You could soon be paying a higher toll to cross the Bay Bridge in Maryland.
The possibility of a toll hike was recently raised by Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Director Joseph Sagal, who said the bridge saw its last toll increase back in 2011.
In fact, the cost of the toll has gone down twice — lowered by former Gov. Larry Hogan during his administration from $2.10 to $1.40 for E-ZPass users in 2015 and later again in 2019. Revenues also decreased during the pandemic, according to Sagal, which he said could be a “triggering” factor in the agency raising the toll.
Speaking at a Sept. 13 meeting of the Maryland Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs, Sagal told the members that costs have since gone up, “especially as they relate to personnel, equipment, on-call needs and repairs.”
According to Sagal, the agency is continuing to “focus on [its] financial forecast,” saying his team is working on developing an analysis of how increased toll revenue might impact future budgets.
It’s not clear at this point when the toll — currently $2.50 for E-ZPass holders and $6 for others — might go up or by how much.
The agency introduced highway-speed all-electronic tolling at the Bay Bridge in May 2020, mitigating the need for drivers to stop or even slow down to pay tolls. Instead, tolls can be paid via E-ZPass, Pay-By-Plate or Video Tolling technology.
This change promotes safety, diminishes engine idling and leads to better fuel efficiency, according to the agency.
WTOP’s Kate Corliss contributed to this report.
