Michael,

I don't agree with everything you write... but this one, I have to give you props on. I'm right with you.

Excellent. I could not agree more.

Amen! and do away with the radio spots (arguably the most annoying PSA currently on local radio - and there are some pretty bad ones on lately) while they're at it. I wonder how much toll money the MdTA wasted on this campaign?

That looks like an expensive advertising campaign. I think they should cut all their advertising campaigns immediately and create a fund to build a new bay bridge. There's a lot of extraneous spending going on that has nothing to do with bridge maintenance. I don't understand why they're advertising to people who may not actually be using the bridge.

There is almost no way an additional Bay Bridge span could ever pass the environmental impact phase. And if it did lawsuits by environmantal groups would drag out the beginning of construction for decades. The only way I can see a new span getting approved is if the State requires all construction to be done by union contractors so the political power of the construction unions counteracts the environmentalists.

Mark, sounds like we're rather late getting the ball rolling for a new bridge then. Just because there will be barriers doesn't mean a new bridge isn't needed. I don't care if they replace the existing bay bridge or build another one at another location. The road infrastructure needs to be upgraded. The existing bridge becomes more prone to failure and more expensive to maintain every year. I don't want to be driving over it when it finally decides to fall in the water.

All I can say is that it is the norm that all levels of government are always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to infrastructure of all types. I have been lobbying for more spending since the early 80's and everything continues to crumble around us. When November rolls around remember who got the Inter County Connector off the ground and who promised to terminate the construction. The only reason the construction continued in the current administration is the first segment was awarded to a joint venture that included the largest union highway builder (Granite Construction)in the country.