Good News, Bad News from the Tollway: Free Holiday Coffee, Big Rate Hike Jan. 1
Late-night travelers can get a free cup of java at the Tollway Oases on Christmas and New Year's Eve. New toll rates kick in at midnight on Jan. 1.
The Illinois Tollway, McDonald's and 7-Eleven will provide customers with a free small cup of coffee on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at each of the seven Oases, to help keep drivers safe and alert while traveling, the Tollway announced in a press release.
Motorists were also reminded that the Tollway's rate hike for cars goes into effect at midnight on Jan. 1, to fund the Tollway's new capital program.
Rates vary by road, plaza and ramp. The current average toll rate on the Illinois Tollway is 3 cents per mile (for passenger vehicles with an I-PASS). The increase will raise that to 6 cents per mile, according to the Tollway's website.
The typical rate for a passenger vehicle at a manned toll plaza is 40 cents with an I-PASS and 80 cents when paying cash. At midnight on Jan. 1, that typical rate will rise to 75 cents with an I-PASS and $1.50 for cash, according to the Tollway's website. I-PASS customers will continue to pay 50 percent less than those who pay with cash.
For a free late-night holiday cup of coffee, oases locations include:
Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90)
- Des Plaines Oasis
- Belvidere Oasis
Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80)
- Lake Forest Oasis
- O'Hare Oasis
- Hinsdale Oasis
- Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis
Reagan Memorial Tollway
- DeKalb Oasis
To accommodate increased holiday travel, the Tollway will suspend all temporary maintenance and construction lane closures from noon on Friday, Dec. 23, until 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 26, and from noon on Friday, Dec. 30, until 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 2. Some work may continue behind barriers to keep projects on schedule, but this will not impact traffic, the Tollway said.
Mike Sandrolini
1:51 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
I'm guessing none of the Tollway Board members who voted for the increase will be at any of the Tollway Oases to help serve coffee. It's probably not part of their attend-one-meeting-per-month-for-$31K-per-year job description.
Ray
2:54 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
On a side note, the Illinois Tollway Authority will put up temporary toll baskets at Oasis on and off ramps. It will cost only 40 cents to exit to an Oasis and 40 cents to merge back onto the tollway.
Robert Bykowski
2:58 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Ray, it will also cost you 20 cents each time you use the word "tollway", so watch out!
Jim McMahon
7:41 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
People don't realize how much this will cost them until their credit cards get hit for the $40.00 auto replenish twice as fast....plus the 2% state income tax increase.
This is going to be ugly.
Kent Frederick
11:12 pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
What will be interesting is whether the increase cuts down on traffic. Obviously, if someone is driving from Downers Grove to Milwaukee, he isn't going to drive secondary highways until he gets to the state line.
On the other hand, if someone needs to get from Downers Grove to Wheaton, he could just take Warrenville Road or Roosevelt Road and save the tolls needed to drive I-88.
I sometimes hop on I-355 to go from 63rd St to Ogden Ave. or to Boughton Rd, because it's quicker than dealing with stop lights on Belmont or Woodward. That ends on the 31st.