I-294 brings up images of collecting tolls but, as of 2010, the tollway authority plans to start collecting pollution.

The ongoing $6.3 billion lane-widening project will culminate with the installation of bioswales, depressed patches of land planted with native grasses that help control pollution and flooding from highway runoff.

The bioswales will be installed by the Illinois Tollway along the roadside stretch of tollway running north from O'Hare International Airport to the state line after the existing road is rebuilt.

For the price of an Amtrak ticket, Illinois residents can get off the train in Springfield, walk a few blocks to the Capitol and knock on any senator or representative’s door to discuss legislation that matters to them.

Although often less experienced, concerned citizens bring a personal dimension to legislation that gives them a distinct advantage over professional lobbyists, insiders say.

But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an art to effective lobbying, and the pros have a few tips to help you hone your skills.

Connect with legislators

The emerald ash borer has killed 25 million ash trees in Michigan since it was discovered there in 2002 and arborists in the Chicago area are bracing for similar losses as the invasive insect spreads.

Besides Michigan, the destructive pest has turned up in Canada, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois in the past four years.

United Airlines parent UAL Corp. will have to reduce service from major hubs if the company hopes to realize any significant, long-term benefits from its plan to remove 100 planes from its fleet of 460 aircraft, experts say.

I-294 rings up images of collecting tolls but, as of 2010, the tollway authority plans to start collecting pollution.

The $6.3 billion lane-widening project, which began last year, will culminate with the installation of bioswales, depressed patches of land planted with native grasses that help filter pollutants from highway runoff.

The bioswales will be installed by the Illinois Tollway along the stretch of tollway running north from O'Hare International Airport to the state line after the existing road is rebuilt.