From MTA:
Governor Martin O'Malley today announced that the State will open the first seven-mile segment of Maryland's Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200 on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 6 a.m., weather permitting. The initial section of the State's first all-electronic toll road connects I-370 at Shady Grove and MD 97 (Georgia Avenue) in Rockville/Olney. In addition, motorists may 'test drive' the ICC at no charge between its opening on Feb. 22 through March 6. The test-drive period will give customers an opportunity to become familiar with the highway's all-electronic tolling and variable pricing, while allowing the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), which will own and operate the ICC as its eighth toll facility, to test the tolling equipment under actual traffic conditions.
Drivers can gain immediate benefits and time savings by using the first ICC segment. In fact, it is projected that trip times can be reduced by up to 70% when using the ICC between Shady Grove and Georgia Avenue compared to traveling congested local roads. The ICC is a variably priced toll facility in order to manage congestion and deliver reliable travel times. Higher tolls are charged during peak-travel times and reduced tolls are charged when traffic volumes are lower.
ICC tolls will be collected electronically at highway speeds using E-ZPass® technology. There will be no toll booths or cash toll collection on the ICC. Traveling the ICC without a valid E-ZPass account will result in a Notice of Toll Due being sent to the registered owner of the vehicle for the cost of the toll. Effective April 6, the notice will include a $3 service charge per trip, as is the policy at Maryland's other toll facilities.
To sign up for E-ZPass, visit www.ezpassmd.com (http://www.ezpassmd.com) to enroll online or get a list of E-ZPass "On the Go" retail locations. E-ZPass Stop-in Centers are located at local Motor Vehicle Administration offices in Gaithersburg and Beltsville and at most Maryland toll facilities.
Beginning Monday, March 7, drivers of passenger vehicles and light trucks will pay the following to travel the ICC's first 5.5-mile tolled segment:
• $1.45 during Peak hours (Mon. – Fri., 6 – 9 a.m. and 4 – 7 p.m.)
• $1.15 during Off-peak times (Mon. – Fri., 5 – 6 a.m., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 7 – 11 p.m.; and Sat. & Sun. 5 a.m. – 11 p.m.) and
• $0.60 Overnight (11 p.m. – 5 a.m. Daily)
These toll rates are at the low end of the tolling ranges approved by the MDTA Board in December 2009.
The next segment of the ICC, under construction by the State Highway Administration (SHA) between Georgia Avenue and I-95 in Laurel, is scheduled to be completed in late 2011/early 2012.
Dateline for the ICC Opening
• Tuesday, Feb. 22, 6:00 a.m.: ICC opens to traffic, weather permitting
• Tuesday, Feb. 22 – Sunday, March 6 at 12 midnight: Test-drive period; no tolls or service charges collected
• Monday, March 7, 12:01 a.m.: Toll collection begins
• Monday, March 7, 12:01 a.m. – Tuesday, April 5, 12 midnight: Waiver of $3 Notice of Toll Due service charge
• Tuesday, April 6, 12:01 a.m.: Full tolling operations, including collection of service charges
The SHA is managing ICC construction, and the MDTA helped finance and will own, operate and maintain the ICC. Construction of the ICC is a major job creator, employing more than 4,500 people and nearly 200 contractors and sub-contractors. For additional information, visit www.mdta.maryland.gov (http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=435%7c892%7c65316&digest=urLGm5RLF3d6X5Z%2flmhmsg&sysid=1).
NOTE: SERVICE ON ROUTE 201 BETWEEN GAITHERSBURG P&R AND BWI AIRPORT BEGINS ON MARCH 1, 2011.
For those viewing from outside Maryland and those not familiar with Maryland's agency acronyms, there are two agencies within the Maryland Department of Transportation that use MTA. The one that most here are familiar with is Maryland Transit Administration, these are the folks that fund and or operate public transit facilities in the State of Maryland. The other agency is the Maryland Transportation Authority, this is agency charged with responsibility of maintaining and operating the toll facilities in the State of Maryland.
Actually the Maryland Transportation Authority uses MdTA to distinguish itself from MTA. Only in Maryland.
I remember years ago shortly after I moved to the DC area, I had noticed the MTA police on the highways about Baltimore. Of course, at that time I though tthey were the transit police and I found it strange that (what I thought was) transit police would be manning speed traps on the highways.
Going back on-topic, I'm looking forward to the opening of the ICC, both as a motorist and as a rider of the express routes using the ICC.
Quote from: WayneNYC on February 08, 2011, 09:42:30 AM
I remember years ago shortly after I moved to the DC area, I had noticed the MTA police on the highways about Baltimore. Of course, at that time I though tthey were the transit police and I found it strange that (what I thought was) transit police would be manning speed traps on the highways.
Going back on-topic, I'm looking forward to the opening of the ICC, both as a motorist and as a rider of the express routes using the ICC.
I can't wait for the 201 myself. I'm just wondering if the running times will be about the same as the draft (also as for the fares too).
Quote from: 79MetroExtraMD on February 08, 2011, 10:01:01 AM
Quote from: WayneNYC on February 08, 2011, 09:42:30 AM
I remember years ago shortly after I moved to the DC area, I had noticed the MTA police on the highways about Baltimore. Of course, at that time I though tthey were the transit police and I found it strange that (what I thought was) transit police would be manning speed traps on the highways.
Going back on-topic, I'm looking forward to the opening of the ICC, both as a motorist and as a rider of the express routes using the ICC.
I can't wait for the 201 myself. I'm just wondering if the running times will be about the same as the draft (also as for the fares too).
The running times and the schedule are exactly the same as the initial plan dated July 2010. MTA has published the schedule. To BWI Route 201 leaves Gaithersburg P&R every hour on the hour between 4:00 AM and 5:00 PM. To Gaithersburg P&R Route 201 leaves BWI every hour on the hour between 9:00 AM and 10:00 PM seven days a week.
Here are the route maps and schedules, I don't think these have been posted here yet: http://mtaiccbus.com/
It also would appear from the site graphics that there are wrapped buses as Wayne thought he may have seen.
Both buses stop at Shady Grove. I don't usually have occasion to use BWI, but I'd be willing to give the 201 a try. Right now, the options from my place for myself or visiting relatives is forever and a day on a Supershuttle, forever and a day on the Metro to the B30, or trying to persuade someone to drive all the way out to the airport. A compromise could be getting someone to drive to Greenbelt and taking the B30 the rest of the way. But I'm thinking the Red Line to the 201 is faster than getting to the B30, whether via Red Line or E buses across town. Maybe if I go to Boston next time I'm stateside and if I wind up on SWA as opposed to something out of DCA (my preferred airport), I'll consider BWI as a more viable option than I would have in the past.
Service on the Route 201 and 202 will be free for the first two weeks according to WTOP:
WASHINGTON - One week after the first stretch of the InterCounty Connector opens two new bus routes will begin along the toll road.
The ICC opens to traffic on Feb. 22.
A week later, on March 1, the Maryland Transit Administration introduces ICC bus routes, 201 and 202. Both will begin at the Gaithersburg Park and Ride and follow Phase 1 of the ICC to Shady Grove Metro station and the Norbeck Park and Ride, where the ICC ends for now.
From there, Route 201 will make stops at the Burtonsville Park and Ride and Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport's Southwest and International terminals before ending at the BWI MARC/Amtrak station.
Route 202 will make stops at the Savage MARC station and the National Security Agency before ending at Fort Meade.
Both services will be free for the first two weeks. After that, the fare will be $5 for a one-way trip.
Crews work nonstop in Md. to finish first section of Intercounty Connector toll road (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021505248.html)
By Katherine Shaver
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Washington Post photo gallery:
The Intercounty Connector's debut (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2011/02/15/GA2011021505604.html#photo=14)
Officials gave the media a tour Tuesday of the first 7.2 miles of what highway signs will refer to as Route 200, the 18.8-mile highway that will connect Prince George's and Montgomery counties, a week before it opens.
(http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/gallery/110215/GAL-11Feb15-7333/media/PHO-11Feb15-291068.jpg)
An out-of-service commuter bus has the ICC to itself near Redland Road.
Feb. 15, 2011
Mark Gail The Washington Post
FEB. 22 ICC OPENING RESCHEDULED TO FEB. 23
DUE TO FORECASTED WEATHER SYSTEM
As a result of forecasted precipitation overnight, the Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200 is now scheduled to open to traffic by 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, weather permitting. The expected wintery mix will prevent crews from completing final work that must be performed overnight to adjust traffic patterns on adjacent highways that is required for the opening of the ICC.
"For safety and logistical reasons, we need to push the opening of the ICC about 24 hours," said Acting Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Executive Secretary Harold M. Bartlett. "There is transition work that must take place overnight before we can open the ICC and that work cannot take place in wet or icy conditions.
Division of Communications
2310 Broening Highway, Suite 160
Baltimore, MD 21224
1-866-713-1596
Yeah, I was planning to take a drive on the ICC before going to work. I guess I'll drive it on Wednesday AM as I will be heading to NYC for the day, and again on the return trip.
An email from MDTA about toll collection on the ICC:
Get there Faster with E-ZPass and the ICC
ICC Toll Collection Begins Monday, March 7
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) reminds motorists to get their E-ZPass® for convenient and time-saving travel on the Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200. Nearly 273,000 vehicles have traveled the first segment of the State's first all-electronic toll road since it opened in the early hours of Feb. 23. The ICC's "testdrive" period continues through this Sunday, March 6, and toll collection will begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 7.
To sign up for E-ZPass, visit www.ezpassmd.com (http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=435%7c981%7c65316&digest=EBVFI3EVTYkgvjRYNZNMSA&sysid=1) to enroll online. E-ZPass Stop-in Centers are located at local Motor Vehicle Administration offices in Gaithersburg and Beltsville. These full-service Stop-in Centers are open from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays, excluding State holidays:
• MVA Gaithersburg Branch Office, 15 Metropolitan Grove Road.
• MVA Beltsville Branch Office, 11760 Baltimore Avenue, Station 43/44.
E-ZPass "On the Go" ready-to-use transponders are available at all MVA offices in Montgomery County, including Gaithersburg, Walnut Hill Express, Glenmont Express and White Oak.
The cost to open an individual E-ZPass account is $46 -- $25 in pre-paid tolls and a $21 transponder charge. Account payments may be made by cash, check, money-order or automatic credit-card replenishment. A $1.50 service charge is applied monthly to all E-ZPass accounts for account-maintenance services.
Since the ICC opened to traffic, a toll-free "test-drive" period has been in effect. Toll collection begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, March 7. Traveling the ICC without a valid E-ZPass will result in a "Notice of oll Due" being sent to the vehicle's registered owner for the cost of the toll. Effective April 6, the notice will include a $3 service charge per one-way trip.
The State Highway Administration (SHA) is managing ICC construction, and the MDTA helped finance, owns, operates and maintains the ICC. SHA traffic engineers will continue monitoring traffic on MD 200 and local roadways during the initial days of ICC toll collection. For more on ICC operations, visit www.mdta.maryland.gov (http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=435%7c982%7c65316&digest=ijTfEaSeipWTMhi3VqmbjQ&sysid=1).
Important ICC Dates:
• Monday, March 7, 12:01 a.m.: Toll collection begins.
• Monday, March 7, 12:01 a.m. – Tuesday, April 5, 12 midnight: Waiver of $3 Notice of Toll Due service charge for drivers without E-ZPass.
• Tuesday, March 15: MTA begins fare collection for commuter bus service. Visit www.mtaiccbus.com (http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=435%7c983%7c65316&digest=Gtqg7lIY0FJRuv9vqSSWtQ&sysid=1).
• Tuesday, April 6, 12:01 a.m.: Full tolling operations/collection of service charges.
Pricing Period Two-Axle Toll Rate
Peak Period $1.45
Mon – Fri: 6 – 9am; 4 - 7pm
(excluding federal holidays)
Off-Peak Period $1.15
Mon – Fri: 5 – 6am; 9am - 4pm; 7 – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 5am – 11pm
Overnight Period $0.60
Daily 11pm – 5am
Division of Communications
2310 Broening Highway, Suite 160
Baltimore, MD 21224
1-866-713-1596
To forward to a friend: Forward (http://cl.publicaster.com/Forward.aspx?pubids=435%7c139%7c65316&digest=zIXwOWukeqnlzm%2bfOWy5sw&sysid=1)