HOT & Green Proposal For Illinois Tollway

What do you get when you designate a carpool lane on a toll road for hybrids and carpoolers? A 'green' lane, say Illinois planners. However, they still pay the toll. Now add a "HOT lane overlay" to it - solo drivers can use it for a 'premium'.

October 17, 2008, 11am PDT | Irvin Dawid

Illinois "Gov. Blagojevich will announce a plan today (Oct. 15) to allow people who carpool or drive hybrids to use specially designated express (or 'green') lanes on Illinois tollways", plus new highway interchanges.

'This would be an important tool for congestion relief,' said Joseph Schwieterman, DePaul University transportation expert. 'It's inexplicable why our region hasn't tried these techniques before.'

"The Illinois proposal appears to capitalize on a new twist in carpool lanes, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that allow solo drivers to use the lanes -- if they pay more.

In the proposed Green Lanes, solo drivers would be charged a yet-to-be-disclosed premium rate above the existing cost of a toll for the right to use the lane. But cars with at least two people inside -- as well as buses, hybrids and electric or fuel cell vehicles -- would pay the current I-Pass rate."

Thanks to Evan Craig

Full Story:

Blagojevich wants to establish 'free-flow' toll lane TOLLWAYS | Gov wants to set aside ‘free-flow’ lane

Published on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 in Chicago Sun-Times