New tracking measures by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority are costing I-Pass lane violators more than they thought.

In 2002, an outside company, TransCore, was offered a three-year, $38 million contract by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to implement a new system for catching toll violators, said Joelle McGinnis, authority press secretary.

This new system is a major improvement from the previous in-house staff of five, she said.

In addition to catching current toll violators, TransCore also has been reviewing previous violations dating back to January 2001.

Anyone who had not paid the appropriate toll from January 2001 to the present will receive a notice for all violations. The system starts with those who have had 50 or more violations.

Once a person receives five or more violations, a notice will be sent out, McGinnis said.

“It is not intended to go after those who have made a mistake,” she said.

Chrissy Crimaldi, 19, an interior design major at Elgin Community College, was fined five months ago for 50 toll violations that occurred in 2002. She went to a hearing and tried to get her fines reduced, but failed.

“It’s ridiculous, because some violations I got were from over a year ago,” she said. “They waited too long to notify me. I would have learned my lesson after $100 of fines.”

Crimaldi ended up paying more than $1,000 for her violations.

Senior journalism major Jason Donini said he drives through the I-Pass lanes without paying the toll at least a half-dozen times each month.

While some violations are deliberate, mistakes can happen if the I-Pass transponder isn’t functioning correctly.

The transponder must be behind the review mirror, arrows up, at least one inch below the roof line and one inch to the right or left of the mirror post.

Older transponders require batteries, which can fail and cause the transponder to not work properly.

Newer models, known as flat packs, have a non-replaceable battery life of up to 7 years.

“You’re going to get caught eventually, and when you do, you’ll have to pay up,” Crimaldi said. “I regret it, but it was an experience.”

The toll authority has recovered $6.4 million since January 2001, which includes $20 per violation plus unpaid tolls, McGinnis said.

If violations are not paid within 21 days, violators run the risk of their fine increasing to $70. Driver’s licenses also may be suspended for those with outstanding violations.