Toll increase timetable comes into focus
The Maryland Transportation Authority's target date for its expected round of toll increase to take effect is October, officials at the agency said yesterday.
The timetable for the increases came into clearer focus this morning at a meeting of the toll authority's board, where members conducted a general, consensus-seeking discussion of the parameters of the increases, which are expected to raise a minimum of $70 million in annual revenue.
According to the plan, the board would make a decision on specific proposals in May, then taken them to a round of about seven public hearings in June and July. The board is hoping to implement the increases in October.
This year it appears the board will have a lot on the table besides simple adjustments to basic fares. The discussion indicated that the board will consider a variety of innovations, including tolls at existing facilities that vary between peak and off-peak travel times. There is also a strong inclination on the board to move away from giving change in coins. Members are also planning to look at further incentives to encourage drivers to use E-Z Pass.
It also appears that some of the sacred cows of past rounds of increases might not be as holy as they used to be. Board members are not taking increases in commuter rates or Bay Bridge tolls off the table. Both have been essentially frozen for decades.
"I think they want to look at all the options. Nothing's off the table," said Transportation Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley, who chairs the board. "We are not going to have the luxury of not looking at all facilities."
Categories: Maryland toll facilities
Comments
I think one nice incentive to use EZ Pass would be to stop charging drivers so much for it.
Posted by: Mitch | March 24, 2011 12:58 PM
Lets all drive around the tunnels and bridges and snarl traffic in downtown Baltimore and cause traffic jams on the Conowingo Dam.
Posted by: Hank Moody | March 25, 2011 11:32 AM
Here are some cost cutting moves for the MTA. First, get rid of the MDTA Police. We don't need a special police force for tunnels and bridges, the state police will do just fine. All they do is drive around in their $60,000 speed trap vehicles writing tickets, again, the state police can and already do that.
Second, take down those asinine electronic signs. Do we really need to know that it will take us 12 minutes to drive 12 miles to get to point B? That is all you see on those signs, and on occasion there is a warning of heavy traffic, the advice given is always wrong. In fact I always do the opposite and it works out great
Posted by: Doug104 | March 25, 2011 8:44 PM
I agree with Mitch. It's not much of an incentive when you charge each month just to have the EZPass readers
Posted by: Ed S | March 30, 2011 2:31 PM