 | 09/25/2008 Illinois Tollway Executive Director Brian McPartlin Announces Plans To Move To Private Sector
Agency Now on Solid Footing; Major Congestion-Relief Program Projects Nearly Complete
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. –Illinois Tollway Executive Director Brian McPartlin announced today that he will be leaving the agency on October 24 to take a position in the private sector. McPartlin joined the Tollway in 2003 as Chief of Administration, was named Executive Director in 2006.
In 2003, McPartlin joined the new administration to lead an effort to increase accountability, enhance business efficiencies and improve customer service at the Tollway. By 2004, improvements at the Tollway were acknowledged by editorial boards, legislators and even former critics, and with the support of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich the Tollway adopted its long-range capital program - Open Roads for a Faster Future - to rebuild the nearly 50-year-old Tollway System and reduce travel times for motorists. With this new direction, in 2005 the Tollway launched its Congestion-Relief Program with the goal of rebuilding/restoring the majority of the system, widening/adding lanes where most needed, converting 20 mainline toll plazas to barrier-free Open Road Tolling, and extending I-355 south to I-80 in Will County.
Since then, under McPartlin’s leadership the capital program has been updated to include $6.3 billion in work through 2016 and the Illinois Tollway completed the systemwide conversion to Open Road Tolling in 2006, opened the new 12.5-mile south extension of the I-355 Veterans Memorial Tollway in 2007, and is midway through rebuilding/widening of the system, including the majority of the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80), the eastern leg of the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) and the northern end of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90). The Congestion-Relief Program is on schedule and on budget.
“Due to the hard work of Tollway staff and the leadership of the Governor, the majority of improvements promised in the Congestion-Relief Program are either complete or will be within the next year,” said McPartlin. “I am leaving the Tollway at a time when the agency is on solid footing and the existing system of roadways will be restored to serve Northern Illinois for another 50 years. I am confident that we have built a team to complete the program and take on whatever new challenges come.”
Central to the Tollway’s congestion-relief efforts is the use of I-PASS electronic toll collection and the completion of Open Road Tolling on time and budget. When the Congestion-Relief Program was approved in 2004, I-PASS usage was at 54 percent. Now the replacement of outdated, barrier-style toll plazas systemwide, with Open Road Tolling offers drivers highway speed, non-stop toll collection, and has increased I-PASS usage to more than 80 percent with approximately 3.4 million transponders in use.
“Brian’s leadership was instrumental in keeping Congestion-Relief Program on schedule and on budget, and I am confident we can keep the momentum going,” said Chairman John Mitola. “It was an honor to work with Brian, who brought a new level of customer service and responsive government to the Illinois Tollway. I congratulate Brian on a job well done and wish him the best in his new position.”
McPartlin is joining McDonough Associates engineering/architectural firm as a vice president. Before joining the Illinois Tollway, McPartlin served as the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Regional Representative, the Regional office of the General Services Administration, and in the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Before his service at the White House, McPartlin served in an array of other positions in Illinois state government, among them: the Office of the Cook County Assessor, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80). Tollway customers save time and money with I-PASS electronic toll collection - Get I-PASS & Get Going!
| |