Illinois drivers in the future may have to choose how they want to be taxed for using public roads, and one option could be letting the state track every mile driven.
According to Senate Bill 3279, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, by 2025 Illinois motorists would have to choose between three distance-based road-user fee plans, including one that would electronically monitor miles driven.
Under the I-Ride Smart Plan, motorists who travel on public, non-tolled roads in Illinois would choose a system that would track “personally identifiable information using location data to calculate how many miles were driven.” The concept of switching from the current gas tax to a mileage-based tax is endorsed by Metropolitan Planning Council’s senior fellow Jim Reilly.
Another option would track miles driven with odometer readings, while the third would require motorists to pay a flat fee of $450 based on driving 30,000 miles a year. The measure is in the Senate Executive Committee.
