The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority board has unanimously approved a measure to allow I-Pass holders to use their transponders at E-ZPass tollbooths in nearly a dozen Eastern states.
The tollway authority agreed to join the 10-year-old E-ZPass Interagency Group and pay the consortium $250,000 in initiation fees and $47,000 in dues, according to the Chicago Tribune.
It will reportedly take about a year to implement the plan, and Illinois will spend about $2 million on one-time costs, such as administrative tasks, software and signs. Joining E-ZPass will make Illinois eligible for discounted transponders, which will help the state recoup its costs.
Once the system is set up, drivers will have to stop at tollbooths in only two states between Chicago and the East Coast.
I-Pass use now makes up 48% of the tollway authority’s toll revenue. During rush hour 52.5% of all Illinois tolls are collected via I-Pass. There are a total of 1.2 million I-Pass transponders in use.
