1. Carbon Offsets and the Illinois Tollway System

2. The Illinois Tollway System Barrier Tollway System Utilizes the I-Pass System with Open Road Tolling

3. Open Road Tolling

4. The Illinois Tollway System by the numbers (2005 statistics) 1.3 million drivers per day 74% I-Pass users 2.1 million transactions per day $580 million in tolls annually in $27 million in toll evasion recovery $612 million in total revenue

5. The Illinois Tollway System by the numbers Vehicle ClassAverage Daily Transactions Average Non-I-Pass Transactions Passenger Vehicles1,900,000488,000 Small Trucks74,00019,000 Large Trucks156,00041,000 Totals2,100,000547,000

6. Emissions Estimations Estimate 1 mile of city driving fuel economy per toll for non-I-pass users I-Pass users get highway fuel economy Cars and small trucks use regular gasoline, and large trucks use diesel

7. Emissions Estimations Vehicle ClassOverall MPGEst. Hwy MPGEst. City MPG Passenger Vehicles 22.926.918.9 Small Trucks16.220.212.2 Large Trucks6.28.24.2

8. Emissions Estimations Vehicle ClassOverall MPGEst. Hwy MPGEst. City MPG Passenger Vehicles 22.926.918.9 Small Trucks16.220.212.2 Large Trucks6.28.24.2

9. Emissions Estimations Vehicle ClassApproximate City Miles, Assuming 1 toll = 1 mile Daily Hwy Fuel Requirement for toll duration (if toll was skipped) (Gal) Daily Tollway Fuel Requirement at City Fuel Economy Rates (Gal) Daily Extra Fuel Necessary (Gal) Passenger Vehicles 488,00018,00026,0007,700 Small Trucks19,0001,0001,600600 Large Trucks41,0005,0009,6004,700

10. Emissions Estimations 8,300 extra gallons of gasoline and 4,700 extra gallons of diesel fuel every day just due to stopping for tolls 1 gallon of gasoline = 19.4 lbs CO2 1 gallon of diesel = 22.2 lbs CO2

11. Emissions Estimations 265,000 lbs CO2/day created just by tolls These approximations are not that off – 2005 annual report claimed 41% reduction in emissions due to open road tolling versus having all cars stop, while these approximations give a 36% reduction.

12. Emissions Estimations According to EPA, average car produces 11,500 lbs of CO2/yr Illinois Tollway generates added emission of 8,400 extra cars per year.

13. Cost of CO2 What is the cost of this externality? Look to carbon offset programs

14. Carbon Offset Programs Contribute funds to a program that invests in renewable energy or energy efficiency so that energy that would have otherwise come from coal, gas, or oil comes from a renewable energy source or does not get used at all. Contribute an equivalent to the program to completely offset your emissions output.

15. GreenTagsUSA.org One green tag equivalent to 1400 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions (roughly 800 kWh if used to produce electricity) One tag costs $20 for use for wind power or $56 for solar power 2.5 and 7.0 cents/kWh respectively

16. GreenTagsUSA.org GreenTagsUSA.org on the higher end of carbon offset programs. Most programs around $0.007/lb CO2 GreenTagsUSA.org about double for wind and six times for solar

17. Cost of Carbon Offsetting for Illinois Tollway System If they were to use 100% solar Green Tags, it would cost $10,600 per day or $3.87 million per year. Annual revenue in 2005 was $612 million 0.63% of income

18. The Bigger Picture Toll systems in 26 states 4894 miles of toll road in the USA

19. Will it happen? Not without government intervention Could impose a carbon tax

20. Further Reading https://www.greentagsusa.org/GreenTags/index.cfm http://cta.ornl.gov/data/download26.shtml http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05001.htm http://www.statemaster.com/graph/trn_tol_roa_mil- transportation-toll-road-mileage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll_road http://www.illinoistollway.com