Illinois Tollway Notes

[ilpt4u]

The interoperability will not change.  Theory here is ISTHA is the first of the agencies to go sticker as this might be the start of standardization where stickers win.

Does that mean other EZ-Pass agencies with stickers (thinking North Carolina) that the stickers will now work in EZ-Pass land? Before they had both a hard pack option for EZ-Pass interoperability

See nothing on the NC QuickPass website about changes to its sticker acceptance

I missed that Georgia's PeachPass had already joined EZ-Pass and uses stickers

[lstone19]

ISTHA has spoken  The agency has changed to stickers 😡

Those with I-PASS cartridge transponder can use them as long as they still work - but when they expire, you're stuck (pun intended). You won't be able to use them in rentals after are forced on to them just like with FL/GA, TX/OK/KS, CO and WA. 

I-PASS is still part of the E-ZPass network despite the change.

Regarding rentals, ISTHA says tickets will be free if ordered online. How many you can order at a time is unknown but if I can, I'll get a bunch and use them one-time in rentals. But that depends on what the rental companies do. If they mount stickers in their cars, then I'll shunpike (fortunately my Illinois use is such that I can generally shunpike) but that will preclude using transponders from other states. But considering how rental fleets move about the country, permanently mounted stickers in rental cars is a problem since a car might not be a local car (in the last few years, I've only rented from National and Hertz at O'Hare and I'd say the available cars (I'm in both of their programs where you pick your own car from a designated area) are always about 50% out-of-state).

[Rothman]

Stickers don't sound very transferable between vehicles.

[NWI_Irish96]

Stickers don't sound very transferable between vehicles.

Stick the sticker on your old, inoperable transponder and it is.

[oscar]

Stickers don't sound very transferable between vehicles.

Stick the sticker on your old, inoperable transponder and it is.

There's the old Scotch Tape trick, too. Of course, even if the toll agency is OK with a DIY sticker switch, you'd have to report the move so the license plate readers at toll plazas won't get confused if there's a sticker misread.

[Rothman]

Stickers don't sound very transferable between vehicles.

Stick the sticker on your old, inoperable transponder and it is.

There's the old Scotch Tape trick, too. Of course, even if the toll agency is OK with a DIY sticker switch, you'd have to report the move so the license plate readers at toll plazas won't get confused if there's a sticker misread.

All I'm saying is that I move my chunky E-ZPass between vehicles without any issue, whether or not I update my account with the license plates (rental companies and E-ZPass IAG recommend not doing so with rental cars).  If they switched to a sticker, it sounds like I'd lose that convenience.

[lstone19]

Stickers don't sound very transferable between vehicles.

Stick the sticker on your old, inoperable transponder and it is.

There's the old Scotch Tape trick, too. Of course, even if the toll agency is OK with a DIY sticker switch, you'd have to report the move so the license plate readers at toll plazas won't get confused if there's a sticker misread.

All I'm saying is that I move my chunky E-ZPass between vehicles without any issue, whether or not I update my account with the license plates (rental companies and E-ZPass IAG recommend not doing so with rental cars).  If they switched to a sticker, it sounds like I'd lose that convenience.

The latter is what I do. I have a suction cup mount so I don't need to put velcro strips each car. I have a 100% read rate with it.

For stickers, if possible, I'd get a lot, put one in a rental, and then pull it off and throw it away. But I'll deal with it when the time comes. I have an ISTHA transponder and a NYSTA transponder both good for a few years at this point.

[vdeane]

This sticker move also makes it harder to avoid transponder discrimination.  I know at least one person who has more than one E-ZPass to minimize the amount of out of state rates they have to deal with when traveling the northeast corridor.

[boilerup25]

Excuse the derailment of the existing topic, but I recently passed by the future I-90/I-490 interchange and saw some progress being made, and something a little interesting when it comes to signs, especially with ground-mounted I-490 signs:

I-90 WB to I-490 SB:


I-490 bridge:


Sign for I-490 SB from I-90 EB reversed until the road is open (excuse the poor quality):

Transcribed: TOLL SOUTH I-490 <-

Covered BGS for I-490 SB from I-90 EB:


This might be the first time I have seen a (partially) visible I-490 sign in Illinois. There are no I-490 signs on I-294 (no BGS's or pole mounted signs), and per Google Street View, the BGS indicating I-490 SB from future IL 390 EB is still missing the I-490 shield.



*This GSV dates to 2022.

I wonder what's with the arrow being mismatched and in the wrong direction for the TOLL SOUTH I-490 sign? I thought that arrow was supposed to be a white arrow on a blue background for an interstate, not a black arrow on a white background.

[edwaleni]

Go nuts.

https://www.amazon.com/QUIKSLOT-Business-Windshield-Vehicles-Mounting/dp/B0CQYYKDF6

[SSOWorld]

not likely.  Good luck with them toll violations

[ET21]

New signage is up on SB 294 between Grand Ave and North Ave for the future County Line Rd exit

[CtrlAltDel]

Go nuts.

https://www.amazon.com/QUIKSLOT-Business-Windshield-Vehicles-Mounting/dp/B0CQYYKDF6

Will this work? My understanding, which admittedly might be incorrect, is that the stickers make use of the windshield somehow to be read.

[Brandon]

Go nuts.

https://www.amazon.com/QUIKSLOT-Business-Windshield-Vehicles-Mounting/dp/B0CQYYKDF6

Will this work? My understanding, which admittedly might be incorrect, is that the stickers make use of the windshield somehow to be read.

That's been my understanding as well, and why people use cellophane tape for the stickers, if they do not want to remove the backing.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Next toll plaza to get dismantled: Plaza 32 (I-294 NB to River Road and I-190 towards O'hare)...

Will be replaced with a monotube gantry... https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9866251,-87.8643858,3a,75y,66.97h,91.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTPk-G8ZVsx43i1aeMEvCHw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

https://www.illinoistollwaybidding.com/jobs/5686/details/i-23-4918-plaza-improvements

[Brandon]

Next toll plaza to get dismantled: Plaza 32 (I-294 NB to River Road and I-190 towards O'hare)...

Will be replaced with a monotube gantry... https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9866251,-87.8643858,3a,75y,66.97h,91.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTPk-G8ZVsx43i1aeMEvCHw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

https://www.illinoistollwaybidding.com/jobs/5686/details/i-23-4918-plaza-improvements

Plaza 32, O'Hare East.  I'm surprised this hasn't been replaced with a simple electronic gantry yet.

[rte66man]

Go nuts.

https://www.amazon.com/QUIKSLOT-Business-Windshield-Vehicles-Mounting/dp/B0CQYYKDF6

Will this work? My understanding, which admittedly might be incorrect, is that the stickers make use of the windshield somehow to be read.

That's been my understanding as well, and why people use cellophane tape for the stickers, if they do not want to remove the backing.

The successful read rate drops if the sticker isn't directly on the windshield.

[edwaleni]

Go nuts.

https://www.amazon.com/QUIKSLOT-Business-Windshield-Vehicles-Mounting/dp/B0CQYYKDF6

Will this work? My understanding, which admittedly might be incorrect, is that the stickers make use of the windshield somehow to be read.

That's been my understanding as well, and why people use cellophane tape for the stickers, if they do not want to remove the backing.

The successful read rate drops if the sticker isn't directly on the windshield.

I am not calling you out personally, but I do call BS on the "direct" to the glass requirement.

RFID tattoos or bar code scan, as long as it is readable or visible to the reading/imaging device above, you are good.

If the sticker is not anywhere near the windshield, (like on the back of your mirror) then of course, diffusion would probably ruin the read.

But having a sticker less than 1mm below the glass pane should not create a false or error-ed out read.

I think the jury is still out on this perception of the stickers.

[ET21]

A minor shift between 55th St and Plainfield Rd on SB 294 as everything has been ripped up on the right side. Only other major note is the new towers for the eventual I-490 ramp from NB 294.