Reports: Toll Increases to be Delayed

Multiple reports Monday night indicated the MdTA is backing off its initial plan for .

ABC2, WJZ and WBAL reported the proposed increases in the Susquehanna River tolls may not go into full effect as originally intended, thanks to strong opposition from residents, business owners and elected officials at a pair of public hearings in June.

The —including the discontinuation of the AVI decal program—were to go into effect Oct. 1.

Meetings were held in and in June.

The 60-day public comment period closed Monday at 5 p.m., and the MdTA reported nearly 4,000 comments—through the public hearings, online and via written statements—from residents on the topic.

A post on the MdTA website read as follows:

The 60-day public comment period on the Maryland Transportation Authority’s tolling proposal closed at 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Thank you to the nearly 4,000 citizens and elected officials who submitted comments or provided testimony at one of the 10 public hearings held throughout the State.

The MDTA Board Members have been reviewing the comments and will be making adjustments over the next several weeks to the tolling plan proposed on June 2.  Based on public feedback, the Board is re-examining and further discussing at a minimum the following items:

• Size of the toll increases, especially those proposed for July 1, 2013.
• Commuter toll rates.
• Impact on drivers of recreational vehicles/trailers.
• Impact on trucking companies.
• Replacement of the Hatem Bridge AVI decal.
• Size of the new E-ZPass Maryland discount.
• The monthly $1.50 E-ZPass account charge that has been effective since July 2009.

A summary report on the public-comment period will be posted to this site in mid August. 

The MDTA Board expects to vote on a final tolling plan later this summer.  Details of the public meeting will be posted to this site as soon as they are available.

To read more coverage of the proposed changes to the toll rate and the discontinuation of the AVI decal program, check out the following links: