Proposed Maryland Toll Rate Increases - Unbelieveable!

[campin'dude]

If you are a Maryland resident or often travel through the state, have you looked at the proposed toll increases for the facilities operated by the Maryland Transportation Authority? Some of the proposed rates are unbelieveable! Like $36 for 4 axle vehicles (truck towing an RV) on the William Preston Lane Jr. (Bay) and Harry W. Nice (Rt. 301) Bridges starting July 1, 2013.
Here is the website:

http://www.mdta.maryland.gov/Toll_Increase/Home.html

I encourage everyone that regularly travels with an RV through Maryland toll facilities to go to their website above and submit a public comment during the 60 day period that ends on August 1st. I am also going to write our state delegates in Annapolis to make them aware of this issue. We've got to fight this proposed increase!

You can use the letter I sent below as a baseline or in it's entirety...


My family and I live in Maryland and own a two-axle recreational vehicle (RV) trailer that we use for vacations together and with several other friends that own RVs. While we enjoy camping in Maryland and often do, we also use the Harry W. Nice and William Preston Lane Jr. Bridges to access campgrounds in Virginia and Pennsylvania that are within a 3-4 hour drive of our home. The proposed toll increases for these bridges are a major concern for our family and, if implemented, may force us to cut back on the amount of time we can utilize our RV.

I do not feel that it's fair that those with personally-owned RVs should pay the same as commercial multi-axle vehicles who are utilizing the bridge to earn revenue. With the current price of gas and rising campground rates, there is already enough of an additional costs placed on those of us who enjoy using an RV to spend time with family and friends. The EZ-Pass system could make registration and identification of personal RVs a very simple process and help to encourage their use.


The MTA website states: "Toll rates for passenger vehicles were last raised in 2003 at the Baltimore toll facilities, the Kennedy Highway and the Hatem Bridge and in 2001 at the Nice Bridge." and "Toll rates for vehicles with three or more axles were last raised at all facilities in 2009." The rate for multi-axle vehicles was just raised 2 years ago while the rate for cars has remained constant for almost 10 years in some cases. I don't have a problem with raising the rates for cars... that's the majority of the traffic and will generate the most revenue. But, at the proposed toll rates, many drivers will often choose a route using the Woodrow Wilson or other non-toll bridges. This will only contribute to the traffic congestion problems on I-495 and I-95 and may have a negative impact on overall toll revenue.

While I understand the need to raise tolls to cover maintenance costs and upgrades, additional financial burdens should not be put on the backs of Maryland RV owners who already contribute to the state with registration and fuel taxes and tag fees. I strongly urge the Maryland Transportation Authority to reconsider these proposed toll increases. There needs to be some other toll rate structure implemented for personally-owned RVs or consider raising the car rate and leave the multi-axle rate alone for now.

[kanyonkitty]

WOW, what in the world are they thinking. That increase will have a major impact on MD residents as well as visitors. Hopefully it won't actually go into effect. I hate traveling on toll roads/bridges, and only do so when there is no other way to go where I'm going, or it is just way to far out of the way to use another route.

Kitty

[Jim-Bev-2363]

It will have a negative impact because of the larger vehicles being shuffled to smaller roads used by local traffic. A direct negative effect on local traffic that the toll roads were to help.

You just can't help but wonder about politicians....... but that belongs on another site, LOL!

jim

[MACK C-85]

One Word......Owe'Malley (as in Governor O'Malley)

MD Spendocrats at their finest, they constantly raid the Transportation Trust Funds to pay for the handouts that keep them in office, then fiend surprise when there is no money to fix our roads.

One of many reasons I sold my house on the Eastern Shore, saw the handwriting on the wall that the daily commute across the Bay Bridge was going to get too expensive.

Mack