Latest news with #PaulWiedefeld
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maryland emissions testing fee increasing from $14 to $30 on July 1
Vehicle emissions inspection costs in Maryland are slated to increase from $14 to $30 on July 1, part of a package of higher taxes and fees passed by the General Assembly as lawmakers sought to offset a deep budget deficit. The Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, also known as VEIP, requires vehicle owners to undergo emissions testing every two years to reduce air pollution, according to the state's Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said earlier this year that the VEIP fee has not increased since 1997. The funds raised will increase revenue to the transportation trust fund, which has funded the Maryland Department of Transportation since its creation in 1971. The extra revenue will go towards major transportation projects, such as improving I-81 and U.S. 15, state officials said. 'Democrats in Annapolis continue to punish drivers with gas vehicles,' Republican Del. Ryan Nawrocki said in a post on Facebook, pointing to the higher emissions inspection fee. Next week, the Maryland Board of Public Works is expected to approve a new contract for Envirotest Corp. to manage the VEIP stations and self-service kiosks in 13 of the states 23 counties and Baltimore City, according to the meeting agenda. Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@ or on X as @irit_skulnik
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maryland emissions testing fee increasing from $14 to $30 on July 1
Vehicle emissions inspection costs in Maryland are slated to increase from $14 to $30 on July 1, part of a package of higher taxes and fees passed by the General Assembly as lawmakers sought to offset a deep budget deficit. The Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, also known as VEIP, requires vehicle owners to undergo emissions testing every two years to reduce air pollution, according to the state's Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said earlier this year that the VEIP fee has not increased since 1997. The funds raised will increase revenue to the transportation trust fund, which has funded the Maryland Department of Transportation since its creation in 1971. The extra revenue will go towards major transportation projects, such as improving I-81 and U.S. 15, state officials said. 'Democrats in Annapolis continue to punish drivers with gas vehicles,' Republican Del. Ryan Nawrocki said in a post on Facebook, pointing to the higher emissions inspection fee. Next week, the Maryland Board of Public Works is expected to approve a new contract for Envirotest Corp. to manage the VEIP stations and self-service kiosks in 13 of the states 23 counties and Baltimore City, according to the meeting agenda. Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@ or on X as @irit_skulnik
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
State to consider short-, long-term solutions to protect Bay Bridge from catastrophic ship strikes
State transportation officials said they will review short- and long-term strategies for protecting two spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge following a report and recommendations released by the NTSb in March. (File photo from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) State transportation officials said they are working on strategies to protect the two bridges over the Chesapeake Bay following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The response from Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld comes a month after the National Transportation Safety Board called for nearly six dozen bridges nationwide to undergo collapse-risk evaluations. Wiedefeld, in a letter to NTSB officials released Monday, said the Maryland Transportation Administration 'is developing a comprehensive risk reduction plan' for the two crossings over the bay. Some of the short-term strategies could include new communications requirements for ship pilots, reduced speeds, one-way transits and managing vehicle traffic on the bridge, according to the response letter. Longer-term strategies could include physical measures to prevent a strike. In a statement, the Maryland Transportation Authority, which oversees toll bridges, including the former Francis Scott Key and Chesapeake Bay Bridges, spent $160 million last spring to study bridge protection at the Bay Bridge spans even though the agency was 'not obligated to do so under the law.' The review, conducted by Moffatt & Nichol, was performed as the agency looks at the long-term possibility of replacing the existing spans over the bay. Maryland officials mark one year since collapse of Key Bridge The NTSB released a report in March as part of its ongoing review of the allision that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. In that incident, the Dali, a 984-foot-long cargo ship flagged in Singapore, struck the bridge. The resulting collapse killed six people — all of whom were construction workers assigned to a detail on the span over the Patapsco River. In its report, the NTSB said the state had failed to conduct a critical risk assessment on the bridge despite increases in both the amount and size of ship traffic in the channel. The agency said had the state conducted such an assessment, it would have found the risk for a collapse was 30 times greater than the current industry standard. The safety board's March report called on state transportation officials to use updated industry standards to determine the probability of a bridge collapse. Wiedefeld, in his letter to the NTSB, said the consultants for the transportation administration 'conclude the Bay Bridges do not meet the … risk threshold for new bridges.' The board also recommended the state develop short- and long-term strategies to reduce the likelihood of a collapse caused by maritime traffic. Michael Shields, an associate professor for civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University, said in a statement that the results of the risk assessment commissioned by state transportation officials 'which find that the Bay Bridge does not meet the (transportation industry's) risk threshold for new bridges, are not surprising' given the university's own analysis released a month ago. Shields leads the university's assessment of bridge vulnerabilities. The standard for collisions that could cause a collapse should be measured in thousands of years, according to the university study. The Key Bridge would have been in the top 10 most vulnerable in the country, using that standard. That analysis projected the Chesapeake Bay Bridge could expect a catastrophic collision every 86 years. That placed it in the top 12 in the Hopkins analysis. The east-bound span opened in 1952, making it more than 70 years old. The west-bound span, opened in June 1972, would be more than 50 years old. 'Nonetheless, the MDTA's stated commitment to invest in both short-term and long-term protections for the bridge are positive developments that will improve safety and reduce risk,' Shields said in his statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Key Bridge design highlights both ‘triumph' and ‘tragedy' a year after collapse
Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld and Gov. Wes Moore at the unveiling of the design for the replacement of Francis Scott Key Bridge. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) State officials unveiled the design for the new Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday, almost a year after a container ship slammed into the old bridge, sending it tumbling into the Patapsco River and killing six workers in the process. 'This is a great day for Maryland,' said Gov. Wes Moore (D), as the design was revealed. 'But it's not lost on me that today's triumph was born out of tragedy.' Renderings of the bridge unveiled Monday show a soaring cable-stayed bridge to replace the old steel truss bridge that was destroyed in the early hours of March 26, 2024, when the ship, Dali, hit the span. The new bridge would be the first cable-stayed bridge in the state. When it is completed — the contractor predicts the bridge could open in fall 2028 — the bridge will restore a major roadway between Dundalk and Baltimore. The loss of the bridge disrupted supply chains, and shut down a toll road used by more than 30,000 vehicles a day, which collected $56 million in tolls a year. 'This directive isn't about nostalgia, it's about necessity. Because you can't have a fully functioning Port of Baltimore … without the Key Bridge,' Moore said during the event at Tradepoint Atlantic, which is near the remnants of Key Bridge. Moore also announced an investment of $15 million in Tradepoint Atlantic's terminal container project, which is expected to increase container capacity at the terminal by 70%. The project is expected to generate as much as $1 billion in private investments and create up to 8,000 jobs. The new bridge will be four lanes, two in each direction as the old bridge was. But it will provide 230 feet of clearance for ships passing underneath, compared to a height of 185 feet for the old bridge, said Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld. Wiedefeld called the unveiling a 'significant milestone on our path to make the Baltimore region and the vital Northeast corridor whole again.' 'The Port is an economic driver for all of Maryland and the nation,' he said, noting that the new structure will be 'a working bridge for a working city,' though designs are not fully finalized. Now that the plans have been unveiled, the next step in the bridge's construction is demolition of what remains of the old structure, according to Moore. Demolition is expected in the spring and construction will begin shortly after. Preconstruction operations have already begun, such as collecting soil samples and mapping subsurface waterways, the Maryland Transportation Authority said in January. The Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $75 million contract last month to hire three firms that will oversee construction management services on the project, under the name Bridging Maryland Partnership. The partnership will oversee work by the project contractor, the Kiewit Infrastructure Co., to ensure that 'the accelerated design and construction process remains on track,' according to MdTA. 'Maryland is a bridge between America and the rest of the world,' Moore said. 'Commerce and trade are the bedrock of our state. And we will continue to make investments that honor our tradition. We still have work to do, but this is a very important step forward.'
