The Maryland Transportation Authority will hold a public hearing Thursday in Gaithersburg on proposed toll increases on state roads and bridges. The session, at Shady Grove Middle School, is the first in a series of public hearings statewide on the proposed hikes.

The hearing is scheduled to begin with a sign-in at 5:30 p.m.; testimony will be taken from 6 to 8 p.m. The school is located at 8100 Midcounty Highway in Gaithersburg.

Transportation officials formally released the toll plan June 2 to generate about $77 million in additional revenue that the department says is needed to operate and maintain the state’s eight toll facilities.

There are no plans to increase tolls on the the Intercounty Connector, the first phase of which opened recently in Montgomery County.

“There are two key forces driving this proposal: paying for major construction work needed to keep these large, aging and expensive facilities both safe and operational, and paying for additional highway capacity now under construction in the Baltimore and Washington regions,” said Beverley K. Swaim-Staley, Transportation Authority chairwoman and transportation secretary .

Toll officials say they have not increased rates on some of the roads in decades.

Del. Brian J. Feldman (D-Dist. 15) of Potomac said he has heard from constituents, even though the state legislature is not involved in the toll increase process.

“People have been caught by surprise by the state folks who control these rates,” Feldman said.

@GZ_CopySubheads:Bethesda bus stops to move temporarily

Buses will have to find new pickup and drop-off sites at the Bethesda Metro Station while renovations on the building are under way.

“We are currently working on a plan for the relocation of the stops and will notify the public when dates and locations are finalized,” said Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato.

Both Ride On and WMATA have service at the station. The work is not expected to affect route schedules.

@GZ_CopySubheads:Traffic confusion at Jefferson and Montrose

Sometimes traffic can be downright confusing. A reader writes:

“Two issues have arisen on southbound Jefferson Street since one lane of this street was effectively removed with the new Montrose Parkway intersection. Driving southbound on East Jefferson Street, insufficient traffic can get through the Montrose Road and Montrose Parkway intersections. As a result, cars cut in from the lane that ends into the left lane after crossing the intersection with Montrose Road.

“Secondly, there is a game of ‘chicken’ after crossing the Montrose Parkway intersection trying to move from the left lane to the right lane in order to access the office buildings on the right side of the street. Cars going east on Montrose Parkway that turn right onto East Jefferson Street do not yield despite the yield sign.

“If East Jefferson Street were two lanes through both the Montrose Road and Montrose Parkway intersection, this would solve many of the traffic issues. This can be easily fixed by removing the barrier that was added to East Jefferson Street. East Jefferson Street would then be a two-lane road through both the Montrose Road and Montrose Parkway intersections. No construction of [an additional lane] is required.”

Susan Donohue

Rockville

Montgomery County Department of Transportation spokesman Thomas Pogue said the county will review the situation and report back when it is completed.

@GZ_CopySubheads:Cedar Lane bridge to close

Work on the Cedar Lane bridge in Bethesda will close the structure for 12 weeks, forcing detours of traffic and Ride On bus routes.

The bridge crosses over Rock Creek, and an inspection found that the concrete beams and piers were in poor condition, according to the county. The work begins June 16. A temporary bridge for pedestrians will be built up, but traffic will be detoured.

Ride On Route 34 will be detoured between Parkhill Drive and Beach Drive. Six bus stops will be discontinued during the construction project, which is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 24, when service will return to normal.

The bridge was originally built in 1959.