Maryland Transportation Authority

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The Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) is an independent state agency responsible for financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining Maryland's seven toll facilities (currently consisting of a turnpike, two tunnels, and four bridges). As a purely enterprise agency, all of the Authority's capital projects are funded through the tolls paid by those motorists who utilize the agency's facilities.

The Authority also plays an essential role in support of the State of Maryland's broader transportation infrastructure. As a partner to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), MdTA provides financing for new revenue-producing transportation facilities projects, which in the past have included improvements associated with the terminal facilities at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore and the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The Authority also has the statutory ability to issue bonds in support of parking facilities developed as part of certain transit-oriented development projects.

The Authority is governed by an eight Member board, who are individually appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Each member serves for a term of four years, and may serve for a maximum of three such terms. The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation serves as the Chairman of the Authority board, providing a linkage between both agencies. Day-to-day operations of the Authority are overseen by an Executive Secretary, who serves as the chief executive officer for the agency. Presently, the Authority employs over 1,700 dedicated individuals who support various aspects of the agency's daily operations.

The Maryland Transportation Authority Police provides law enforcement services at the Port of Baltimore and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport facilities as well as for the Authority's toll facilities and their surrounding infrastructure,^[1] with the exception of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, which is patrolled by the Maryland State Police.^[2]

The MdTA operates the following toll facilities:

Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge - crossing the Susquehanna River on US Route 40 between Harford and Cecil counties
William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge (Chesapeake Bay Bridge) - crossing the Chesapeake Bay on US Routes 50/301 between Anne Arundel and Queen Anne's counties
Francis Scott Key Bridge - outer crossing of the Baltimore Harbor on I-695, the Baltimore Beltway
Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge - crossing the Potomac River on US Route 301 between Charles County, Maryland and King George County, Virginia
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway - the 50 mile section of I-95 traversing northeastern Maryland between the City of Baltimore and the Delaware state line
Fort McHenry Tunnel - I-95 crossing the Baltimore Harbor
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel - I-895 crossing the Baltimore Harbor

The following toll facilities are currently in development:

The Intercounty Connector - The Intercounty Connector (ICC) will link existing and proposed development areas between the I-370 and I-95/US 1 corridors within central and eastern Montgomery County and northwestern Prince George's County with a state-of-the-art, multi-modal 18-mile east-west highway that limits access and accommodates the movement of passengers and goods. This $2.4 billion project is being financed by MdTA, with the Maryland State Highway Administration serving as the project manager for engineering and construction. Upon its completion, the ICC will become the Authority's eighth toll facility.

The I-95 Express Toll Lanes (ETLs) - Beginning in the Spring of 2006, the Maryland Transportation Authority began construction of the Express Toll Lanes (ETLs) on the most congested portion of I-95 north of Baltimore City. This 10-mile segment stretches from the I-895 (N) split in east Baltimore City, to north of MD 43 in White Marsh, Baltimore County. Once complete, there will be two ETLs and four general-purpose lanes in each direction. Motorists will have the option of using the general-purpose lanes at no cost or paying a toll to use the ETLs. The tolls will be managed to maintain relatively congestion-free traffic flow. The toll for using the ETLs will vary depending on the time of day and amount of traffic on the road.

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[edit] See also

edit Maryland Transportation Authority facilities
Bridges	Chesapeake Bay \| Hatem (Susquehanna) \| Key (Outer Harbor) \| Nice (Potomac) \| Tydings
Tunnels	Baltimore Harbor \| Fort McHenry
Highways	Harbor Tunnel Thruway \| JFK Memorial Highway \| I-95 in Baltimore \| I-395 \| ICC (future)

Roads and highways in Maryland
Roads:	State highways - U.S. highways and Interstate highways - Minor state highways - Former state highways
Highway agencies:	State Highway Administration (SHA) - Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA)