From the Maryland Transportation Authority:
Governor Larry Hogan today delivered on his promise to roll back Maryland’s high toll rates and put money back in the pockets of hard-working Maryland families and businesses. From the Bay and Hatem bridges to the Harbor Crossings, the Intercounty Connector (ICC), and the new I-95 Express Toll Lanes (ETL), Governor Hogan’s toll rollback, which takes effect July 1, 2015, will save Maryland citizens $270 million over the next five years.
“We are proud to announce what by far is our largest tax relief package to date and marks the first time tolls have been lowered in Maryland in nearly 50 years,” said Governor Hogan. “This tax cut will put more than a quarter billion back into the pockets of our beleaguered Maryland taxpayers, and back into our economy.”
Responding to the governor’s calls to lower tolls, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Board today approved recommendations from MDTA staff to decrease toll rates across the state, increase E-ZPass Maryland discounts, and eliminate the monthly $1.50 E-ZPass account fee.
The following toll reductions and changes are effective July 1, 2015:
– Eliminate the E-ZPass Maryland monthly $1.50 account fee for Maryland residents.
– Reduce all Cash, Video, Commuter and Shoppers’ toll rates at the Bay Bridge (US 50/301), including a reduction in the two-axle cash rate from $6 to $4 round trip and in the Commuter rate from $2.10 to $1.40.
– Increase the E-ZPass Maryland discount from 10% to 37.5% at the Bay Bridge – toll drops from $5.40 to $2.50 round trip.
– Increase the E-ZPass Maryland discount from 10% to 25% for the Baltimore Harbor (I-895) and Fort McHenry (I-95) tunnels, the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695), the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40) and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (I-95) – toll drops from $7.20 to $6 round trip – and for the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (US 301) – toll drops from $5.40 to $4.50 round trip.
– Reduce two-axle toll rates on the ICC/MD200 and I-95 ETL for all pricing periods by $.03 per mile. This change reduces a two-axle, peak period trip from I-270/I-370 to US 1 on the ICC from $4.40 to $3.86 (E-ZPass), and a two-axle, peak period trip on the I-95 ETL from $1.75 to $1.54 (E-ZPass). Other ICC and I-95 ETL toll rates also will be reduced based on standard multipliers per axle.
– Establish a 30% discount at the Hatem Bridge for three- and four-axle vehicles with E-ZPass Maryland – three-axle toll drops from $16 to $11.20, while four-axle toll drops from $24 to $16.80.
– Increase E-ZPass Maryland supplemental rebate program for vehicles with five or more axles by 5 percentage points per trip level.
The following change is effective January 1, 2016:
– For vehicles using the Childs Street and I-695 turnaround exits at the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and Key Bridge respectively, toll rates will decrease to $2 per axle for three-to-six-plus-axle vehicles. For example, three-axle vehicles will see a toll reduction from $8 to $6 and four-axle vehicles from $12 to $8.
“I have thoroughly reviewed the toll-reduction plan, and I’m confident the MDTA will continue to maintain its sound financial footing and commitment to safety and quality services,” said MDTA Chairman and Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn. “A lot of hard work went into the development of this proposal, and I’d like to thank MDTA board members for their careful analysis and approval of this toll-reduction plan.”
To take advantage of the new E-ZPass discounts, motorists are urged to sign up for a Maryland E-ZPass. The new discounts increase from 10% to a range of 25% to 37.5%.
“If you turned in your E-ZPass years ago because of the monthly maintenance fee, it’s time to come back,” said MDTA Executive Director Bruce W. Gartner.
The $54 million annual toll reduction is made possible by efficiencies in MDTA’s capital and operating budgets that will allow the agency to meet its financial responsibilities and implement the governor’s toll rollback. For a detailed list of toll reductions statewide, visit mdta.maryland.gov.
MD Toll Rates Effective July 1, 2015
Wow, that is cool. Keeping a campaign promise is a good thing. I’m beginning to like Hogan…..
“Beginning” to like Hogan??? Better late than never, I suppose. Welcome aboard.
I don’t ride in other people’s trains. I march to the beat of my own drum. Just because I am beginning to like Hogan as our governor doesn’t mean I am a Republican or am going to embrace Republican views.
Is there a reduction for the MD EZPass “Commuters”? This doesn’t really say that the commuter pass will drop. I think that is more important of a reduction than those who use it from out of state or intermittently.
Yeah I was wondering what this means for the commuter plans– we can only assume they will see a similar reduction.
But it’s important to note a distinction: The general toll rates are NOT going down. They won’t be cheaper for people from out of state, passing through, or those who have non-MD EZ pass tags.
The tolls are only going down for MD EZ Pass holders. Which is a smart move.
The only potential problem is that it sorta declares war on other states, who could then decide to charge Marylanders more for their tolls.
Oops, except the Bay Bridge which also dropped the standard toll rate for everyone– also smart.
Teachers who live and commute to Cecil county for work should be free.
You can, if you go across the dam.
Or, for only $20 per year if you go across the Hatem. I can’t see complaining about $20 a YEAR for a toll.
Not to be mean, but why should anyone who commutes from Harford to Cecil Counties be free? No one is forcing you to live in one county and commute to the other. You knew the tolls were there when you took the job.
Teachers are more important than everyone else, that’s why.
Pay my gas to drive up to the dam.
Move if you dont like the gas.
Your sense of entitlement is disgusting.
I see why you are a teacher, Stop pushing your entitlement bullsheet on our children,.
Entitlement? excuse me, intolerant ooverweight white male?
Eat a chicken sammich and read the bible while you pay for my GAS, A HOLE
I think it is obvious this person is pulling our legs. He/she is probably not even a teacher. Time to move on.
What makes you think someone is not a teacher?
Ive known educator’s from all backgrounds.
Huh? Some were awesome people before they got employed, and others used a lot of drugs before being employed and I’m sure some still use a lot of drugs/lied.
There isnt much of a background investigation done in County schools around here, and they obviously omitted their past/present hobbies with no way of “proving” it unless they were arrested/charged/disposition of guilt.
Come on. Get a $20 per year Hatem bridge pass just like everyone else does who lives in Harford and works in Cecil or vice versa.
Unprecedented in MD. A Governor reduced taxes. Now if we can only vote the 2 Mikes and most of the Dems out of office we’ll really be making progress.
I don’t post often but from what I understand the lower tolls are for everyone, not just e-z pass holders. The express toll lane rates are supposed to go down so I’m assuming all bridges, tunnels, etc. will follow. Applauding Hogan’s keeping his campaign promise has nothing to do with Democrat or Republican. It has to do with a lower fee. You still get the break regardless of party affiliation. My concern is the loss of revenue has to be made up somewhere. Job cuts? If revenue goes down, expenses have to follow suit. Let’s see…………
Maybe I’m reading it wrong, or it is poorly written, but that’s not how I read it. If you follow the bullets carefully, you see there are some distinctions. It clearly states changes in “toll rates” on some bullets, “increased MD EZ Pass discount” on other bullets, and “cash” et all on the Bay Bridge rate.
That makes it clear, in my opinion, that the general toll rates are not changing.
Agree with Noble. The state is trying to force you on to the EZ Pass by giving only pass holders the new discount. Helps them to better track the comings and goings of citizens.
Hey “Same old, same old”, I agree with you. It costs a lot of money to build, maintain AND even more to replace existing bridges, etc. While everyone likes reduced tolls, if this leads to drive surfaces (or worse… infrastructure) falling into disrepair, then I am against any decreases. I’d rather pay up-front, rather pay for the end results (damage to my vehicle, or worse… infrastructure collapse and death). It could happen!
That’d be fine except transportation money is used for all kind of nonsense other than bridges and roads. Fail to see why only some people on the other side of a waterway and have to cross a bridge to get to work should pay $1000 bucks more a year in taxes than those that don’t. We’re all using the roads so dump the tolls and charge a flat rate tax on all Md residents.
All the commies say that if you want programs and services you have to pay for it. Problem is you never get what you pay for. Latest piece of info is that we pay $17k per student in the Baltimore schools and only $5k gets down to the students. So, speaking of parasites, the entire MD system is one big leech. When you fire half of the MD bureaucrats, then talk to me about being happy with the mere adjustment of tolls.
“Tolls” are an Eastern thing. How do other states pay for their road infrastructure? We got scammed years ago under the guise that “tolls” help pay for the road. Well, as long as Hatem bridge has been collected tolls, there should have been another bridge built, no?
West Virginia has like 2 tolls or something in the entire state and their roads are not much worse than Maryland.
the other states prioritize their budgets. They put money into the infrastructure and safety before they provide for the parasites.
Would Daddy Rabbit please provide examples and a definition of “parasites”
A parasite is an organism that survives by taking its life needs from a host. It also provides absolutely nothing that assists or contributes toward the health or welfare of the host.
We are ALL parasites, as we ALL have take our life needs from the mother earth, nor have we contributed to the health or welfare of our host……
A parasite does not feel shame for drawing the means of their existence from their host…..
Good call Daddy Rabbit. What should we do to treat these parasites?
In order to treat these parasites we need to cut them off from their host. Maybe provide a short fused life line. Those who CAN NOT survive will need a longer line, those who WILL NOT provide for themselves should be allowed to wither.
I’m still awaiting examples of whom or what you define as “parasites”
You really should lay off the Rush Limbaugh and the Glen Beck for a week or two. It may bring you back into reality.
It doesn’t take Rush or Glenn to allow me to see the reality around me. The statistics are all there for anyone that wants to admit there’s a problem. When I was growing up, receiving assistance was an embarrassment because you weren’t pulling your own weight. Now there is no shame even in generational dependence. I have a neighbor who bought their house outright with the wife’s workman’s compensation settlement, she ran a business from that home and her husband worked for Chrysler as an electrician while they used food stamps at the local market. I only know a dozen or so retired military folks, but over half of them are on disability – from the bad back of the guy I played tennis with, to sleep apnia… not sure what that had to do with his service, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I know a guy that would stop cutting the grass to go in and change his clothes – so if someone was watching he could claim it was a different day. Then there is the woman I know who went out on workman’s compensation for a bad back – but it doesn’t seem to bother her on the dance floor. According to a Cornell report, in 2012 over 37 million people reported one or more disabilities. It wouldn’t surprise me to find that over half are faking. Parasites suck.
Your money paid for that bridge (tax dollars) you are then charged a “Fee” to use something you already paid for.
Get rid of the tolls altogether.