The Maryland Transportation Authority is considering raising tolls at bridges and highways across the state, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, to boost revenue. The increased tolls and other changes were recommended by the state’s Department of Legislative Services to raise revenue to help maintain an aging system while also operating new toll roads such as the Intercounty Connector in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
But the MdTA rejected most of the recommendations by the legislative services report, including a proposal to eliminate more than 14,000 E-ZPasses issued to state agencies and employees.
The transportation authority lost $3.3 million in revenue because those state-owned E-ZPasses are not charged at toll booths, the legislative services report said. But the state would only be shifting the cost and not saving anything if it started charging state agencies for tolls, MdTA spokeswoman Cheryl Sparks said.
Transportation officials are weighing whether to raise tolls — which in some cases could double the cost for two-axle vehicles — and will consider raising tolls for frequent commuters who get discounts by using the E-ZPass system.
Commuter toll rates at some facilities have not been raised since the 1980s, according to the legislative report, and some now provide discounts up to 84 percent.
The legislative services report also urged the transportation authority to consider turning existing cash toll facilities into all-electronic tolls, such as the ones used along the ICC. Electronic tolls would give the MdTA greater flexibility to increase tolls and could help increase the flow of traffic, according to the legislative services report.
The MdTA will look at each toll location to determine the best approach, Sparks said, because there are significant costs involved in converting existing facilities to an electronic system.
