Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – (WMAL) The Intercounty Connector has been open for six years now, but the amount of cars using the highway is still falling well below expectations from Maryland Transportation officials.
“Traffic growth has been I guess what we would call more of a modest growth,” said John Sales of the Maryland Transportation Authority.
He said around 65,000 cars use the road every weekday. there were 32.6 million transactions in fiscal year 2017, which was 18 percent below state projections.
Sales said the oft-cited “ramp-up phase” where drivers learn about the new commuting option was over.
“We’re kind of beyond that point now, because it’s been open since 2011,” he said. “People have become familiar with the facility.”
Asked why usage numbers were below expectations, Sales cited estimates that did not take changes in toll rates into account. However, Governor Larry Hogan lowered toll rates two years ago, seemingly to increase usage.
Asked whether there had been a noticeable change in usage since toll rates were lowered, Sales said he was unsure.
Still, officials have said the road was built with future growth in the area in mind, and while it’s not at a rate they would like, traffic is still increasing. Six percent more drivers used the road in June 2017 than June 2016, Sales said.
“There was a need in that area, and I think the ICC is filling that need,” he said. “The traffic is continuing to grow, and we expect it to continue to grow steadily.”
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: youtube)
