Md's Xmas Present To Drivers

From WaPo:


By Katherine Shaver
Friday, December 18, 2009; A01

A controversial new highway that will connect Montgomery and Prince George's counties will charge the most expensive tolls in the Washington area and some of the highest in the nation when it opens next year.

The board of the Maryland Transportation Authority approved rates Thursday for the Intercounty Connector, an 18.8-mile, six-lane highway designed to ease congestion on some of the most jammed roads in the region.

But the toll road will not pay for itself -- even with rates that will amount to as much as $6.15 each way for drivers traveling the entire length. Revenue from Maryland's seven other toll routes will help subsidize the highway's annual costs.

"The ICC has long been a controversial road, and they just made it more controversial," said John B. Townsend II, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "The question is: Can anyone afford to use it?"

Maryland transportation officials said the ICC rates -- 10 cents to 35 cents a mile, depending on the time of day -- are comparable to those on newer toll roads across the country, including express toll lanes in California with rates of up to a dollar a mile.

The next-most expensive toll in Washington is the Dulles Greenway's peak rate, which amounts to 28.5 cents a mile. Across the country, highway toll rates typically fall between 3 cents and 25 cents a mile, according to AAA.

 Ronald L. Freeland, executive secretary of the Maryland Transportation Authority, said state studies estimate that 60 percent of ICC motorists will use the highway for about six miles, which would amount to a maximum of $2 each way during off-peak hours and $2.35 each way during rush hours.

 "When you do the math, it's not really that high," he said. "It just looks like it on a per-mile basis."

 The toll plan was approved over the objections of the Montgomery County Council and critics who said the tolls would leave many motorists priced out. The authority said 74 percent of the 380 people who commented on the toll plan said the rates were too high. The Prince George's County Council, which has opposed construction of the ICC, did not take a position on the toll plan.

 The ICC's first 7.2-mile segment, between Interstate 370 in Gaithersburg and Georgia Avenue in northern Silver Spring, is scheduled to open next fall. The rest of the highway, extending east to Route 1 in Laurel, is scheduled to open by spring 2012.

Drivers will get a price break between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and will be charged a two-mile minimum, according to new elements in the plan that passed unanimously with little discussion. The authority had initially proposed a three-mile minimum, which some Prince George's residents had said would unfairly penalize them because interchanges will be closer together on the highway's eastern end.


Peak tolls of 25 cents to 35 cents a mile will be charged for two-axle vehicles from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays. Overnight, two-axle vehicles will be charged 10 cents to 30 cents per mile.

Non-peak rates of 20 cents to 30 cents a mile will be charged during all other times outside the new overnight period, officials said. Five-axle trucks will pay up to $2.10 a mile, amounting to $36.85 to travel the entire highway during peak periods.

State officials said the tolls must be high enough to make the highway an attractive, free-flowing alternative to congested roads. The tolls also must bring in maximum revenue to help cover the debt service on $1.2 billion in toll-backed bonds that helped fund the road's $2.56 billion in construction costs.

The state could not have afforded to build the ICC without the toll-backed bonds, an approach that cash-strapped states are increasingly relying on, said Maryland Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley.

Financing new highways with toll revenue helps "get the infrastructure we need as quickly as we can," said Swaim-Staley, who chairs the authority's board.

Even the approved tolls will come up short, the authority's Freeland said. Toll collections on the ICC are predicted to reach about $60 million annually during the first five years, he said. During that period, the debt service and operating costs will add up to about $100 million a year.

Freeland said motorists traveling Maryland's toll bridges and tunnels will make up the difference. Maryland has long subsidized construction of new toll facilities by pooling toll revenue statewide, he said.
Montgomery council president Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), who chairs the council's transportation committee, said that high tolls will discourage people from using the ICC, leaving local roads with the same congestion that the highway is intended to alleviate.

"They gave themselves a range" of tolls, Floreen said. "Let's hope they start at the low end."
The authority made concessions in response to public concerns, such as reducing the overnight fees, officials said. It also agreed to requests to charge motorcycles with sidecars or trailers as two-axle vehicles, even if they have three axles.

Freeland said the agency will set the exact tolls closer to the opening of the first segment. After that, the authority could alter the rates within the approved ranges with 10 days' notice. If the authority wants to change the ranges, it would have to release a new plan for public comment and board approval.

Although the rates would have to be increased if the highway becomes jammed, Freeland said, he does not expect the ICC to reach such congestion levels "for at least 10 years."

The ICC will be the first toll facility in Maryland to collect all revenue electronically using the E-ZPass system. Cash will not be allowed. Motorists without an E-ZPass will be mailed a bill with a $3 surcharge to their vehicle registration address.

Staff writer Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.

It's The Little Things That Count

This is just a little road project but it is one that should help improve the mess that is the entrance to the Wal-Mart et al. We just wonder who thought this was a good idea to start now, at the height of the holiday shopping season.

A Howard County construction project is currently under way at the intersection of Dobbin Road and Dobbin Center Way, south of Route 175, in Columbia.  The project will include construction of a right turn lane from southbound Dobbin Road onto westbound Dobbin Center Way.  Weather permitting, the project should be completed in May 2010.

During work hours, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the existing right lane on southbound Dobbin Road may be closed.  Flagging operations will be in place to direct traffic as needed and signs will be posted to advise motorists of the construction. 

For questions or concerns about Capital Project J-4211, contact Lisa Brightwell, Public Works Customer Service, at 410-313-3440 or by e-mail to publicworks@howardcountymd.gov.

HoCo Arrests Three For Racist Graffiti

From HoCo PD:

Howard County police have charged three teens for defacing Mt. Hebron High School with racist graffiti, destroying school property and stealing electronics from the school.

Three 15-year-old males from Ellicott City, who all attend the school, are charged with second- and fourth-degree burglary, two counts of malicious destruction of property, 13 counts of theft and defacing school property with hate messages.

One of the teens was arrested Friday. The other two were arrested Monday. Following their arrests, all of the teens were released to their parents.

The vandalism occurred at the school in the 9400 block of Old Frederick Road in Ellicott City on Dec. 5. Police believe the vandals broke a side window in a portable classroom trailer to gain entry. Once inside, the suspects used spray paint to deface school property, depicting swastikas and the letters “KKK.” Police are investigating whether anyone at the school was specifically targeted.

The suspects also stole electronics and damaged computer equipment. During the course of the investigation, police recovered all of the stolen electronics.

In an unrelated case, police are investigating an incident where racist and obscene graffiti was spray painted on the exterior of Hammond Middle School. The vandalism occurred between Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:25 a.m.

Vandals spray painted the outside of the school building and a trailer with a swastika and a gun firing at a Star of David. The graffiti also included an obscene drawing and the word “Hi” with a smiley face. The school is located in the 8100 block of Aladdin Drive in Laurel.

Police are offering a $300 reward for information leading to the identification of those responsible.

Anyone with information is asked to call 410-313-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous.

Is YouTube Educational?

That was one of the more provocative questions to come up at the HoCo school board's Dec. 10 meeting.

During a discussion on proposed changes to the system's regulations governing the acceptable use of technology, student board member Josh T. Manley asked the administration (about 4 hours 18 minutes into the broadcast) to reconsider its blanket policy of blocking sites such as YouTube.

YouTube, he argued, has educational benefits. He said an advanced placement science teacher once was interested in showing off a video on ground water runoff, but presumably could not. A Spanish teacher wanted to show a video of what other kids did for their class project. Again, it was no permitido.

Manley wondered about a more fluid approach. Perhaps other policies governing student conduct could be used if students access videos that they should not in schools. But some board members seemed wary of easing the restrictions, given all the, ahem, non-educational content that can also be found on the Web.

The board's role in loco parentis means "We have responsibility to protect people from themselves," said school board vice chairman Ellen Flynn Giles. 

At a later point in the discussion, board member Sandra H. French said she worried about all the hate speech that can be accessed on the Internet. The system, she said, needed to do what is necessary to keep such content out of the schools.

Administration officials, meanwhile, said they are looking into ways to continue blocking certain sites while allowing classes to access some specific content, where appropriate.

For now, Manley suggested, some classes are just ignoring the school policy.

For educational reasons, of course.

Look Who's Coming To Ft. Meade

The Annapolis Capital put out a package of stories (overview here, real estate here and schools impact here) on the coming boom at Fort Meade as the base realignment and closure process -- BRAC -- gets underway in earnest next year. The workforce there is projected to grow by 22,000 jobs.

Here's where the people are coming from:

The Defense Information Systems Agency accounts for the largest share of the BRAC jobs with more than 4,200 jobs now in Northern Virginia bound for Fort Meade. Most of them are information technology and communications specialists.

DISA manages the military's computer networks, telecommunication systems and Internet services, making it the civilian equivalent of AT&T Co., Google and America Online.

"With the addition of DISA and NSA in one place, I believe we become the world epicenter for information security technology," Leib said. [That's Bob Leib, special assistant to the Anne Arundel county executive for BRAC.]


When complete, the campus will include 1.1 million square feet of office space built by Colorado-based Hensel Phelps Construction Co. for $442 million. Construction should be finished by September 2010.

Two other organizations, the Defense Media Activity and the Colocation/Adjudication Services, account for the rest of the BRAC jobs.

The DMA is the military's internal communication service. It has thousands of employees all over the globe but only about 663 of them will be relocated to Fort Meade, its new headquarters. Most will come from offices in Northern Virginia while the rest will come from San Antonio.

It's involved in Web, broadcast and print media. For example, it produces Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for service members. It runs a cable channel for soldiers abroad and it coordinates broadcasts of major events, like NFL playoff games, so soldiers in military installations overseas can watch their favorite team.

DMA's offices broke ground in early April and will take about two years and $80 million to complete. The facility will include studios, editing suites and administrative space.

The DMA doesn't expect its staff to move en masse to homes near Fort Meade; many of them already live in Maryland or Northern Virginia, making for a doable commute, said Col. Mike Galloucis, chief of staff for the organization.

He said he expects most of the workforce to decide to keep their job when it moves.

"I think that the only people in this area who will not work at Fort Meade are those individuals who are coming up on retirement eligibility," Col. Galloucis said.

Even civilians working in San Antonio are open to the idea of moving to Maryland and many have planned scouting trips up here, he said.

Adjudication Services is responsible for processing security clearances for military employees. Its 760 workers are the force behind the background checks, polygraphs and other safeguards that try to filter out applicants with shady backgrounds.

It used to be several different organizations with the same mission, but they were all working for different parts of the Department of Defense. Now they are all under one roof and one flag.

Except for a small contingent of workers in Ohio, most are from Northern Virginia. Because it's so close, the move to Fort Meade isn't that big of a deal, said Patricia Stokes, director of security for the organization. "Most of the community that is moving from here is already local. It's anti-climatic," she said.

Construction of Adjudication Services' 152,000-square-foot building began in March and is on track for a 2010 completion.

Things That Make You Go "Huh"

That's what we thought after reading this week's Flier:

* A county judge dismissed several charges against a 23-year-old man accused to firing 21 shots into a crowded Halloween party in Columbia that killed one and paralyzed another.

On Dec. 1, Howard County District Court Judge Pamila Brown dismissed the counts related to the shooting and paralyzing of Nathaniel Quick, 22, of Columbia.

Brown found during a preliminary hearing that no probable cause existed for police to accuse Devon Dixon, 22, of Elkridge, of shooting the bullets that left Quick paralyzed, though the judge found that probable cause did exist for police to accuse Dixon of shooting and killing another partygoer, Aaron Brice, 19, of Silver Spring, according to prosecutors.

*  The school system is going to provide about 50 Bryant Woods elementary students with bus transportation while CA does repair work on the pedestrian tunnels that go under Twin Rivers Road.

Bryant Woods resident April Wainwright said she thinks the work should have been scheduled for the summer, when schools are not in session.

“To me, that’s much better than risking a child’s life. It’s frightening for me,” said Wainwright, whose daughters, ages 8 and 12, are among the children who use the tunnels to commute to school. “I’m extremely concerned about kids, especially the little ones, crossing Twin Rivers. They’re going to take their chances and just run across.”

* The state is apparently going to mix sugar beet molasses with road salt to treat roads when it snows. The  gooey stuff is supposed to make the salt stick better.

State officials tout Ice Bite as a natural and biodegradable supplement to crews' ice-combating arsenal. Ice Bite is mixed into salt brine tanks so that more of the salt sticks to the road pavement, rather than scattering, when deployed by salt trucks, [State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie] Gischlar said.


The result should make salt application more effective and save money, he said, adding that Ice Bite has been used with positive results in Virginia, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio and Iowa.

We'd love to hear HowChow's take on that.

Teen Arrested For OM Prank Calls

From HoCo PD:

Howard County police have charged a 15-year-old former student from Oakland Mills High School for making a series of telephone threats to the school using spoofing software. The teen, who lives in Columbia, was arrested Monday. He is charged with making arson threats, telephone misuse, harassment, second degree assault, making a false statement about a destructive device and disturbing school operations. He was released to his parents on Monday.

The incidents date back to Sept. 10, when police believe the teen phoned the Howard County Board of Education on a three-way call with a second suspect on the line. The second suspect left a voicemail message falsely identifying herself as a specific student’s grandmother and stating the student was carrying a gun in school. Police investigated and determined the allegation was untrue. A second call of a similar nature was also made the following day and was again determined to be unsubstantiated.

On Dec. 1, the suspects made another call, this time to Oakland Mills High School, alleging a different student was carrying a gun. As in the first case, a female on the line identified herself as the student’s grandmother. Again, police investigated and determined the allegation was false.

On Dec. 4, the same suspects called Oakland Mills High School and stated there were bombs at the school. The male caller also made threats about shooting the school’s principal. School staff kept the suspects on the phone line, and the school resource officer spoke with them, determining the call was a prank. Based on information the school resource officer obtained while speaking with the suspects, police believed the threat was not credible, and the school was not evacuated.

In all of the incidents, the calls appeared to be coming from a Texas phone line, leading police to believe the calls were made using online spoofing software. Investigators subpoenaed phone records, which led them to the teen suspect. Charges against the female suspect are pending further investigation. Police do not have additional information to release about the female suspect or her relationship to the teen at this time.