At a recent press conference, Gov. Larry Hogan said that "our concern is about the money taken out of the pockets of taxpayers. It's what we ran on. It's what we promised to do. We're delivering on what we said we would."
Nice. Except that our new governor will reduce the cash toll price of a round-trip Bay Bridge crossing to $4 (the toll is in one direction only). Indeed, the governor's new plan will even provide new cash discounts of about 33 percent for multi-axle vehicles crossing the Bay Bridge.
However, that same $4 will continue to be the cost for a one-way cash toll on any of the three Baltimore Harbor crossings.
Governor Hogan will neglect Baltimore City and its surrounding counties by providing nothing in the way of a cash toll reduction for cars using one of the three Baltimore Harbor crossings.
Frankly, it is hard for Baltimoreans to understand why the round-trip toll for a Bay Bridge crossing should be half the price for crossing the Key Bridge or any other Baltimore Harbor crossing.
Why are tractor trailers crossing the Bay Bridge getting a substantially lower cash toll, while cars using the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel will continue to pay an exorbitant toll of $4 in each direction?
Mr. Hogan's "concern" about money taken out of the pockets of Maryland taxpayers is suspect because his actions demonstrate far less concern for Marylanders who use any of the Baltimore Harbor crossings.
That is just plain wrong. Fairness would require a similar percentage reduction for all toll payers, not this kind of obvious favoritism.
Kevin C. Rupert, Baltimore