PROJECT SUMMARY
The IL Tollway has had to become very innovative in how it has paid for marketing and advertising of I-PASS electronic toll collection, customer notifications and Governor Rod Blagojevich's Congestion Relief Plan. The total value of these partnerships to date has exceeded $7 million dollars million dollars in advertising and marketing dollars, which in the previous 10 years had only budgeted roughly over $500,000 total. Not only does this save valuable resources, it also helps counter the negative public feedback that often results when toll money is spent to promote Tollway's and electronic toll collection.

The Jewel-Osco partnership has saved the Tollway an estimated $5.7 million in commissions (based on what other U.S. Tollway's pay to third-party retailers) and advertising dollars. The NBC partnership has supported many Tollway initiatives, including on-air commercials and promotions valued at $2 million. At a time when public agencies are criticized for using resources for promotion, the Illinois Tollway has leveraged our unique partnerships to spread messages about how I-PASS saves time, reduces emissions and congestion and is also available for low income drivers.

Since the launch of these partnerships, I-PASS sales have increased to record levels. Thanks to the Jewel-Osco partnership, the Illinois Tollway is the toll industry leader in daily transponder sales:

• Jewel-Osco is the #1 choice for I-PASS purchases: Responsible for 80 percent of all I-PASS sales.
• Number of active I-PASS transponders: Increased from 871,000 in 2002 to 2.3 million in 2005.
• I-PASS Usage: Increased from 38 percent in 2002 to 73 percent in 2005, now the highest in the U.S.
• The first Tollway to offer a program to assist low- income drivers get an I-PASS, called I-PASS Assist.
• Due to congestion pricing, commercial trucking has utilized the Tollway at levels greater than expected, despite a recent toll increase.

The Illinois Tollway Public-Private Partnership Program has been recognized as a leading model for the Country and is honored to be considered for this award. We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise with others.

The Public-Private Partnership program of the Tollway has been the most innovative mechanism for financing marketing and advertising in the transportation industry. While the competition for marketing dollars is fierce the backlash for spending tax and/or toll dollars is even greater from the customers.

Many of the concepts outlined in our submission are firsts for our industry such as traffic alerts sent to wireless devices that allow drivers to make educated decisions and the I-PASS Gift Card allowing low income and others a convenient alternative to credit cards they may not qualify for.

The Jewel partnership allows the Illinois Tollway to do more with less and to expand I-PASS sales by leveraging the reach of well-known retail stores. The retail partnership has propelled the IL Tollway to the highest electronic toll collection utilization in the Country. In addition to being available throughout northern Illinois, I-PASS is also on sale at the Jewel-Osco stores in Northwest Indiana and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The partnership with NBC Channel 5 will enhance customer communications with Tollway drivers by providing real-time traffic updates and the latest information about I-PASS at home, in the office, or even on the road. The public-private partnership will allow the Illinois Tollway to take customer communications to the next level. By partnering with a local television station, we can provide real-time traffic information to our customers, when they want it and where they want it, enabling drivers to make critical driving decisions to improve their commutes as they travel through the third-most congested region in the country.

In return for 2 years of exclusive access to more than 120 roadway cameras on the Illinois Tollway, NBC 5 will provide real-time traffic alerts to Tollway drivers via e-mail, PDAs and cell phones, as well live video images online and, of course, on air during their newscasts. In addition, NBC 5 will provide the Illinois Tollway with a promotional platform to promote I-PASS and other Tollway services on NBC 5, PAX TV, and Telemundo. They will also include the Tollway in their sponsorship of high-profile events, such as the Chicago Auto Show.

All of these partnerships have been at no cost to the IL Tollway or IL Tollway customers.

The Illinois Tollway consists of 274 miles of roads serving 12 counties in Northern Illinois. The Tollway has emphasized promoting the use of I-PASS, our electronic toll collection system to help reduce congestion. In addition, special I-PASS dedicated lanes located throughout the system allow traffic to travel at posted highway speeds. Since I-PASS is the Tollway's most effective congestion-relief tool, its use also enhances the customer experience.

The main barrier facing the new administration in 2003 was the limited number of ways to obtain an I-PASS. In the past, the customers only had three choices to order an I-PASS: driving to the Tollway headquarters; mailing in an application to our fulfillment center; or calling a toll-free 800 number. The efforts of the Illinois Tollway to market I-PASS have resulted in substantial growth in I-PASS sales and usage since the new leadership team was put in place in early 2003. Some of the most fruitful tactics of the Tollway have included unique partnerships with retailers, broadcasters, transit service providers and oases developers. The partnerships described below have helped facilitate customers getting I-PASS and thus have reduced congestion.

Jewel Partnership
Making I-PASS more accessible to the 12-counties served by the Tollway was the type of customer service that was central to Governor Blagojevich's reform agenda at the Illinois Tollway. The Governor's mandate to Executive Director Jack Hartman was to increase the use of I-PASS because it reduces congestion and travel times on our state's busiest roadways. The Tollway staff initiated a public bid process to procure a retail partner to increase the number of distribution outlets. The partner chosen was Albertsons/Jewel Foods stores since they were already a stop for most Tollway customers and they agreed not to charge a commission. The partnership allowed Jewel Foods to become the exclusive I-PASS retailer with over 200 Jewel-Osco stores in the Tollway service area. This partnership allowed Jewel-Osco customers to add an I-PASS transponder to their grocery-shopping list for themselves or as a gift for others.

The partnership was launched the day after Thanksgiving and has resulted in a unique business model that has generated significant growth in I-PASS and now accounts for nearly 80% of all sales. Total sales for the program have surpassed 1,000,000 as of August 2005 and have saved the Tollway $5,000,000.00. This savings comes from the fact the all other Tollway's pay a $5 commission per transponder. The partnership is unique from other toll authorities programs in that Jewel provides the partnership at no cost to the Tollway.

In fact, Jewel has provided over $750,000 of in-kind advertising and marketing dollars free of charge in 2003 and 2004. The Tollway feels that this partnership offers a unique customer service, free advertising, reduced sales and distribution costs, and increased efficiency. The Tollway now leads the nation in Electronic Toll Collection

The partnership also facilitated the successful launch of the I-PASS Gift Card - the first of its kind for the toll industry. This added customer convenience - also made available at no cost to the Tollway -- allows non-credit cars users and low-income drivers who do not posses a credit card to replenish their I-PASS accounts by calling a toll free number to add the funds to their I-PASS account.

The I-PASS Gift Card has reduced the Tollway's administrative costs required to process checks. Sales for the first year have surpassed $1,000,000 and are done without a commission.

NBC 5 Partnership
To promote I-PASS sales and increase public awareness of the congestion-relief plan, the Tollway negotiated a media partnership with NBC5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV) to provide exclusive access to real-time videos of Tollway traffic from more than 100 closed circuit cameras on our system. In exchange NBC provides the Tollway with free on-air advertising valued at $2 million, and a first-of-its-kind traffic alert service for Tollway customers who receive real-time, email traffic alerts via cell phones, PDAs and other wireless devices. The messages allow drivers to make informed travel decisions before or while they're on the road, and enable them to avoid congestion.

Trucking Industry Partnership
Trucks make up 13 percent of vehicles on the Illinois Tollway and since they take up at least twice as much lane space as passenger cars, truck traffic worsens congestion during peak travel times. In an effort to encourage commercial drivers to travel during off-peak periods, the Tollway implemented a congestion pricing structure for truckers that is a cutting-edge initiative that provides lower-priced choices as well as financial incentives to modify travel time.

Benefits:

• Trucks taking advantage of congestion pricing on Tollway roads save 33-50% off of regular, peak-period toll rates.
• Reduces congestion during peak periods.
• Reducing congestion reduces the amount of time that traffic sits idle, which improves air quality by reducing emissions.

Intergovernmental Agreement with PACE Suburban Transit
In 2004, the Tollway worked with suburban transit service PACE, the regional bus division of the IL Regional Transportation Authority, to develop an intergovernmental agreement that allowed them access to the Tollway's valuable radio tower space in exchange for display ads on all their buses. Our ads focused on increasing usage by emphasizing the timesaving benefits of I-PASS and the difference that I-PASS can make in people's lives. i.e. not missing your 9 a.m. tee time, being on time to see your daughter's first goal, arriving early for your 6 o'clock flight etc. This partnership is valued up to $50,000 per year and new ads can be placed each year that PACE continues using the radio towers.

Tollway's First 4-Color Newsletter and New Toll Collector Handouts
The fourth partnership was with our oases developers Wilton Partners, tenants in Wilton's oases pavilions, and Exxon Mobil. In order to promote the new oases and tenants, the Tollway worked with Wilton and Mobil to produce postcard size handouts and the first four-color Tollway customer newsletter called Behind the Wheel. The newsletter dedicated one page to tenant's offerings including coupons and the rest was designed to promote Tollway topics including construction updates, I-PASS expansion and more. The value to the Tollway was estimated at $25,000.

A 50,000-piece handout promoted offerings at the Mobil On the Run convenience stores and Tollway news on the flip side. The redemption rate for this unique marketing distribution piece was over 9%, which is extremely successful for direct marketing. The value to the Tollway was estimated at $20,000 for printing, design and distribution (if mailed).

The value of these partnerships has helped to raise awareness of the Tollway's Congestion-Relief Plan and produced millions of dollars in business related savings.

Total of Over $7.0 Million Generated
The Jewel-Osco partnership has saved the Tollway an estimated $5.7 million in commissions (based on what other U.S. Tollway's pay to third-party retailers) and advertising dollars. The NBC partnership has supported many Tollway initiatives, including on-air commercials and promotions valued at $2 million. At a time when public agencies are criticized for using resources for promotion, the Illinois Tollway has leveraged our unique partnerships to spread messages about how I-PASS saves time, reduces emissions and congestion and is also available for low income drivers.