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Location: Elgin, Illinois | In the fine print of the Illinois Toll incrase was a BIG change for Illinois boaters (and others passing through)... Before where the toll was $0.40 and you added a trailer you paid another $0.20 per axle. So from South Beloit to Chicago, five toll plazas...it was $3.00 for a single axle trailer... and $4.00 for a double axle trailer. Well not anymore... That boat/car or truck combo is now considered a medium truck... And, the toll increases to an unbelieveable $11.85...
So every trip "up north" pulling the trailer will cost you almost $25.00 a weekend....
Nice present from our beloved Governor!!! |
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Location: Byron, IL | Wow...that is a lot...
Luckily, I am not too far from the border and I usually take the backroads to 90 where I get on after the last Toll Plaza at South Beloit...it takes a bit longer, but I would always do that to avoid the backups that the toll plaza usually gets...Now, I have more reason to keep my backroad route...
The Toll increase overall is insane. I Pass users did not get the increase...How much you want to bet that they will increase the tolls to I Pass users next year?
Edited by Tom K 2/24/2005 4:37 PM
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| Those rates are for I-Pass users... That's the joke... It's the same rate for everybody once you hook up a trailer.... |
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Location: Chicago IL. | Can you say I-Pass. I put more of the blame on the tollway authority. I`m not saying blago is a saint in this matter,but he dont deserve the entire blame. The money has to come from somewhere. Would raiseing taxes be better? |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | hgmeyer,
I'm having a hard time with your explanation of the prices. Are you saying the price with an I-Pass per toll area is $4.00 or $11.25?
What are the alternatives? Alot of us will be traveling through Illinois on our way Bull Shoals, Lake Cumberland, Saginaw Bay, etc.....is there an alternative? |
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Location: Byron, IL | Here is the Tollway Link with all the prices...
http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=53,35497,53_3552...
I am now confused with HG's post as well... $11.85 total from South Beloit to Chicago??
At any rate, depending where you are coming from, I can provide alternate routes that are efficient... |
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Location: Chicago IL. | Thanks Tom. I was looking up the page as you posted it. YES there are alt routes to take if you dont want to pay the tolls. Trucks do 90% of damage to the roads. NO ONE says you have to drive on them. Look at the tolls across the cuontry and you will see compairable rates. If you think it`s bad here,drive in NY. or FL. In FL this last december ,I got lost around Tampa and it cost me 10.00 in tolls to get to a turnaround and 10.00 back. It would be 1/2 if I had there sunpass. |
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Location: Kaukauna WI | Jerry
I went through the IL Toll way and bought a I Pass it took 4 weeks to get and you get up to 30 dollars of tolls to use and it is good for as long as you need it. This to me was the cheapest way around the higher rates. If I understand the system right you only pay higher rate if you pay cash.
Call me and I will assit you in getting one if need be.
http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=53,35497,53_3552...
Sorry Tom I was writing this when you posted
Edited by irishwebs 2/24/2005 5:47 PM
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Location: Northern Illinois | Irish, thats what HG is saying...............IF you pull a trailer, regardless of I-Pass, your rate goes up disportionately. This is a surprise to me and I live here! I will check my I-Pass when I run the tollroads with my rig this weekend and report back. |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | I'll try and be more precise... First, under the old rate structure it would have been $3 or $4. Now, regardless of wheteher you have an I-pass or not... You are a medium truck... Thus the $11.85 IS everybody's rate... It is true that there is a $0.50 reduction for off peak hours... But I don't wait till 2:00 AM to drive back from LaCrosse... Even if you consider that as the rate ($9.75)... It's still a 250% increase...
We were told that if we had an I-pass we wouldn't get a rate increase... Well that was political BS. We just got reclassified, and that rate increased...
And, yes, this entire scheme was proposed by the Governor's office.. It was adopted by the Toll Authority, a board he appoints... So, it is Blago's tax increase to us boaters.. I mean come on... From $4.00 to almost $12.00... That's about a 300% increase, a tax no one that we vote for votes for or against...
Here's the tollway (or should we just call it the Taxway) website, confusing as it is...
Here's what you are... a "Medium Truck"... I quote..."Medium Truck
3 & 4 axles; trucks, buses, auto with 1-2 axle trailers"
A pickup is an "Auto"
Website for tolls....
http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=53,35497,53_3552... |
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Location: Kaukauna WI | Mike
When I went through last week and talked with a guy at a toll both he told me that rate be cheaper if you get the ipass and higher if you dont have it. So I got the unit i did so at Jewel but was told it takes 4 weeks through mail. I see were you both are comming from now and it is a shame of polotics screw the guy that is trying to have fun.
Edited by irishwebs 2/24/2005 7:58 PM
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Location: Byron, IL | They also sell I Pass in select locations if anyone is interested...Jewel/Osco carries them and are available in Kenosha if anyone is near there...Sure beats waiting 4 weeks...
I would volunteer to pick up some units, but they ask for info when purchasing...
To be honest, I Pass is a convienient thing to have, whether the prices get jacked up or not...
Again, if anything is interested in alternate routes, I will be happy to help... |
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Location: Northern Illinois | Lets face it...some of the details where excluded or buried in the fine print. What a shame. Anyway, with the huge number of trucks that run the roads in and around Chicago and East-West across Illinois, plus all the car traffic, the extensive repairs are quite costly. On a brighter note, I have heard and have read that Gov Blago may re-instate all the DNR folks that already had been let go. |
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Location: Neenah, WI | Is this on I-294 only or is it statewide? I'm wondering about I-39 going to Spring Valley from WI.
Jerry, If you are not going through Chicago at peak traffic times take I-94 through the city. It can be nervewracking in heavy traffic but you can miss the tollway altogether that way. |
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Location: Byron, IL | Dale - 2/25/2005 5:03 AM
Is this on I-294 only or is it statewide? I'm wondering about I-39 going to Spring Valley from WI.
It is on all the Tollways...I 90, I 294, I88, etc...
I 39 is not a tollway so you will be fine there...If you are coming from Wisconsin via I90, than you will have one toll to pay and that will be at South Beloit...ot take the backroads to avoid the plaza... |
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Location: Chicago IL. | Greg.Before you comment on the govs bashing look before you leap. The IL tollway system is NOT FUNDED by state or federal money. Also the state gets NO money from tolls collected. |
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| Jerry,
I haven't looked at a map to see for certain, but for you to go to Saginaw Bay, wouldn't it be about the same distance if you went over the top, and skip all the tolls and traffic you run into going thru Chicago, Gary, and then up past Detroit?
I know for sure it is a lot prettier country to drive thru! |
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Location: Kaukauna WI | Yes its 9 hours thur Chicago and 8 around the top only problem with over the top is Deer at night Jack. |
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| Oh, I've seen them. Drove from Sag Bay to Manistique last spring. Crossed the bridge at sunset.
Don't know which was worse, avoiding the deer, or dealing with the muscle cramps in my butt from crossing that bridge with wind advisories. And whats up with those life rings on the bridge? I mean, your a half mile up in the air, aint no way!!! |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | Okay... here's the "story" as I know, some opinion and some speculation. One, for however many years that we have had the tollway system a car or truck towing a boat, travel trailer, utility trailer... etc... was charged a baic toll (last 40 cents) and 1/2 of the baic toll for each axle(last 20 cents. Two, the fee increase was planned designed and proposed by staff in the Governors office... (that's right from my son's employer, a State Senator)... it was then "given" to the Tollway Board and they passed it. So, the increase and structure was the Gov's... Three, sure the money has to come from somewhere... And, that somewhere out to be some "equitable" allocation.... Let's look... a car with an I pass gets no increase... a car towing a boat gets a 250-300% increase... Trucks get something like a 200% increase... Sorry, that's not an equitable split in my opinion...
My pickup and trailer are not even a fair comparison to a truck... 4000 lb truck.... 2000 lb boat on three axles... 2000 lbs per axle.... A semi.... 74,000 lbs on 5 axles... about 14,000 lbs per axle... So, it's not because I am tearing up the roads...
How do you feel about the extra 75 cents per pack on cigarettes...
But, aside from that, the argument about who ought to pay what... The facts are towing your boat under the Gov's plan is going to cost more....
That's two strikes, at least, the DNR cuts and now this... This guy is no friend of ours....
Edited by hgmeyer 2/25/2005 11:09 AM
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | It is 4 miles difference. I was using Saginaw Bay as an example. It's 468 miles up and over, 464 miles down and around. It's a no-brainer.....up and over. No Milwaukee, no Chicago, no lower MI or upper Indiana versus U.P. MI scenery. Last time I went up and over and it took me 7.5 hours to get to Saginaw. |
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| jERRY,
How about taing the ferry to Ludington or Muskegon, I think it's like 100 bucks or so bot I'd be willing to bet it would save that much in fuel.
Rob |
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Location: Northern Illinois | If your in Wisc and trying to go East to Saginaw, ( even Erie??), I would strongly urge across the top. Jerry seems to have done it. Forgetting the tolls, the congestion in South Chicago and Indiana can be a real time killer. I am not sure about the Chicago Skyway, connecting into Indiana, that may be more traffic friendly. But you have to go thru the LOOP to get to the Skyway, again, lots of traffic. |
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Location: Chicago IL. | Greg,Take a darn calm pill. I wonder if you son worked for the other party if your veiws would be different. They must have been because you didnt bitch when 1/2 of the last govs staff went to jail for stealing money. Plus there boss is not far behind. Dont take the tollway and you will save alot of money. Plus there will be only minor dnr cuts. Most were rehired or did you forget to read that part. Never were there any DNR officers jobs in jepordy, it was park employees. |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | Hey at least all the Republicans will have to walk to jail... The Dems that are going are all gonna ride in their trucks...(Another handful of city employees and contractors were indicted today)...LOL My complaint is not with the party, one or the other... It is with the impact that this administartuion is having on my recreational resources and now my pocketbook... If they are rehiring DNR staff, great... Just so the rehires are field staff and not more appointees and administrators... We need the hatchery reopened... And, we need those maintenance and field staff at the parks... Deferred maintenance becomes a bigger headache later... |
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| Just another reason why I do not head South, that really sucks! I guess my time will be spent going North. |
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Location: Chicago IL. | I`m throwing up the white flag on this subject. After a call to the tollway yesterday.I was informed that if you use your ipass with a trailer to make sure you go thru the MANUAL LANES ONLY. If you go thru the drivethru you are in voliation with your trailer. Your transponder is set up for a car,,, not a trailer and car. Unless you set it up for a trailer and a car first. The problem is if you dont have your trailer on and go thru you will be charged as a car and trailer. The BEST bet is to go thru the manual lanes to be sure you are charged correctly and avoid a fine later. |
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| I have a question...now that we are considered a medium truck, which is usually a "business vehicle" can the cost of tolls be wrote off on your taxes. What I am trying to say is most of the trucks that were charged the higher amounts were used for businesses and the business can write off tolls as a business expense, so now the weekend crowd gets to take it in the......... |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | Taildancer... Jusr remember this "gift" come November of '06 when we get to pick a new Governor... I'm looking for the "Anybody but Blago" choice... |
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| I'm with you shadman! The ONLY reason to go south is if your on a plane to Cabo!
Good Luck
Tyee |
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| GGeeee!!! I tell you This is so upsetting!!! Every time you turnaround, there is a cost encrease to the pocket book.. Between Mayor Daily and Gov Blow a vich, you will have to spend your fishing time setting in your boat in the garage. Maybe I could get my wife to pull my fishing line around the yard? I tell you guys and as you all know, the ramp fees have been going up along with the fuel costs, Its a $100.00 weekend just to go fishing. Thats crazy!!! Start writing to the Gov and the Mayor and the Newpapers. Walleye Mike your a writer whats the best way to get the word out!!! Let us have access to the lakes (ITS OUR RIGHT) and lets get the ramps in some kind of working order for everyone. |
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| Drove home (south east MI) from Rockford the other day and was really thinking about this and came up with when I go home to Wisconsin (kenosha) I will have to rely on my buddies bout and when he comes here he will have to rely on mine. When I got home I told my wife about this and she came up with this. If we take I-94 through down town and Hwy-41 north out of down town we will avoid the tolls. Yes it is longer and maybe a fight or two between us along the way  but I will go for it. You have to love a wife that figures out a way for her husband to take his boat. |
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Big Illinois Tollway Surprise for Boaters