Under pressure, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is slowing down action on its proposed toll hike.

After a grilling by the state Senate Transportation Committee, tollway officials last week agreed to hold additional public hearings on the hike that some feared would be pushed through at a meeting this month.
The authority scheduled a series of public hearings for April 17, but critics felt that wasn’t enough time. Several lawmakers have introduced bills that would strip the authority of its autonomy and/or delay toll hikes. Additional hearings will now follow the April 17 meetings.
According to published reports, truck tolls under the proposal would soar from $1.25 to $2.50. The toll authority says an increase is long overdue. This increase would be the first in almost 20 years and only the third toll increase in the Illinois Tollway's 44-year history, say tollway officials, and the highways can’t wait much longer for needed repairs and improvements. (See ”Illinois Proposes Higher Tolls,” 4/4/2002.)