John Matthews
WMAL.com
Marylanders are calling for lower tolls on the Inter-County Connector.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO WMAL'S REPORT
Commuters, who are willing to pay to drive the 19-mile highway linking Gaithersburg and Laurel, say the ICC cuts an hour or more off their commutes. But it costs them $4.40 each way to drive the stretch.
Critics say the road isn't doing enough to reduce congestion elsewhere because the tolls are too high. If tolls were lower, more people would drive the ICC, reducing traffic on other roads in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, they say.
“Its purpose is to relieve congestion,” Marilyn Balcombe, president of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, told the Washington Post. “If there were lower tolls, more people would use it, so it would relieve more congestion [on local roads] and meet the original purpose of the road.”
Balcombe had pushed for the ICC’s construction.
Governor-elect Larry Hogan is being pushed to cut the rate, but highway officials say they need the revenue the road brings in to pay construction debt.
Hogan will not address the issue of ICC tolls until he takes office in January, according to his spokesperson.
For the first time this year, the road brought in enough revenue to cover its own operating costs and debt service.
Copyright 2014 by WMAL News. All Rights Reserved. (AP Photo)
