It has been revealed that hundreds of millions of dollars in tolls and fines remain uncollected due to poor collection management by Maryland transportation authorities.
According to an audit report released on the 2nd by the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits, the total amount of uncollected tolls and penalties owed to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) reached $818.1 million. This figure is nearly equal to MDTA's entire operating budget for fiscal year 2025 (approximately $885 million).
About $669 million of the uncollected funds have been overdue for more than a year, with more than half of that amount, $386.3 million, remaining neglected for more than three years. In particular, the lack of effective enforcement measures against out-of-state drivers who moved to other states was pointed out as a primary cause. Among out-of-state motorists, drivers from Virginia accounted for the largest share of unpaid tolls, totaling $234.7 million.
The Office of Legislative Audits stated, "MDTA merely issued notices of unpaid tolls and penalties to out-of-state vehicle owners, failing to take substantial enforcement actions such as suspending vehicle registrations through reciprocity agreements with other state authorities." Furthermore, it was found that the agency did not utilize private debt collection agencies or refer the debts to the state Central Collection Unit (CCU).
The unpaid amount for vehicles registered in Maryland also exceeded $907 million, bringing the total uncollected sum to about one-third of the total construction cost of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which is scheduled for rebuilding in the coming years.
In response, MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner explained, "This situation arose during the transition to an all-electronic (video) tolling system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are preparing multifaceted solutions, such as establishing reciprocal enforcement agreements with out-of-state agencies and selecting third-party collection agencies." MDTA plans to sequentially expand enforcement agreements with other states, starting with Pennsylvania as early as the end of this year.
However, criticism of administrative mismanagement is growing, particularly among opposition lawmakers in the state legislature. Republican Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey strongly criticized the situation, calling it "an astonishing failure to perform the most basic responsibility of government," and added, "Governor Wes Moore must properly collect the unpaid money before discussing toll hikes with residents."