The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority’s plan to double truck tolls is hitting roadblocks.

The agency has proposed raising tolls 80 percent for cars and 100 percent for commercial vehicles. The authority says the money is needed for repairs to the system, which has not raised fees since 1983.
Gov. George Ryan last week blasted the proposal, and the state legislature is close to passing a bill that will put a moratorium on toll hikes until June 2003.
Ryan said he would lobby members of the toll authority to vote down the proposal, saying, “Customers would be asked to pay significantly more money for tolls just to maintain the status quo.”
The Illinois Senate last week voted to keep toll rates the same until June 2003. The bill also would require the toll authority to submit a 20-year plan to the General Assembly and restructure its public hearings so they are more accessible. The bill is now under consideration by the state House of Representatives.