The law promised major infrastructure improvements, but the state’s roads aren’t in any better shape than when it took effect seven years ago.
By Jess Plowman | Illinois Policy Institute
The state has collected billions of dollars in taxes for road improvements from the massive 2019 Rebuild Illinois law, but drivers aren’t seeing the benefits.
Illinois is taking in tax dollars faster than it’s spending them on improving infrastructure, and the roads are in no better shape than they were seven years ago, when the hallmark legislation of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s first term took effect.
Despite Road Fund revenue growing an average of 14% a year under the bill, fund expenditures grew by an average of just 5% yearly.
What’s more, most of that increased spending was front-loaded in the first two years of the program. Since 2022, Road Fund outlays have increased just 1.3% a year on average, not even the rate of inflation.
In other words, since passing Rebuild Illinois, the state is collecting more money for roads, but it isn’t spending more money on roads.
The Illinois Department of Transportation did not respond to the question of why spending on state roads and bridges appears to have leveled off.
Meanwhile, a “lockbox” provision in the Illinois Constitution prevents Road Fund money from being diverted to non-transportation spending (in theory). That, coupled with the imbalance between revenues and expenditures, has left the fund flush with cash. At the end of fiscal 2025 it held $3.7 billion.
Report continues along with video here.
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