At a time when other parts of the country are reducing highway congestion by instituting experimental toll programs, the proposal to eliminate tolls on the Chicago Skyway represents a big step backward for the Chicago area.
Motorists experiencing congestion on Interstate Highways 80/94 in Northwest Indiana can avoid it by paying $2.80 to take the Indiana Toll Road and Chicago Skyway. The fact is, they don’t. They would rather save money than avoid I-94. Since they are unwilling to pay this modest amount, why should the government (and taxpayers) pay their way for them?
The record shows that when urban expressways are free, they usually become congested. Rather than “fixing the problem,” eliminating Skyway tolls would give us one more overused, backed-up freeway.
