Money can’t buy me love.
But it can buy just about everything else.
I was reminded of this as I was reading about the Illinois Department of Transportation’s plan to create toll lanes as part of the mammoth reconstruction of the Eisenhower Expressway.
IDOT wants to add a fourth lane in either direction on the Ike between Mannheim Road and Austin Boulevard. The two center lanes, between Interstate 88 and Racine Avenue, would become what IDOT calls Hot3+ lanes, which would allow car pool vehicles and buses to ride free.
Other commuters could take a ride in the Hot3+ lane but would be charged a toll. The other traffic lanes would be free to all drivers.
The goal of these Hot 3+ lanes, apparently, is to have a lane in each direction on the Ike that would reliably move at 45 mph, so all important executives can rely on how long the commute will take and so they won’t miss that big meeting.
Or, the lanes merely would be for the increasingly antsy driver who has to get there as fast as possible.
What would the toll be for these Hot 3+ lanes?
IDOT estimates the toll could be 12 cents to 25 cents per mile, depending on the time of day.
How would the tolls be charged? Not decided yet. But it most likely would involve transponders and other electronics I don’t understand.
I can’t think of anything wrong with the idea of toll lanes. And yet. Yet …
It just seems that the world stays awake all night trying to figure out ways to charge for something that used to be free. Airplane luggage used to be free. Personal banking used to be free. Education used to be free. Now there are charter schools.
I know, I know, toll roads have existed since the creation of roads. And 12 to 25 cents a mile is not a lot of money.
But, there always is an underlying assumption to these small add-on fees that they’re merely a matter of choice. If you want to pay the toll, pay it. If you don’t want to pay it, don’t.
But, paying fees is not always just a matter of choice. For many people, money is scarce. And paying a new fee or toll is not volitional. They can’t afford it. And because they can’t afford a fee or toll, they can’t receive the benefit received by those who can afford to pay.
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So, yes, I guess it does bother me that drivers who can’t afford the toll will sit in traffic on the Ike as the more affluent commuters zip along at 45 mph in the Hot 3+ lane.
Paul Sassone is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.