The Maryland springtime tradition of walking across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge could cost you one day.
This year?s event drew an estimated 20,000 participants of all ages whowalked across the 4.3-mile bridge.
But the $1 requested donation and the newly introduced sale of 3,000 Bay Bridge Walk T-shirts, fall far short of covering the entire cost of the walk.
“Other ways to offset the costs will certainly be something we?ll consider,” said Kelly Melhem, spokeswoman for the Maryland Transportation Authority.
The Transportation Authority sponsors the walk each year; the authority is supported by tolls collected from various bridges and tunnels, including the Bay Bridge and Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor tunnels.
Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the walk cost the authority about $250,000 for security, transportation, water and portable bathrooms.
Since then, the cost has almost doubled ? $400,000 in 2004 ? and the event has been canceled three times in five years because of weather, construction and security concerns.
Despite increased police presence on the bridge and the whir of security helicopters overhead, walkers said they walked the bridge for reasons ranging from a fascination with the engineering to an excuse to get out of the house.
The annual event started April 27, 1975, when a Boy Scout troop received permission from then-Gov. Marvin Mandel to walk across the bridge that was closed to traffic at the time.
Transportation Authority Police Chief Gary McLhinney said he would continue to make the judgment call about the security of the event “based on current intelligence,” but doubted security would ever become the death knell for the walk.
“I would hope not, because then the terrorists win,” McLhinney said. “We?re not going to spend money just to spend money, but the people cost money.”
