Major Rate Hike Coming Soon To Illinois Tollways

Lawmakers in Springfield have officially passed a new mass transit bill.

Early on Friday morning, Illinois lawmakers passed a $1.5 billion transit funding bill for public transportation agencies, according to NBC Chicago.

The bill passed without some of the more controversial features: a statewide tax on streaming services, a $5-per-ticket concert, and more speeding cameras in the Chicagoland suburbs.

However, it's still likely to raise sales tax in and around Chicago and the new measure is going to cost more for Illinois Tollway drivers.

How Much The Illinois Tollway Will Cost

In order to make up for the funding that's pulled from road work, the bill raises tolls on the Illinois Tollway by $0.45. Currently, a trip to O'Hare on the Tollway will run about $0.70. Now, it will be $1.20.

The bill's goal was to avoid the doomsday "fiscal cliff" and the $771 million hole the Regional Transit Authority had been warning about for quite a while.

The bill is now headed to Governor Pritzker's desk to await signature. If he signs it, it will take effect on June 1st, 2026.

Supporters argue that the new tollway fares could make as much as $1 billion annually for the roads. Those opposed say that the new fares would actually divert money meant to be used for road projects near them and instead go towards Chicagoland transit needs.

As for the sales tax increase part of the bill, the bill raises the already existing sales tax for Chicagoland counties (Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Will) by 0.25 percentage points.