Community Corner

Tollway Wants $2 Million Corporate Backing for Roadside Aid Program

A corporation can get its logo and name on emergency trucks, signs, uniforms and more.

If you or someone you know has ever been stranded on the Illinois Tollway, the tollway assistance truck was a welcome sight.

The next time you see the truck, it may be sporting a corporate name. A total of 13 trucks are part of the Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (H.E.L.P.) Program. They are driven over the 286-mile tollway system, and provide an array of services including changing flat tires, charging dead batteries, adding coolant and fuel, assisting with incidents and arranging for tows. The program costs the Tollway about $2 million annually, and officials want to cover the costs with corporate sponsorship.

The Illinois Tollway has issued an invitation for bid (IFB) to select a sponsor to foot the bill.

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“We are continually looking for new ways to improve service to our customers,” said Executive Director Kristi Lafleur in a prepared statement. “By seeking a sponsor we’re confident that we can continue to put our customers’ safety needs first and help offset these operating costs. The Tollway receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations, so every bit helps.”

The new sponsorship would include a three-year contract with three one-year renewal options and feature a menu of high-profile sponsorship elements, including 22 branded roadway signs, advertising on the 13 trucks, corporate logo on H.E.L.P. employee uniforms, logo and message on more than 280 tollbooth posters, logo and message in the Tollway’s e-Newsletter sent to more than 1.3 million subscribers and sponsorship credit in program news releases and on the Tollway’s website, illinoistollway.com.

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The Tollway’s H.E.L.P. Program has 11 on-duty patrols throughout the Tollway system, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. In 2011, the Tollway’s H.E.L.P. trucks patrolled more than one million miles and helped more than 33,000 customers.

Bids will be evaluated based on the proposed sponsorship fee and the appropriateness or relevance of the sponsor’s business to that of the Tollway, officials said. The Tollway may award the contract as soon as this summer. 

To view and download the IFB, go to Goods and Services located in the Doing Business section of the Illinois Tollway’s website.


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