Maryland plans to double tolls on the Susquehanna and Potomac River Crossings and cut back on discounts for commercial vehicles.

Tolls are scheduled to double Nov. 1 on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (I-95), Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (U.S. 40) and Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (U.S. 301).
Under the increase, tolls for a five-axle tractor-trailer would go from the current $8 to $16 on the JFK Highway, and from the current $6 to $12 on the Nice and Hatem bridges.
The Maryland Toll Authority also plans to cut back on discounts for trucks at all seven of its toll facilities. Currently, truckers can purchase toll tickets at discounts of 10 to 33 percent, depending on the number of ticket books purchased. Under the proposed plan, the Authority would stop selling these ticket books April 30, 2002, but would continue to accept outstanding tickets through June 30, 2002.
A new discount of 5, 10 or 15 percent (depending upon the amount of tolls paid each month) would be available, only if you use the authority's M-TAG electronic toll collection system. Currently, M-TAG is available only at the Authority's three Baltimore Harbor crossings and only for commuters driving two-axle vehicles. The program will become available to truckers and other large vehicles later this year.
The Maryland Transportation Authority says it needs to raise tolls to pay for $4.7 billion in capital projects for the next 20 years. The authority notes that tolls at the Kennedy Highway and Nice Memorial Bridge have not increased since 1975. The last toll increase at the Hatem Memorial Bridge occurred in 1989.
Comments on the proposal are due by Sept. 14. Write to Thomas L. Osborne, Executive Secretary, Maryland Transportation Authority, 303 Authority Drive, Baltimore, MD 21222 or e-mail mdta@mdtransportationauthority.com.