Tolls help recoup the cost of driving

Before citizens get up in arms over the potential $200 per week cost of new high-occupancy toll lanes (HOT), it's important to remember that driving is not a cost-less transaction ("Driven away?" Sept. 7).

From wear and tear on the roads and damage to the environment to added sprawl and added consumption of finite resources, the cost to the world of highway driving is much greater than the cost of a gallon of gas.

HOT lanes help people to understand the true cost of driving. Moreover, with the federal highway trust fund depleted and state budgets strained, new infrastructure investments must be paid for through tolls, higher taxes or privatization of infrastructure.

While people traveling these roads may resent the higher cost of their commute, the vast majority of citizens would prefer toll roads to those other two options.

Jim Smerbeck, Baltimore

Making progress on saving the crabs

The Baltimore Sun's article "Va. puts plan on hold" (Aug. 28) inaccurately suggested that a budget decision in Virginia to delay a pilot crab pot tagging program would undermine the effectiveness of Maryland and Virginia's blue crab conservation efforts.

This year, Gov. Martin O'Malley and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine reached a historic agreement to protect migrating, mature female crabs through the fall and winter months.

Maryland imposed commercial harvest limits on mature female crabs beginning Sept.1, while Virginia completely closed its winter dredge fishery, which has historically targeted mature female crabs during winter months.

Both states must continue their work to rebuild the Chesapeake's blue crab population not just this year but in 2009 and beyond.

Important steps are under way to continue this effort, including an expanded crab sanctuary in Virginia and crab pot reductions to start next year.

Maryland and Virginia both remain committed to protect our blue crabs and enforce the new regulations.

These efforts are necessary not only to rebuild our blue crab population but also to provide a better fishing future for our watermen and recreational crabbers.

Thomas J. O'Connell, Annapolis

The writer is director of the fisheries service for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.