SEN. PIPKIN LAUNCHES 2010 BAY BRIDGE USERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS

Senator E. J. Pipkin (Upper Shore 36) asserted that “Bay Bridge users may be the most ignored group in Maryland. The 2010 Bay Bridge Users’ Bill of Rights demands important common sense changes.”

The Bill of Rights includes five pieces of legislation:

• SB 651: The MdTA must hold a public meeting within a 30 mile radius of the toll facility. Citing the MdTA public hearing held on January 29, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Baltimore City, the MdTA heard public comment on the increases in E-Z pass fees and tolls. Senator Pipkin said, “The hearing might as well barred public participation because it was held at a time and place impossible for most Bay Bridge commuters to attend.”

• SB 650: The Executive Secretary of the MdTA must keep the Board informed in detail about the public comments received. “Currently that information is spoon-fed to the Board in a summarized fashion, and I want the Board to know word-for-word what the public is saying,” Pipkin stated. “The Board should not to lose touch with the public it serves.”

• SB 649: Requires an immediate independent inspection of the Bay Bridge, using state-of-the-art technology of all seven bridge construction components and all the elements of the superstructure and substructure. “The use of state-of-the-art technology in the aftermath of the tragic August 10, 2009 accident is the only way the corroded steel inside the Bridge girders would have ever been revealed. It is also deeply troubling that the invasive examination of the westbound bridge’s suspension cables was overdue by six years. What else don’t we know about the condition of the bridge?” asked Pipkin.

• SB 991: Requires the MdTA to temporarily stop collecting tolls when eastbound vehicles are waiting for longer than 30 minutes to cross the Bridge.

• SB 648: Starts the process for the serious consideration of a third Bay Bridge by submitting a request for consideration to the federal government under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). “There is no dispute of the need for a third Bay Bridge”, said Pipkin. “The need for a third bay crossing becomes more imperative each year; this is only a first step for consideration.” Pipkin emphasized that beginning process is not a commitment to build a third bridge. It is only the first step in an investigatory and decision-making process.

“The citizens who endure the intolerable traffic gridlock deserve to have their demands taken seriously,” Pipkin asserted.

Katie Nash

Chief of Staff
Senator E.J. Pipkin
Upper Shore – Legislative District 36
410.841.3639