Special Session Called Monday for Hatem Tolls

Bill Martin isn’t just the Havre de Grace City Council President.

He's a teacher in Aberdeen. He has family in Cecil County. He does business in Cecil County.

Martin sees Havre de Grace and Cecil County as neighboring communities, not one that should be separated by an E-ZPass lane.

Martin has called a special session for the Havre de Grace City Council to form a unified front against and the removal of the popular AVI decal program for locals.

“This is wrong and it will harm our city, and be detrimental to those who have family on the other side of the bridge or work on the other side of the bridge,” Martin said.

Following a pair of previously scheduled public hearings, the at . Public comment will be allowed before the council passes the resolution.

Martin said it was imperative to get this resolution taken care of before the June 16 meeting in Perryville, where the community will speak out against the toll hikes with members of the Maryland Transportation Authority present at the Perryville High School.

Havre de Grace’s next was scheduled for June 20. Martin said scheduling, plus the added shock value of calling a special session, played into the decision.

“I think it holds a stronger intent and resolve of the city,” Martin said of the special session.

Monday, area residents, politicians and business people met on the Perryville side of the bridge to voice their displeasure with the proposed fee changes.

Main issues for locals are a change in the toll rate as well as discontinuing the AVI decal option, which has a $10 annual fee.  Instead of continuing with the bar-code decals, the state transportation authority board wants to use the E-ZPass system.

According to state Sen. Nancy Jacobs new website, HatemTolls.com, the proposal would increase the current Hatem Bridge single-use toll from $5 to $6 in October, and to $8 in 2013. The cost to participate in the new annual E-ZPass program for the Hatem Bridge would be $36 (increasing to $72 in 2013). New E-ZPass users would incur additional costs: $21 for a transponder, a required $25  E-ZPass account deposit and $18 in annual maintenance fees (billed at $1.50 a month).

The Hatem Bridge is not the only toll facility impacted by the transportation authority board's proposal.

Tolls for passenger cars on the Bay Bridge would increase from $2.50 to $5 beginning Oct. 1 and increase to $8 on July 1, 2013.

In addition, the cost for a one-way toll on the Fort McHenry Tunnel, the Harbor Tunnel and the Key Bridge would jump from $2 to $3 on Oct. 1 and to $4 on July 1, 2013.

Other toll increases set for Oct. 1 include the John F. Kennedy Highway, from $5 to $6, and the Harry W. Nice Bridge in Southern Maryland, from $3 to $5.  Those tolls would increase to $8 on July 1, 2013.

Finally, there will also be increases for E-ZPass users and commuters along with a video toll rate for vehicles traveling through a toll plaza without a valid E-ZPass or making cash payment. The video rate would replace the existing $3 notice-of-toll-due fee and would be 25 percent higher than the proposed cash rates.

Martin said the initial idea for a resolution came from Councilman Fred Cullum. Martin needed four council votes in his favor to call the special session, according to the city charter.

Martin discussed several potential solutions to counter the proposed toll increases in a phone interview with Patch Thursday, including changes on the I-95 toll facility in conjunction with Route 40. Ultimately, Martin thinks local residents would benefit from keeping the current AVI system in place, and passing on the E-ZPass.

“Whenever you make a bridge a toll, you separate things,” Martin said. “Just keep the AVI stickers, crank the price up to $30 a year, I don’t care.“