Maryland

2012/12/03: Virginia DOT is doing forecasts of future pressure on Potomac River crossings but Maryland on the other side of the river isn't cooperating - so far. The Virginia study announced last month is described by VDOT as aimed to "develop a common set of data from which Virginia, D.C. and Maryland can discuss approaches to ease congestion and increase multi-modal mobility among the three jurisdictions."

The westbound span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was closed to traffic last night and this morning after workers on the bridge reported "unusual and slight vertical movement," according to the official notice from Maryland Transportation Authority.  The westbound span is the 3-lane 1973 bridge.

2012-06-01: The Washington Post has a report this week on how users of the new Inter County Connector (ICC) tollroad in the north of the DC metro area just love it under the headline "Intercounty Connector a life-changer for motorists, residents."

Quotes:

"Since opening last year, the Intercounty Connector has provided thousands of Maryland motorists with their first direct, congestion-free drive between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Randy Brown deputy executive secretary of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) is retiring at the end of May, and will be replaced as #2 to executive secretary Harold Bartlett by Deborah Sharpless, currently chief financial officer of the Maryland toll agency. Brown has been with the state for 34 years - 22 years at the State Highway Administration, then 12 years at the toll authority.

The Oldtown Low-Water Toll Bridge on the North Branch of the Potomac River in western Maryland  faces major regulatory obstacles to raising tolls. Already one owner John F Teter has chucked it in, frustrated with what he said was the state's "endless paperwork" - from a state regulator in Baltimore called the Maryland Public Service Commission (MPSC).

Maryland's department of legislative services recently wrote starkly that MdTA (the state toll authority) "violates current law and regulations requirements for toll violations process." As a result the state Motor Vehicle Administration had ceased suspending the registration of toll deadbeats at the request of the toll authority.

Maryland's state toll authority (MdTA) has run into strong resistance to its move to award a 35 year concession to redevelop and operate its two service plazas on the I-95 Kennedy tollroad to Areas USA. HMSHost the incumbent concessionaire says loudly that its offer was superior to Areas USA and has gone to court to prevent its rivals getting the new concession.

And so far at least HMSHost is winning the battle.

Only politicians could be so stupid. They build a beautiful new highway with $2.5 billion.

The Inter County Connector, Maryland State Highway 200, MD200.

It has a design speed of 75mph, but they post it with signs for 55mph!

And 50mph in places. (see below)

Insanity.

Driving at the posted speed limits you're an obstacle on the road.

The board of directors of Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) operator of the I-95 Kennedy Highway Toll Road has approved signing of a 35 year concession on its two service plazas. The selected concessionaire Areas USA is a local subsidiary of a large established international company Grupo Areas SA head-officed in Barcelona Spain with major food concessions in 70 airports and 160 other toll and travel service plazas mostly in Europe and Latin America.

It was London weather, fog, drizzle, persistent light rain, a day without the sun, Tuesday Nov 22, but Marylanders in Montgomery Co, the state's most populous county immediately north of the District of Colombia, celebrated.