Maryland Transportation Authority

What Maryland Transportation Authority does

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) is an independent State agency of Maryland, headquartered at 2310 Broening Highway in Baltimore, that finances, owns, and operates eight toll facilities across the state — including the Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95), the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695), the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bay Bridge (US 50/301), the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (I-95), the Intercounty Connector (MD 200), and three additional bridges and tunnels. The agency's core technology is an All Electronic Tolling (AET) platform deployed at every facility, which collects tolls through three interoperable channels — E-ZPass transponders, Pay-By-Plate license-plate imaging, and Video Tolling — without requiring vehicles to stop or slow down. Customers access account management via the DriveEzMD web portal and mobile app (iOS and Android), with supplemental services including real-time traffic cameras, EV charging stations, and the I-95 Maryland House and Chesapeake House Travel Plazas.

MDTA is operationally and financially self-sufficient: it receives no gas tax, motor vehicle fees, or Transportation Trust Fund revenue, financing the operation, maintenance, improvement, and protection of all eight facilities entirely from toll revenues. Pricing is usage-based across the three electronic payment methods, with E-ZPass interoperability extending from Maine to Illinois and North Carolina to Maine via the E-ZPass Interagency Group. The agency employs a 500+ person police force (the eighth-largest law enforcement agency in Maryland), holds CALEA accreditation, and is supported by a legislatively capped $4 billion debt limit and a Board-mandated 2.0x minimum debt service coverage policy, resulting in consistent double-A ratings from Fitch, Moody's, and S&P.

MDTA's customer base spans Maryland residents, regional commuters, commercial freight operators, and interstate travelers, with no single customer concentration risk. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer at the point of tolling, supplemented by customer service centers at MDTA facilities and MVA locations, retail E-ZPass On-the-Go distribution, and digital channels (website, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, email/text alerts). The agency has historically leveraged public-private partnerships (P3s) to expand capacity — including the 50-year Seagirt Marine Terminal agreement with Ports America Chesapeake (2009), the Purple Line Transit Partners light rail concession (2016), and the Areas USA/Sunoco travel plaza redevelopment (2013) — while maintaining statutory monopoly control over Maryland's major toll crossings.

Name

Maryland Transportation Authority

Legal name

Maryland Transportation Authority

Website

https://mdta.maryland.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Maryland Transportation Authority is an independent State agency that operates eight toll facilities across Maryland — bridges, tunnels, and highways — using All Electronic Tolling (E-ZPass, Pay-By-Plate, Video Tolling), financed entirely through toll revenue and serving Maryland residents, commuters, and interstate travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Toll Road and Transportation Infrastructure Services

akta.pro primary industry

Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) & Transponder/Tag Systems (RFID/DSRC) (TLAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Back-Office Toll Transaction Processing, Billing & Customer Account Management (TLAJABAC), Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) / Video Tolling & Enforcement (TLAJABAB), Toll Payment & Toll Account Management (ETC, Toll Tags, Toll Invoicing) (TLABAMAC)

Keywords

• Toll road services
• Electronic toll collection
• Transportation infrastructure
• E-ZPass services
• Cashless tolling

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Toll Revenue: MDTA is self-sufficient and receives no gas tax, motor vehicle fees, or other revenue in the Transportation Trust Fund. All eight facilities are fully financed, operated, maintained, improved, and protected with toll revenues paid by customers using those facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) operates and maintains eight toll facilities across Maryland, providing safe, efficient movement of people and goods. It delivers cashless electronic toll collection through E-ZPass, Pay-By-Plate, and Video Tolling, supported by the DriveEzMD customer service platform and E-ZPass Maryland On-the-Go retail services. The authority also provides public safety services via the MDTA Police and operates E-ZPass Maryland Service Centers for in-person customer support.

Product overview

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) operates a unified toll collection and transportation infrastructure system centered on All Electronic Tolling (AET) across eight facilities. The core product portfolio includes E-ZPass electronic toll collection, Pay-By-Plate, and Video Tolling systems, all accessible through the DriveEzMD customer portal (web and mobile app). MDTA also provides complementary services including traffic camera monitoring, EV charging stations, I-95 Travel Plazas, and law enforcement through the MDTA Police force. The system is self-sufficient, funded entirely through toll revenues rather than gas taxes or state appropriations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DriveEzMD: Customer-facing brand for E-ZPass, video tolling, and Pay-By-Plate services for Maryland toll roads.
• MDTA Police

Products and services

• E-ZPass Maryland
• Pay-By-Plate
• Video Tolling
• DriveEzMD
• E-ZPass Maryland On-the-Go
• E-ZPass Maryland Service Centers
• MDTA Police
• Toll Facility Operations

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2016Selected as concessionaire to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Purple Line over a 30-year term. The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the P3 contract on April 6, 2016. Construction began in late 2016 with passenger service starting in winter 2027. Purple Line is a 16.2-mile, 21-station, east-west light rail transit system extending from Bethesda Metro Station to New Carrollton Metro Station.
• Areas USA and SunococoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013$56 million investment from private-sector partners Areas USA and Sunoco to redesign and rebuild two Maryland Travel Plazas along I-95 (John F. Kennedy Highway). The Maryland House and Chesapeake House travel plazas support 575 facility jobs.
• Ports America Chesapeake, LLCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2009Seagirt Marine Terminal P3 agreement signed in November 2009. As part of the 50-year agreement, Ports America agreed to make capital investments over the life of the lease and has provided $140 million to the State for highway, bridge and tunnel projects near the Port of Baltimore. The $1.3 billion deal to enlarge the Seagirt Marine Terminal creates 5,700 jobs and positions Baltimore as one of only two U.S. East Coast ports with a 50 foot-deep berth to handle new Super-Post-Panamax cargo ships.
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2008Partnered with DNR and Chesapeake Bay Foundation in fall 2008 to create the Asquith Creek Oyster Reef - a three-acre oyster reef with four million juvenile oysters and demolished concrete from the Bay Bridge Preservation Project. Recognized with FHWA Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award.
• Chesapeake Bay FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2008Collaborated to create the Asquith Creek Oyster Reef with four million juvenile oysters and demolished concrete from the Bay Bridge Preservation Project, providing an oyster sanctuary to improve Chesapeake Bay water quality.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Florida's Turnpike Enterprise: Operates approximately 500 miles of limited-access toll facilities within Florida's state highway system, including E-ZPass/SunPass interoperability and AET. Direct peer at similar scale and with comparable monopoly corridor economics.
• Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission: Operates a 550-mile toll highway system across Pennsylvania and is a fellow E-ZPass member. Directly comparable as a state-level toll authority with All Electronic Tolling, similar debt-backed capital structure, and a monopoly on major intrastate toll crossings.
• North Carolina Turnpike Authority: Operates toll facilities on I-77, Triangle Expressway, and Monroe Expressway with E-ZPass interoperability. Direct peer as a state toll authority deploying All Electronic Tolling, with growing asset base and similar bond-financed expansion model.
• New York State Thruway Authority: Operates the 570-mile NYS Thruway with cashless/E-ZPass tolling across major bridges and highways. Direct peer as an E-ZPass Interagency Group member with state-authority governance and toll-bond financing structure.
• Illinois State Toll Highway Authority: Operates the Illinois Tollway system with All Electronic Tolling and E-ZPass interoperability. Direct peer given the matching AET posture, similar revenue model (toll-only, no gas-tax reliance), and comparable scale of infrastructure footprint.
• Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission: Operates the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike with E-ZPass interoperability. Direct peer as a state toll commission with similar self-sufficient funding model, debt-backed capital structure, and AET deployment underway.
• New Jersey Turnpike Authority: Manages the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, both core toll assets in the Mid-Atlantic region. Direct regional peer with E-ZPass interoperability, comparable governance (state authority), and similar toll-revenue self-sufficient model.

Others

• E-ZPass Interagency Group: Consortium of 30+ toll agencies operating interoperable electronic toll collection across 19 states. Not a direct peer but a critical enabling entity — MDTA is a member, and E-ZPass interoperability is foundational to MDTA's addressable transponder base and customer experience.

Regional players

• Delaware River Port Authority: Bi-state authority operating four toll bridges connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania with E-ZPass interoperability. Regional peer with comparable bridge-heavy asset mix and toll-bond financing, though serving a more compact geography than MDTA.

Broad incumbents

• Virginia Department of Transportation (Toll Operations): Operates toll facilities including the Elizabeth River tunnels, I-66 Inside the Beltway, and I-64/I-264/I-564 express lanes. Regional adjacent state operator with E-ZPass interoperability and a mix of legacy and AET/express-lane tolling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themdta
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MDTA-Maryland
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMDTA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maryland-transportation-authority

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maryland Transportation Authority