I know that I will just continue to use the back roads from Baltimore to Rockville at these prices. It would probably cut my commute by 1/3 to use the ICC but 12 dollars a day is ridiculous. I am just going to hope this takes some of the slow people out of my way when I am driving though all the back roads.

Is the MdTA more concerned with a revenue stream to cover the capital and operating costs or mitigating traffic?

I think this may be a straw plan to acknowledge that congestion is more likely to occur at peak so that prices are to be adjusted higher at that time then they otherwise would be.

Still 35 cents per vehicle-mile doesn't sound like enough money to cover all costs on its face, but I don't know.

Nate Payer
TRAC

I believe you are correct that as a commuter road there will be a disapportionate number of Baltimoreans using the ICC. However, due to it's configuration landing the ICC nearly at the Capital Beltway on I-95, and with the toll aspect, I don't see too many Montgomery county residents using this road to visit Baltimore or vice-versa. In general, traffic congestion seems to be caused by roads that were not designed to carry the volumes present today. Road problems that include, clover leaf intersections with short and shared accelleration and decelleration lanes (like MD 100 at the BW Parkway or MD 665 from Riva Road to I - 97), thru lanes that become exit lanes (I-70/I-270) and poor design (US 50 Salisbury bypass on the east side of town or placing a truck weight station on an steep incline at I-270 South after MD 109). I believe we have less a need for new roads, a greater need to increase capacity on some highways (such as I-270 in a multi-modal design) and the greatest need to rebuild poor design that can increase traffic flow.

I plan on sticking with MD 28 and MD 198, myself; but that's the great thing: the more people stick with the old route, the cheaper the tolls will be... and the more will go back to the ICC. Even at equilibrium, though, I'll still stick with the old route... so far, it's never really been too bad.

It seems to me that the more important question then is, what is the MINIMUM toll that will be charged for the ICC? What will it cost to drive it at 1:00 AM, or 8:00 AM on a Saturday? Is it never going to go any lower than $0.20/mile, even when nobody's on it? They're willing to make it a ghost road 75% of the time?

At those types of times, I'd be willing to drive on it for, say $0.05/mile, just to avoid traffic lights on the local roads. But much more than that I don't think it would be worth it, and I imagine I'm not alone.

And here are three more important points:

1. Unless the state's plans have changed recently, the Maryland Transportation Authority plans to double average toll rates statewide by 2013, partly to pay for the ICC. At least one bond rating agency has opined that the MdTA might have to raise tolls even faster in order to maintain its bond rating.

2. State officials want to have it both ways, and have been utterly disingenuous. Even just a few months ago, MDOT officials claimed they could not ballpark the anticipated ICC toll rates. Now they claim that folks should not be surprised at these high tolls because they allegedly fall in or near the range discussed in the ICC Environmental Impact Statement.

3. Even after all of this and other revenue-raising measures, the MdTA will have very little money available for capital improvements or for extraordinary maintenance.

Too bad the Sun declined to accept an op-ed last October to correct a number of highly questionable assertions by State Highway Administration State Highway Administrator Neil Pedersen.

You've heard of "Lexus Lanes", this will be a "Rolls Royce Road".

You've heard of "Lexus Lanes", this will be the "Cadillac Connector".

The bottom line is that they need to increase tolls to pay for the ICC and the I-95 ETC Project from the 895/95 split to the DE line. The 95 project alone is $20B to complete it up to the DE line. The I-95 Section 100 is out of money and it's only half done and who knows when Section 200 (Rt 43 to Forge Road)will begin construction.

Bottom line folks is that the ICC will be one expensive toll road (most likely the highest toll in the US "per mile" second only to the DE Turnpike $4 for 8 miles). They need the toll to be high to pay for the other projects going on throughout the Baltimore-DC area.

The real problem is the Bay Bridge situation which is only getting worse. They will definitely at some point in time need $2B to build another Bay Bridge.

The real issue is that the State doesn't have the "you know whats" to collect the tolls from people who live outside of MD and use our roads everyday FREE. They need to move the I-95 toll booth to right before the DE line; set up a toll booth at I-83 on the PA line and collect tolls from all of the PA people to pay for the widening and maintenance of I-83. Also, theycould set up a toll booth on I-70 at the PA line to pay for needed improvements to I-70, etc.