Toll revenue for the recently collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge yielded about $56.8 million in 2023. Now that the bridge has been designated as part of the interstate highway system, at least one lawmaker wants to know how future toll money will be used once the bridge is reconstructed.
The question was part of a House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on Wednesday, May 15 regarding the response to the Key Bridge collapse that occurred in Maryland on March 26.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., directed the question at Shailen Bhatt, who is the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.
“I wonder if you think it’s fair that the American taxpayer should not only pay to reconstruct the bridge but then pay tolls after which to use the infrastructure they just paid for in their taxes,” Perry said. “Is there some plan to recoup that and send that back into the disaster relief fund or the highway fund, which continually needs massive infusions from the general fund just to stay afloat? What’s the plan?”
Bhatt said new toll revenue could be used only for federal projects.
“(The bridge was a) Maryland state facility before and now designated as part of the interstate system,” Bhatt said. “Before, they were free to collect their tolls for the Port of Baltimore or whatever they were using them for. Since this has been federalized, when the tolls are restored as part of the interstate system, they will now have to use them for Title 23-eligible funding. So whether that’s the maintenance of the existing bridge or other Title 23 highway purposes in Maryland, so the American taxpayer will be benefitting from those tolls.”
Instead of using the revenue for projects in Maryland, Perry suggested that the money should benefit all Americans.
“You are asking the taxpayers from across the country to pay for it,” Perry said. “If you’re from Washington state, it’s likely you’re never going to travel across that bridge, but you’re sure going to pay for it. As long as we’re setting precedent, I think it would be appropriate to at least consider reimbursing through the tolls the emergency fund or the transportation fund for the entire country before all the money that goes right back to the state.”
More flexibility for truckers?
Although Wednesday’s hearing did not spend much time on specific trucking issues, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., did ask questions about what could be done to speed up reconstruction and ease the supply chain until it’s completed.
Specifically, LaMalfa asked if truck drivers would receive hours-of-service flexibility until the bridge is reconstructed.
“Is there any way truckers have flexibility for their hours of duty?” LaMalfa asked. “I wouldn’t want them to run out of hours because of a delay.”
Bhatt said that would be a question for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Recently, FMCSA extended an emergency order for the bridge collapse into June. LL
Credit: Source link
