Chicago Tribune »

This piece takes a very negative look at the Illiana Expressway, a planned public private partnership (P3) that would build a new tolled highway linking Illinois and Indiana. It has strong support from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, so much so that he is urging lawmakers and the Department of Transportation to make it the transportation funding priority. The author argues that this jeopardizes other projects in the state and has the potential to turn into wasteful spending. Also highlights that it is the Illinois Department of Transportation, and thus taxpayers, who are responsible to make up the revenue on the road if tolls do not generate as much as they are promised to. This is very risky as those estimates are often much more optimistic in order to lure investors to the road.