Amen. The worst offended is the Kennedy Bridge on I-95 North that literally rapes commuters of $5 to support a bridge that costs a small fraction of that amount! Thanks to Sen. Pipkin and members of his caucus who opposed this ridiculous fee grab.

If it is true that the Bay Bridge only costs $8 million to maintain and it takes in $30 million, then this state has found yet another way to steal from its citizens.

Here is a bit of information that most people are not aware of. The Federal government only allows states to collect tolls on highways, bridges or tunnels, that are primarily funded by the federal dollars, to recoup their costs. Once the state recoups their costs (i.e. the state bonds used to help contstruct the project are paid off) the tolls are suppose to stop. States may get an exception from the Secretary of Transportation to continue to collect tolls. Maryland has gotten two execptions, one for the Tydings bridge on I-95 in Havre de Grace, and on the Ft McHenry, and Baltimore Harbor Tunnels. An exception was granted on the Tydings bridge because the state owns the Hatem bridge (on US40) which charges a toll. The logic is both bridges are close to each other and if a toll was not charged on the Tydings then people would not use the Hatem bridge. The same logic was used to grant an exception for the Ft McHentry and Harbor Tunnel. The state owns the Francis Scott Key bridge, and the logic is that if no toll were charged on the Ft McHenry and the Harbor Tunnel, then no one would use the Key bridge and the state would not get its money back. Since these projects have been completed, the state has several times over recouped their costs. Why are Marylanders still paying in the first place?

uh, citing the increase in ez pass usage since january is not a good stat. most folks just found out about- the funny thing is that my liberal friends are the ones most pissed. i will now just get mine from out of state.

Prior to that the state raised the fee for towing a boat trailer accross the bridge from $2.50 for the extra axle to $6.50 for the extra axle. It's now $9.00 to take a single axle boat trailer accross the bridge, $12.00 for a tandem axle trailer.

These fee increases which went into effect on May 1, 2009 are nothing but counterproductive to the Eastern Shore of Maryland; many people with small boats are either staying home or crabbing / fishing less. The fee increases were advertised as being for commercial customers only, the last time that I looked the majority of boaters were not commercial. The end result it that the Wye Landing and other ramps on the Eastern Shore of Maryland are largely used by Delaware and Pennsylvania residents, not the people of Maryland.

While I understand the need to raise revenue, I completely agree with Senator Pipkin that the $1.50/month fee should not have been implemented. For frequent users, the cost is easily recouped through saved time (and sometimes lower tolls), but for infrequent users, $18/year is a blatant fee grab. I recognize that infrequent users impose costs on the system, but that has always been the case. The state not only subsidized these fees in the past but actively encouraged EZ Pass adoption. Now, after convincing people that EZ Pass is a great way to save time and money, the state is imposing costs at a time when, with the coming high speed toll lanes, it should actually be further encouring EZ Pass adoption. This is an incredibly short sighted fee that, while taking into account the economic cost of administering the program, completely ignores the social benefit of increased electronic tolling.

No one is talking about the added fees for towing a boat, jet ski or any other trailer.
From $4 to $6 in the tunnels and Key Bridge and from $5 to $9 on the Bay Bridge. The arrogance and thievery coming out of Annapolis is shameful. I'll take te DE route to the beach. I'd rather give them my money than Maryland. I'll avoid the Key Bridge and tunnels whenever possible. And I'll buy my EX Pass from VA.

As long as Maryland's idiotic voters keep this crowd in office, this nonsense will continue. My time as a MD resident is numbered. I hope many of you follow me.

Crossing the Rt. 40 Tatum bridge in near Havre de Grace Thursday evening, boat in tow, the attendant gives me a strange look at I hold out my $20 bill, and explains that the toll with a trailer is now $23.00!! This is insane.

Senator Pipkin is entirely correct. In order to avoid the MD E-ZPass money grab, I've turned-in both MD transponders on my account, and will be signing-up with one of the other state programs that still do not charge a fee. I suspect that a river of returned transponders is decending on MD E-ZPass headquarters as I write this.

I WILL BE RETURNING ALL OF MY PASSES. I ONLY USE THEM ONCE IN A BLUE MOON. WE PAY ENOUGH FOR THE TOLLS NOW 1.50 A MONTH YOU CAN KEEP IT. WHEN I SIGNED UP THERE WAS NO CHARGE FOR THEM. NOW THEY WANT TO 18.00 A YEAR FOR WHAT?

The whole toll system in MD is ridiculous. But Marylanders deserve what they get -- they would vote an ass in office if it was a Democrat.

I signed up for the VA EZ Pass a few months ago... No fee, and works like a charm. Only hitch is that their re-charge rate is $70 when you get below the $10 mark... But as long as you know that, it's all good.

Wasn't one of the arguments for adopting E-ZPass in Maryland the fact that it would save money as we would need fewer toll attendants? So now we are paying the state for using a system that saves them money. If enough of us send back our transponders (as I have) perhaps the state will get the message.

Another life time liberal writer and you wonder why The Sun in going down the "drain".

In today's column, Mike states that Randy Brown, the ops director for MTA advises, "...that about 72,000 of the state's roughly 535,000 E-ZPass holders hadn't used their transponders to pay a toll in the past year." Mike also writes that "more wasteful than subsidizing E-ZPass accounts that aren't being used." Okay, make those that don't use their accounts pay the $1.50 a month fee, not the people that use it either every day, or more than a set number of uses each month. The MTA is acting like a teacher who wants to know who talked in class and makes the whole class stay after school when no one confesses. This whole idea that it is easier to make everyone suffer for a few.

If I have $35 in my account and I have not used E Z Pass in a year, How do I cost the State money? The computer only processes charges generated by the transponder. The entire process is automated. It is not as if the State has a building full of bookkeepers doing the accounting every month by pencil. The State gets millions in advance before anyone ever uses the service.

More of the blue state taxing its residents to death - here's a novel idea Marylanders; vote Republican!

Wow. I thought I knew a lot about this new increase but I guess I only knew a bit. I use I95 South. So when I get a chance to take another route, I am happy. But one of the commentors was correct, they already have my money. I need more info on getting a transponder from another state. Even if I've had mine for a while I still have to pay a yearly fee for it? I need more info.

"A few days to sharpen your pen"?

Little wonder the Sun's going belly up.

H.L. Mencken would have a tart reply ready in seconds.

And he sharpened his pencils.

But no matter. If Big Brother says it's good, the Sun will say it's great. I'm switching my EasyPass to Virginia 'til I can retire and leave this dump of a state.

For everybody shifting their EZPass to VA just know that they will be charging a fee soon since all other states already charge.

Way to go Sen. Pipkin - don't let them make the mistakes Gov. Whitman made in New Jersey with EZ-Pass. Oh yeah, she was a Republican. It doesn't matter which party is in power. They all feel the need to reach into your pocket for more!