway.com/port...3_179445:53_179478&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL


From the site:


> How to pay
> You may ask for a grace period toll (blue) envelope at the next plaza to mail in or return to a toll plaza. You also can mail a letter to the Illinois Tollway, 2700 Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, IL 60515, Attn: Cash Handling Division. You should include the information and payment indicated below.


When you enter O'hare, there are no other plazas that you pass since you are exiting at that point. Second, there is no sign there telling you this information, or if there is, its too small to see without coming to stop and getting out of your car and looking. Third, once at the airport, how would the average person who is not a tollway regular (almost all regulars have I-pass anways) know to go to the website to look? I didn't, and I've been on the website setting up my I-pass account. To me, its just extremely user unfriendly. What other system demands that you have exact change so you can exit, especially at a major airport exit? EVERYWHERE else outside of Illinois I've been has someone to make change. This is what happens when the tollway authority has essentially zero accountability to the elected officials.


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

Tollway has deal for debtors
2-month amnesty cuts motorists' fines

By Virginia Groark and James Kimberly
Tribune staff reporters
Published August 23, 2005


Tens of thousands of toll cheats will get a break Tuesday if they take advantage of a 60-day amnesty program that will waive up to half of their fines.

But those who fail to settle their accounts by Oct. 21 will be subject to stiffer penalties, including Denver-booting, towing and impoundment of their vehicles, under legislation Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law Monday.

About 106,000 motorists are expected to qualify for the amnesty program, said Joelle McGinnis, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority spokeswoman.

The vast majority of them owe between $100 and $500, a small enough figure that tollway officials are optimistic that the program will generate a strong collection rate, she said.

Although McGinnis would not say how much the agency is owed, figures show it could be as much as $53 million.

For that reason, a watchdog group said the program makes business sense.

"From a purely cost-benefit analysis, it's highly improbable that they would have collected the amount of money owed to them without some kind of amnesty program," said Terry Pastika, director of the Elmhurst-based Citizen Advocacy Center, which has been critical of the agency's violation enforcement program.

Still, Pastika said it is unfair to those who paid up after receiving violation notices. Under the new law, they will not be eligible for a refund.

"Those who got loans or paid the fines on their credit card because they didn't want their license suspended have a lot to complain about," Pastika said.

That was the reaction of Northbrook resident Mary Ann Spinato, who paid nearly $4,000 in fines and unpaid tolls after her son skipped paying tolls while driving her car.

When she appealed, the tollway cut her little slack, making it all the more puzzling to her that amnesty is being offered to people who made no effort to settle their bills.

"I'm upset," she said. "Why would they be so adamant about doing it the way they did it at first, where no one had a voice or recourse, and now they are going the other way?"

McGinnis said the agency didn't offer an amnesty program earlier because it was not authorized to do so.

Other tollway users also criticized the program as being soft on chronic scofflaws.

"It's all right if it was an honest mistake, but some of the people who just speed through--they shouldn't get that amnesty," said Woodridge resident Mark Pawlowski, who takes the North-South Tollway to a job in La Grange. "It's a bad idea, especially with the state needing money. You shouldn't give breaks."

Under the new law, people who have received a violation notice on Monday or earlier and have an outstanding balance are eligible for the program.

Payments will be reduced on a sliding scale, depending on the number of violations accumulated.

Someone with up to 25 violations will have to pay the unpaid tolls and 50 percent of the original fines. Those with 26 to 50 violations will have to pay the tolls plus 60 percent of their original fines. Those with more than 50 violations will have to pay the tolls and 75 percent of their fines.

To qualify for the waiver, violators must pay by 5 p.m. Oct. 21.

"Obviously it's a 60-day program so people don't need to rush out instantly to take advantage of it," she said. "We also hope that people won't wait until the last minute to take advantage of it."


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

cwsqbm said:


> From the site:
> 
> When you enter O'hare, there are no other plazas that you pass since you are exiting at that point. Second, there is no sign there telling you this information, or if there is, its too small to see without coming to stop and getting out of your car and looking. Third, once at the airport, how would the average person who is not a tollway regular (almost all regulars have I-pass anways) know to go to the website to look? I didn't, and I've been on the website setting up my I-pass account. To me, its just extremely user unfriendly. What other system demands that you have exact change so you can exit, especially at a major airport exit? EVERYWHERE else outside of Illinois I've been has someone to make change. This is what happens when the tollway authority has essentially zero accountability to the elected officials.


Hey I'm not passing any judgement one way or the other, I just posted a link to help people out.


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## Mr. E (Dec 19, 2001)

Jeez, I'm so glad I live in California, home of the FREEway. Traffic may suck, but at least I won't get hosed like I know I would visiting Illinois!


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

In MA, I was told by a MassPike worker they will give you one free ride if you happen to go through the transponder lane by mistake and you don't have a plate on record. After that, you will be sent a ticket.

My transponder broke on a trip from NH down to NJ. I set off the error lights in MA, NY and NJ but since the car was registered they deducted the appropriate amounts from my account with no nastygrams.


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

Artslinger said:


> Hey I'm not passing any judgement one way or the other, I just posted a link to help people out.


Sorry, talking about the tollway gets me worked up, like the traffic yesterday on I-294 - 1 hr 45 min to go 11 miles? I moved closer to work just to avoid the tollways.

As far as CA being free, what about the 91 saga thread of Z4phillygirl?


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