A Letter To The Editor

Joe, This is a response I received from MTA regarding toll increases. They listed expenses to various bridges and such but no info on revenue generated. I have sent a request for that so I can see if they are indeed making a profit already, AFTER expenses like you have claimed. I will forward their response to you as well, unless you are not interested. Take care. Dear M~ Thank you for contacting the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) regarding the potential toll increases at MDTA facilities. I appreciate your taking the time to share your concerns and provide valuable feedback. Your comments are now part of the official record. Toll revenues fund safety, rehabilitation, customer-service and improvement projects Statewide, including the following work in MDTA’s current six-year capital program:  $132 million in repairs for the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40); $121 million in work for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (I-95); $225 million in repairs to the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge (US 50/301); $410 million in work for the three Baltimore Harbor crossings – the Fort McHenry (I-95, I-395) and Baltimore Harbor (I-895) tunnels and the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695); and $21 million in repairs to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (US 301).  In addition, the MDTA is constructing two major projects to address traffic congestion in Maryland.  They include the Express Toll Lanes along I-95 in the Baltimore region and the Intercounty Connector in the Washington region. As everyone who owns a car or home knows, the initial cost of building a major facility is only the beginning of the costs to operate and maintain it. Eventually, everything must be replaced or renovated, usually at a higher cost than the initial purchase price, so they are never really “paid for.”  In this respect, roads, bridges and tunnels are no different from cars or houses. For example, it cost more today to paint the original Bay Bridge than it cost to build the entire bridge in 1952. For example, it’s costing $172 million today to re-deck and begin painting the Bay Bridge’s westbound span, which cost $148 million to build in the early 1970s. The Board Members are considering public comments like yours and the testimony they received at public hearings before taking action on the toll proposal at a meeting later this summer. Please be assured we do understand your concerns. We know any increases will affect our customers significantly, and we’ve tightened our belts to limit the impact as much as possible. Thank you, again, for your email and for your concern into this important matter. Randolph P. Brown, P.E. Acting Executive Secretary