Toll Increases: What’s Ahead
July 9, 2011 |
With area transportation funds dwindling, and legislators shirking their responsibilities year after year to ensure that dedicated revenues for transportation (like the gas tax) keep pace with inflation and population growth, State officials across the region have little choice but to raise toll rates. So here is what is coming:
| The toll man cometh |
Reason
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| Tolls for two-axle vehicles | ||||
| Maryland | Rate before July 1, 2011 | As of Oct. 1, 2011 | As of July 1, 2013 | |
| Hatem Memorial Bridge | $10/year with decal, $5 for trip | $72/year EZPass plan to replace decal, $6 for trip | $8 | $132 million in repairs needed |
| Bay Bridge | $2.50 | $5 | $8 | $225 million needed to maintain Bay Bridge over next six years |
| Nice Bridge | $3 | $5 | $8 | $21 million in repairs needed |
| I-95 Turnpike (Kennedy Highway) | $5 | $6 | $8 | $121 million needed for highway work |
| Francis Scott Key Bridge | $2 | $3 | $4 | $410 million needed for combined work on Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key and Baltimore Harbor Tunnel repairs |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | $2 | $3 | $4 | see Key Bridge |
| Fort McHenry Tunnel | $0.90 | $2.70 | $3 | see Key Bridge |
| ICC | $1.45/peak, $1.15/off peak/$.60 overnight | Only toll exempt from raise | ||
| Virginia | Current | Jan. 1, 2012 | ||
| Dulles Toll Road | $0.75 | $1.50 | ||
| Dulles Greenway | $3.70 ($4 during peak hours) | $4.50 ($4.80 during peak hours) | ||
The choice we face is clear. We can: (a) pay a few pennies more at the pump, (b) get used to a lot more tolls and higher transit fares, or (c) watch roads, bridges and transit service deteriorate to the point where the region becomes unliveable, major employers leave, and our economy tanks like Detroit. Some combination of (a) and (b) would be a lot less damaging to our economy, business climate, and pocketbooks than option (c).
