 | 05/21/2009 Illinois Tollway Launches Education Campaign Reminding Summer Travelers to Take Care of Unpaid Tolls
Seven-Day Grace Period Allows Drivers Time to Pay Unpaid Tolls 24/7 at www.illinoistollway.com
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Traveling on the Illinois Tollway and accidentally end up with an unpaid toll? Pay now, don’t delay, and avoid the potential for a violation notice later. The summer travel season officially begins with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and the Illinois Tollway wants to remind cash-paying drivers that they have a seven-day grace period to make good on any unpaid tolls before they are recorded as a toll violation.
Drivers have seven days to log onto the Illinois Tollway site at www.illinoistollway.com and pay missed tolls with a credit card or debit card. Payments also are accepted in person at Tollway Customer Service Centers or via U.S. mail. Any unpaid tolls left unresolved following the grace period are processed as toll violations and a notice will be issued to the registered owner of the vehicle when three or more violations are recorded.
To help educated drivers about unpaid tolls, this month the Illinois Tollway will launch new roadway signage campaign, piloting several styles of new information signs throughout the Tollway system. Drivers will be encouraged to provide feedback to the Tollway via surveys on the Illinois Tollway Web site and eNewsletter. Driver input will be used to select the final sign design and logos that will be used on signage and communications systemwide. The launch of the new signage program is another step in the Illinois Tollway’s efforts to help drivers avoid toll violations in the event that they are mistakenly without coins or accidentally drive through an I-PASS lane.
“Updating roadway signage is an important customer service improvement that will make it easier for folks to clear up any mistakes quickly,” said Acting Executive Director Michael T. King. “Collecting tolls directly from customers and avoiding the violations process reduces aggravation to our customers and allows the Tollway to put those funds immediate to good use on roadway improvements.”
How it Works
Drivers have seven days to make payment on unpaid toll and are directed to the Tollway Web site at www.illinoistollway.com. The use of the unpaid toll payment system is restricted to isolated instances of accidental unpaid tolls. It is not to be used as a mode of regular payment.
Users are led through a series of screens asking for information including vehicle description, license plate information, as well as the location, date and time of the unpaid toll. The Web site also provides customers with the amount of toll due if they are unsure or have forgotten. Online payment can be made using a credit or debit card. Once the customer’s information has been entered and payment submitted, users are directed to a confirmation page that can be printed out for a record of their toll payments, or customers can opt to have confirmation sent via e-mail.
Other Tollway Online Resources
To help drivers determine what their tolls will be before they hit the road, the Illinois Tollway offers an easy-to-use “Toll Calculator” on its Web site to help motorists plan their trips. Drivers can receive a complete list of tolls on their route and the total amount of toll money needed for any given trip.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway maintains and operates 274 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 Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80). Tollway customers can save time and money with I-PASS electronic toll collection - Get I-PASS & Get Going!
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