Tollway speeders - even troopers

Today was a rare day that I ventured out of my way to drive on the Illinois Tollway from Huntley to the east. Normally, my thoughts are, "Why should I risk my life and have to pay for the privilege of doing so?"

As soon as I entered I-90 from Highway 47, I was aware of traffic traveling above the posted 65MPH speed limit. It wasn't too bad, though; drivers seemed to be only about 10-over.

But then I got to Randall Road, where the speed limit drops. The Tollway might as well have saved its money and skipped putting up the 55MPH sign. Well, they did save a little money, because they only put a speed limit sign on the right shoulder. On the inside shoulder, too, might have been nice.

And then it started to get really crazy at the Highway 31 toll plaza and the Highway 31 interchange. As I drove under that beautiful $15,000 sign which used to have Blago's name on it (now, how is it that the Tollway was ready to install new signs the day after he was kicked out of office?), traffic was tearing past me in the 55MPH zone.

By the time I got to Highway 25 I was dialing the State Police to report speeders. It doesn't do any good, since they don't seem to have any troopers on the road to write tickets, but I do my small part and call, anyway. Maybe, if enough drivers call often to complain, the State Police will actually put the squeeze on enough speeders to get the outrageous speeding under control.

And, while I was talking to a Master Sergeant who answered for the District Commander, an unmarked State trooper blew by in the inside lane, running about 70 in the 55 zone. Not chasing anyone, mind you. Just driving down the road, heading east.

When I mentioned to the Master Sergeant that the trooper was hogging the left lane, she explained that law enforcement isn't bound by the new law that says you need to stay out of the left lane. I looked up the law, and she was right! But should a trooper, just driving on the highway (speeding, at that), be allowed to violate a law that the rest of us are supposed to observe?

If he is "performing his duties" (pursuing a speeder, catching up to pace a speeder, etc.), yes, sure, fine; hog the left lane and speed. Of course, there was no one on his bumper, trying to pass him. But I've seen that before. (When that happens in Virginia, the trooper determines the speed of the violator behind him and then pulls him over!)

I happen to be a stickler on traffic laws and believe that troopers (and deputies and police officers) should obey all traffic laws when they are not using emergency lights and siren. And even then, they must obey traffic laws (although they are permitted to (safely) exceed speed limits and stop signs and red lights); "safely" is the keyword here.

But when a trooper is heading down the road to a car with a flat tire or going for lunch or coffee, then he must obey the posted speed limit. The State Police Director apparently doesn't require this. I have inquired several times and have never received a reply from him. Troopers routinely shorten their response times by speeding, and that is not okay with me.

If I wish to shorten my response (commuting) time by speeding, that will one day be a costly choice. It should be the same for troopers.

But what cop is going to write another cop a ticket? Is one trooper going to write another trooper a speeding ticket? Is a trooper going to write a speeding ticket to a Cook County deputy? Or to a local cop? I doubt it.

One day, if and when police officers, deputies and troopers begin obeying all speed limits, then the public might just begin slowing down. What if a trooper drove at the posted speed limit on the Tollway? If a driver started to pass him, a short "whooop!" on the siren ought to bring immediate slowing. If it doesn't? Why, just write out an invitation for him to have a visit with a judge!

That'll be the day!

NO TOLLS, Inc. - Resuscitated

Did you receive the January 12th letter from NO TOLLS, Inc. (NTI)? This is the group that folded in 2004 because of lack of interest in getting rid of tolls on the Illinois Tollway. Remember the reason for the tolls in the first place? Probably not.

What happens is that bureaucracy grows, original plans are cast aside, and what started out as a good idea grew out of control.

Contrast this with what happened in the Denver area with the Denver-Boulder Turnpike. The DBT opened January 19, 1952. Traffic use ballooned beyond expectations. Original estimates were that the roadway would not pay for itself in 30 years but, on September 14, 1967, the DBT became a free highway! It was paid off 15 years early!

The NTI letter reminds readers of "another" big theft by a toll employee. And the 95% salary increases for some executives of the Tollway. And that in two years the director received a 58% increase in pay. Anyone else around here get a 58% pay raise?

And have you heard about the outrageous fines for those owing money to the Tollway. They aren't just outrageous. They should be unlawful. The Tollway exerts extraordinary pressure on people to pay up by imposing surreal escalation of fines over short periods of time.

And now there is strong suspicion of a new toll/tax road announcement. And of plans to create a "free-flow lane/car pool" plan. Will the Tollway designate an existing lane that we all pay for to be used by those willing to pay even more?

And be sure not to forget the $450,000 spent by the Tollway to proclaim indicted-Gov. Blago's name above the Open-Road Tolling lanes. Yes, that's right, $450,000 for 30 signs. $15,000 per sign. Those were your toll dollars - hard at work. Yeah, sure!!!

Get your Member Information form by emailing NO TOLLS, Inc. at notolls-illinois@mchsi.com Provide a fax number, so that the USPS can be avoided. Or maybe the organization will just email it to you as an attachment.

Stop Entering the Tollway

No, this is not a protest of the Illinois Tollway. This is not a suggestion that you should stop driving on the Tollway.

BUT, this is a reminder that when you are blasting along on the on-ramp or the off-ramp or approaching the manual I-Pass lane on the Tollway and are in a lane with a stop sign, you ARE required to stop.

See the stop sign? You'll recognize it; right? You've seen it somewhere before. Did you stop then? (Be honest now.... you almost stopped right? You meant to stop?)

Why do drivers whiz by these stop signs, just because they have the magic white box stuck on the windshield that is supposed to pay the toll? They think paying the toll excuses them from stopping. It doesn't.

Will stop-sign cameras be next? You know, the automated violation ticketing system.

On the Tollway the Stop sign still means s-t-o-p.

And the 15MPH speed limit sign overhead when you use the manual lane? With no notice that the speed limit drops sharply through the narrow toll lane (not the Open Road Tolling lanes). Who slows down to 15MPH???

Probably that 15MPH speed limit has no force of law, because there is no warning that the speed limit is reduced more than 10MPH from the posted Tollway speed limit and because the overhead signs are not regulatory speed limit signs. Perhaps they are just advisory signs.

If you do stop at the stop sign while your toll is being collected or even if you just slow down as you drive through the narrow chute in an automated lane, you might want to make a reservation at your local auto body repair shop. Be sure to watch your rearview mirror very carefully, because the clown behind you is not likely to stop or slow down enough.

Frankly speaking, it's pretty stupid to require drivers with I-Pass transponders to stop. Where is the time savings? And if drivers are paying cash tolls, they are going to have to stop, anyway, unless they have doggone good aim when they throw their coins at the basket.