Maryland

Maryland's general assembly has passed HB420, a bill bringing state law into line with video toll practice. And it gives the state toll authority (Maryland Transportation Authority or MdTA) the power to adopt reciprocal agreements with other states to collect out-of-state video tolls. HB420 was supported by MdTA and the governor is expected to sign it into law. It would go into effect July 1.

Maryland's State Highway Administration has another small stage of the MD200, Intercounty Connector (ICC) tollroad well under way. And the project has got the attention of the Washington Post because of a few complaints about construction related traffic delays. An $89m contract with a Shirley, Clark, Facchina & Trumbull joint venture is extending the tollroad just 0.9 miles east of its present  end at I-95 to US1 in Laurel.

2013-03-18: Since Cofiroute, the French toller pioneered toll express lanes on the 91 Freeway nearly 20 years in the northeast corner of Orange County California such HOT or toll managed lanes have achieved a great record of success. But even the best ideas can be misapplied or poorly implemented.

2013-03-08: Legislators in Maryland have filed bills to privatize via longterm P3 concession the Intercounty Connector (ICC) and the I-95 toll express lanes.

2013-02-10: Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) is determined treat most of its new toll road patrons as reckless drivers who deserve to be pulled over by the cops and given $80 fines.

2013-01-29: Before they opened the MD200 Inter County Connector (ICC),  Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) had been handling 10,000 camera images a day at seven conventional toll facilities with their mix of transponder tolls and cash collection. That 4.8% was a mix of violations and transponder misreads - motorists in the transponder toll lanes sans a functioning transponder.

Thomas 'Mike' Miller president of the Maryland senate is throwing around a bunch of proposals for raising money for roads and transit:

- devolving to counties authority to levy up to 5c/gallon in fuel taxes

- a 3% statewide increase in the gasoline/diesel tax

- a longterm lease on the ICC to garner upfront funds for rail transit projects

2013-01-16: A bill just introduced in the Maryland state Senate requires the Maryland (Toll) Transportation Authority (MdTA) to start the EIS process of studies, outreach, planning and permits needed for a new Chesapeake Bay bridge. The bill SB0093 is introduced by the Minority (Republican) Leader of the state Senate E J PIpkin and other eastern shore delegates.

2012/12/23: State senator Ron Young (Dem, Frederick), a former mayor of Frederick City and long the most prominent local pol has introduced a bill in the Maryland state Senate (SB15) to seek the federal OK for a toll on US15 at a single toll point at the Pennsylvania border. The bill scheduled for a first reading January 9 specifies that the toll revenues raised be used for:

2012/12/07: Phil Andrews' Montgomery County district of Rockville and Gaithersburg lies squarely athwart the western end of the MD200 tollroad also known as the Inter County Connector (ICC.) The year old tollroad (it began tolling Dec 5 2011) is a boon for Andrews constituents but he caught some headlines this week echoing pretty well many of