toll hike

In a 7 to 1 vote the board of the Illinois Tollway has set in process an increase in the basic commuter electronic toll from 40c to 75c. Cash tolls for cars will go from 80c to $1.50. Truck tolls will rise 60% in 2015 and be indexed. The higher toll rates are what the Tollway says is needed to support some $12 billion of improvements to the area's interstate tollways to be made over 15 years 2012 to 2026.

Central Texas RMA are increasing tolls 15% at their Park Street mainline toll point Jan 1. Transponder or TxTag tolls rise from $1.35 to $1.55 while camera-based tolls for non-transponder equipped vehicles - Pay By Mail they call it there - goes from $1.80 to $2.07.

Pennsylvania Turnpike toll rates are set to rise 3% after midnight on Sunday Jan 3. The increase announced a year ago is in line with the Turnpike Commission's obligations to support non-toll transportation around the state under July 2007's state Act 44.

The most common cash tolls for cars go from 95c to $1 and for class 5 trucks go from $7.85 to $8.10.

Dulles Toll Road (DTR) toll rates will be nearly doubled by 2012 under a plan being considered by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) who want to use tolls and toll revenue bonds to finance just over half the cost of a 5.26b metro-rail line.

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board has backed away from a toll increase again, this time on the basis that the Governor and legislative leaders will hike the gas tax, and provide up to $100m/year to support its disastrous Big Dig debt. They voted 3/2 not to proceed with toll increases approved and scheduled for next Saturday (Mar 29).

Washington state transportation commissioners have voted provisionally to increase electronic toll rates at the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for cars from $2.75 to $3.25, or 18%, effective July 1. Cash toll rates will remain at $4.00. To take effect a second meeting of the commission scheduled for April 22 has to vote to confirm the hike following a period for public comment.