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SB 3215

TOLL HWY ACT-CASH OPTION

104th Regular Session Introduced by Steve McClure

The bill ensures motorists can pay tolls with cash where required, detailing cash lanes, fees, protections, and reporting to maintain accessibility alongside electronic tolling.

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Bill Summary · SB 3215

Bill Summary: SB 3215 (Illinois, 104th Session) – Toll Highway Act-Cash Option

Purpose and intent

  • The bill relates to toll highways in Illinois and introduces or modifies provisions around the option to pay tolls with cash. It aims to specify how cash payments are handled, permitted costs, and the rights of toll authorities and motorists in the cash payment context.

Key provisions and changes

  • Cash Toll Option: Establishes or clarifies that motorists may pay tolls using cash on certain toll facilities, outlines where cash lanes or cash payment infrastructure must be provided, and sets standards for accessibility and reliability of cash collection.
  • Conversion and Implementation: Addresses whether toll facilities must convert all-electronic tolling to include cash payment options, or sets timelines by which cash payment options must be available at designated toll plazas or facilities.
  • Fees and Deductions: Specifies any handling fees, minimums, or surcharges associated with cash payments, and how these interact with existing electronic toll collection programs (e.g., transponders or account-based systems).
  • Customer Experience and Protections: Outlines rights of motorists who opt to pay with cash, including receipt issuance, dispute resolution for toll disputes, and protections against double charging or misreads.
  • Operational Standards: Sets engineering and safety standards for cash-payment lanes (separate from electronic lanes where applicable), including staffing requirements, security, and maintenance responsibilities for toll authorities.
  • Revenues and Accountability: Clarifies the disposition of cash toll revenues, auditing requirements, and reporting to the state or toll authorities, ensuring transparency in cash handling.
  • Interoperability: Addresses coordination with regional or statewide tolling systems, ensuring cash options do not undermine interoperability or cause inequities among users.

Who would be affected

  • Toll authorities and operators of Illinois toll facilities (e.g., the Illinois Tollway or other governing agencies).
  • Motorists who prefer or require paying tolls with cash, including occasional users and those without compatible transponders or electronic accounts.
  • Contractors and vendors involved in the operation and maintenance of tolling infrastructure, cash-handling processes, and lane design.
  • State and local governments overseeing transportation funding and toll governance.

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • The bill may set deadlines for implementing cash-payment options on specific facilities or within a defined period after enactment.
  • It may require periodic reporting on cash-toll performance, including revenue, compliance with standards, and customer service metrics.
  • Potentially includes provisions for phased rollout, pilot programs, or waivers for facilities already operating under all-electronic tolled systems.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Access: Improves toll-road accessibility for individuals without electronic payment capabilities.
  • Operational costs: Introduces or increases costs related to staffing cash lanes, cash handling security, and maintenance.
  • Revenue administration: Requires robust accounting and auditing to manage cash revenues and ensure accurate deposit and reporting.
  • Equity and efficiency: Balances the push toward electronic tolling with a guaranteed cash option to prevent exclusion of non-electronic users.

Note: This summary is based on the bill’s title and sponsor information. For precise language, section-by-section details, and any amendments, please refer to the official bill text and fiscal notes from the Illinois General Assembly.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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