Can Maryland offcials get any dumber?

Great way to kill a good program? Increase fees and make it more expensive than not having it at all.

Cash lanes are never that bad anyway.

I guess I'll have to return my Maryland EZ pass and go buy one in Delaware.

I guess I'll have to return my Maryland EZ pass and go buy one in Delaware.

What a dumb decision to propose increase in EZPass. As a daily commuter, I would use the manned booth and save myself the some money. On the other hand, state would need to hire more resources to handle the increased use of manned booths.

I just can't understand the basis for this proposal. This proposal might end up in more expenses than the extra revenue generated.

They have to suck money from us any way they can. I can't wait for the day I can move from this state. Though as fast as people are moving from MD, they'll probably start charging an exit tax/fee.

Being as its $4 round-trip to get through the Baltimore tunnels or the Key Bridge and only $2.50 round-trip to go over the much longer Bay Bridge, it seems to me that it would make a lot more sense to raise that to $4 roud-trip.
Obviously plenty of people would be upset, but it would be much easier to justify to the public.
Of course now I am getting into the terrible mind-set that you need to raise more money rather than finding ways to cut spending. Dah, I'm getting closer to having the mind of our current politicans in Annapolis!

I have a novel thought:

SPEND
LESS
MONEY

Why is ****ing the little guy always the solution for these bureaucrats?

Another thought, a suggestion to the bureaucrats:

GET
A
REAL
****ING
JOB

As always Annapolis wants more of our money!
When does it end!
Annapolis is like a vulture picking it citizens clean!
When does it stop and when ddoes The Sun cover exactly where all the money goes?
I know only if Ehrkich was governor!

Seems to me NOT waiting in line is a luxury and would require a fee. I was surprised to find out the EZ Pass was free. If you don't want to pay the fee, don't, and wait in line like the rest of us.

If you want the Premium Service Pay the price. Same goes for the Lexus Lanes proposed for I-95. The Easy Pass is a luxury that people elected to pay for to avoid congestion. Don't Pay and sit in line with the rest of us! If we don't raise money, our roads will look like our neighbors to the north!

Sure. Go ahead and further penalize MD taxpayers.

Here's an idea - scrap the ICC and save $3+ billion.

http://maryland.sierraclub.org/action/p0103.asp

You would think they would want to encourage EZ Pass and decrease the use of cash tolls to lower transaction costs.

More cash tolls = having to pay more toll attendants, secuirty for guarding/transporting cash, etc.

They should raise CASH fares and keep EZ pass lower to encourage more people to use it. This is so backward.

Oh well.

A "service charge" for using a program that reduces cost to the state - brilliant. I'm sure cutting back the size of MTA never crossed their minds.

Now let me get this straight, OK? The EZPass system is less costly to administer, since it's considerably less labor-intensive than the manually-staffed toll booths. So instead of raising the manual booth tolls to encourage greater use of EZ Pass and reduce operating costs (while improving traffic flow) our geniuses in Annapolis are disincentivizing EZ Pass with a monthly charge whether drivers use it or not?

I will be turning in my EZ Pass if this goes through. I have no problem waiting in line. My 2009 resolution is to cut waste and spending. Maybe the bueracrats in Annapolis should do the same.

Why raise the tolls only for those who cooperated when the state wanted drivers to start using the EZ PASS system? Raise the tolls across the board if that must be, but why tax those who have EZ Pass only? Even charging for the transponder is not fair, since all drivers benefit through shorter toll lines overall.

Ah yes...where is Robin Hood when you need him? What a sad, sad, sad state this is...(sigh...) I'm wondering if the incresed rates for us poor toll-users is to pay for our roads OR our "illistrious" politicians' (Dixon, et al)'s pay raises. Shoot, it's easier to afford Southern California than it is to afford a l'il ole state like MD. Guv-O...any better suggestions? Ya gotta have SOMETHING to offer us other than more taxes and fees. Maybe not...

Boo.

R U kidding me? That's your government hard at work for you. Only they could take something as efficient as EZ Pass and screw it up!

I paid $9 in tolls last year using easypass. Now I can expect to pay $18 in fees on top of my typical yearly usage. I'll be turning in my EZpass if these fees are imposed because EZpass will no linger make economic sense in my situation.

I originally thought that this was a good program, so why mess it up with an extra TAX for just having this EZ Pass unit. If they do this I will definately return them and avoid all toll roads while I still can!

This sounds very familar. Remember this one....Lets raise the sales tax to 6%. We then go to Delaware to pay 0% in sales tax which cost MD millions in lost revenue. Now we will go to Delaware to buy our EZ passes. More lost revenue for MD on all the interest they collected on the prepaid credit card balances that will now be collected by Delaware. Morons!!!

This is not fair to people that live near the tunnels. If this attempt at increased revenue is for projects across the state why are people that live in Baltimore City being forced to pay more? If you live in Laurel, Bowie, Frederick, or wherever- you're not using the Baltimore tunnels except very rarely. If you live in Canton or Federal Hill you are probably using them all the time. I could understand if the reasoning for raising the fees was to maintain the infastructure of the tunnel but that's not what it sounds like.
If they want to raise money for state roads then try raising the sales tax AGAIN and see if that flys. Instead they are trying to nickle and dime with hidden fees (much like Bank of America).

I am a daily commuter (one way), who goes through the Harbor Tunnel on a daily basis, 5 days a week, and I've had an electronic pass long BEFORE it was called E-ZPass...

I used to do this twice daily (early morning and mid-afternoon), however after having gotten stuck in the tunnel during a head-on collision during two-way traffic, I REFUSE to go thru the tunnel when they shutdown one side of the tunnel(s) for maintenance (usually EVERY morning!).

- I do not agree with the monthly fees;
- I do not agree with a 'charge' for a replacement transponder. This belongs to E-ZPass and is part of their equipment. When it stops working or malfunctions, E-ZPass should replace it, at no cost to us;
- I do not agree with with the tightening of eligibility rules for E-ZPass commuter plans that are intended to require a minimum number of trips be taken within 45 days rather than the current 60 days.

Currently, there is $5.00 - $7.00 in unused toll fees taken from my account every 60 days anyway (out of $20.00, with a $10.00 replenishment 'ceiling').

To me, it looks as if E-ZPass is looking in the wrong place, and taking the 'easy way out', that of increasing charges, and depletion of the regular customers' benefits.
On top of this, they are showing little concern or care of the customer, by turning aside our complaints by saying that "they'll get used to it.." (or the equivalent).

For the uninformed, the E-ZPass system has not been a "luxury" for people with money who don't want to wait. It's been a FREE service where they sent you a transponder for FREE, simply for applying, and then you could use the E-ZPass lane to avoid long lines for yourself and to save the states you pass through from having to hire people to man the toll booths. For non-commuters, you pay the same toll as everyone else, you just didn't have to wait in line or interact with a toll worker. Now they want to penalize E-ZPass users for helping to save the state money and reducing congestion. O'Morons!!! And by the way, how come other states up north have 55mph E-ZPass lanes and ours make traffic slow to 10mph?

Damn, am I glad I moved six years ago. However, Florida isn't much better. Only warmer.

If they want to charge an initial fee for the module that's fine. But to expect to get away with gouging people for simply possessing it? Not a chance. I'll be returning my unit. I don't use it anywhere often enough to justify being gouged that much per month. No thanks. Stupid plan.

Oh, and don't forget to double-check that they actually stop charging you for the minimum balance. And make sure you get that money back. Or are they planning on stealing that too?

Very interesting site, Hope it will always be alive!