Illinois IPASS $107.50 to travel Illinois Downers Grove Illinois

On 1/5/17, I took a short trip down to see my family in lower Michigan from Florence, WI. I am use to traveling the Makinaw bridge normally when I go back to Michigan to visit family. I am scared to death of heights and the trip across is always white knuckled, so I thought I would try going through Illinois to avoid my fear of heights dilemma. Are there tolls to cross the bridge? Absolutely, and guess what, the toll isn't inobscure, ambiguous, nor a hazard to driver's safety! It is clearly marked and at a sole port of entry. I have traveled most of the states in the nation, and I would like to say all of them possess the same driver lane utilization, that the throughfare traffic flows in the far left 2 lanes for a safe, efficient commute.

Not only that, but the signs in the thruway didn't correlate with the information on the toll booth! I am a 51 year old well educated, grown woman with a clean driving record for 15 years now. I have never missed a toll fee in my 35 years of driving. Driving thru Illinois was a horrible experience, driving their 8 lane or so highway. The locals do about 80 mph and will run your butt right off the road if you're not paying attention. I want to re-interate that statement. When your driving from out of state and have many freeways looping under, through and across one another, you need to be paying attention to the signs, lanes and other drivers at all times to prevent an accident and as to not end up on a mistaked destination. 

I printed out a google map to route my trip. There were stated tolls included on my map, so I made sure I had $20 in cash for toll fees on my trip. While driving through, there must be about 50 exits across the state. There was signage of all sorts. IPASS clients here, another read something like test lane, no tolls needed, another said debit clients here, auto tolls here, trucks here, I think there was even dollar signs posted somewhere. Chaching, chaching, chaching. On my way there and back, I kept scratching my head wishing that their signage made some kind of sense to the drivers of America.

On my way back, it was no less confusing. And in fact, the 3 tolls I had stopped to pay at, were on the last second whim, and I had to cut over 4 lanes to get across to pay the toll-each time, I am amazed I didn't cause a major pile up and end up dead in an accident! The last toll I paid, I told the gentleman at the booth, I wasn't for sure where I had to stop and pay tolls. He just said, I was almost at the Wisconsin border now. What a nightmare!

On March 9th, 2017, I received a notice of toll violation for 5 supposed tolls I had missed. Each one was listed as to of where I missed the toll. Each toll had a charge of $1.50. Then beside the toll, there was an added on $20 fine for each. It goes on to state that negligence will get additional fines and fees assessed, meaning they are only going to s****.>

They also gave information on how to go about disputing the violation and on requesting a hearing. So I attempted to call the number given to dispute the missed tolls and request a hearing. Not only did I try to call the main line, but also the Tllway Authority. Both numbers had connected me to their automated phone system, but guess what, when I pushed the number I needed to be connected to, neither number would transfer me over. So I attempted to access their website. The website is worse. Navigation is a joke and it is quite ambiguous as well. A case in fact...Once you figure out where to try to pull up the notice #, it requests the date of the violation. I entered the date of the violation. Nothing came up.

Then I decided to pull up the date of notice, March 7, 2017-Bingo, there it was. I found this link through the pay within 7 days link. This is also ambiguous in the aspect that it doesn't specify 7 days from the date of the so-called violation or the date from which the notice was billed. So when I clicked on the violation listed, $1.50 was the fee shown-no $20 fine added. So I selected all of the 5 toll fees and paid them online, which were 2 days from the date on the notification. Normally when you are sent a bill in any circumstance, you are given a set amount of time to pay such bill before the entity starts to accrue interest and fees.

Afterwards, I wanted to make sure I was in the clear of these missed tolls and went on to submit an email stating my frustration about their confusing and proposterous system, that I had by no means even known I had past a toll required and that I paid my tolls within their 7 day deadline and that I had tried requesting a hearing at no prevail and if there was a problem to contact me. So, 3 weeks later, I get a response back from my email stating once I get a notice, I cannot only pay for the tolls billed! And to contact them at the number listed to address my violations! Unbelievable! So I called...and the number even worked. I scheduled a hearing and now am waiting for the letter I need to respond to before my hearing. I was told though, if I didn't receive the letter by April 7th, 2017 to call. My hearing is scheduled for April 18th, 2017.

Since notification of this situation, I have read pages and pages of dismay in regards to the major problem in their toll system, but I want to say, half are from the residents of Illinois. Even the residents that have the state electronic hardware installed in their autos are malfunctioned and do not work properly, charging them astranomical bogus fees and fines. After this horrible experience, I will never, ever travel Illinois again! 

It doesn't need to be this difficult. Their IPASS is out of control and there aren't any regulations in place to properly enforce it. I have a perfect solution to the problem. Charge all out of state travelors a flat fee upon entry into the state, and charge all residents a flat yearly fee such as they do in a mileage until the costs are captured for their highway of hell. So did you know it costs $107.50 to tral Illinois?  Well you do now, and a word of advice, whatever you do, avoid Illinois!