Are Shore Residents Subsidizing the ICC?

Last week Maryland Delegate Mike Smigiel (R-36) argued that Eastern Shore residents will be forced to pay higher tolls as a result of the new Inter-County Connector road (ICC):

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced they are looking at raising the tolls on the bridges leading into the Eastern Shore.  The proposal is to raise the  toll on the bridges going into Cecil County to $6 on the Hatem (Route 40) Bridge and the I-95, Tydings Bridge. Then on both bridges the toll  will go up to $8  by July 2013. On the lower end of the Shore, the plan is to raise the Bay Bridge Fee up to $5 this year and then $8 in 2013.

Those who currently use the commuter stickers on the windows of their vehicles and pay a reduced $10 per year to go over the Route 40 Bridge will now have to pay $36 per year and $1.50 per month, for an EZ Pass.

Why is the Eastern Shore of Maryland being forced to make up for the ICC inability to pay for itself?  If the MDTA  charges what it needs to make up for the cost of this controversial, 12 mile stretch of highway, no one would pay to travel on it.  So, once again, the rural areas of the State are being forced to subsidize the cost of an urban area’s extravagant transportation project.

Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) officials are now countering that this simply isn’t true:

Large increases in tolls on Maryland’s bridges and tunnels were proposed last week, but Transportation Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley said angry motorists should not be directing their blame at the new Intercounty Connector.

They should look around at the state’s other toll roads, bridges and tunnels, and see the maintenance that needs to be done on them. Swaim-Staley, who also chairs the Maryland Transportation Authority, told MarylandReporter.com that people are not looking at the bigger picture. The Maryland Transportation Authority operates and maintains all of the state’s toll roads, bridges and tunnels.

Who is correct?  There is little question that the toll on the ICC does not cover the roads true costs.  Perhaps that is the case for every toll road / bridge / tunnel in the state.  The state government can make the cost accounting for any given project to reflect almost whatever they wish.  However, to inflict Maryland drivers with a MASSIVE toll increase seems more than coincidental.

Smigiel is a first rate delegate who represents his district well.  It has been my experience that he doesn’t bend the truth to score political points.  Can the same be said for the O’Malley administration?

We’ll take Smigiel’s argument on this one.