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Maryland Considers Freight Rail P3

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is considering novel P3 to improve, operate and maintain approximately 92 miles of freight rail lines on the state’s Eastern Shore. The state collected input and held meetings with industry in April via a Request for Information, and a procurement is expected to begin with an RFQ as early […]

Don’t California My Texas High‐Speed Rail

Texas has a well-earned reputation for out-building California. In both renewable energy to housing, Texas builds while California makes it harder. When Texas Central, the company working to develop a high-speed rail link between Dallas and Houston, completed federal environmental permitting in 2020, it appeared that high-speed rail was about to be added to that […]

I‐285 East Express Lanes Enters RFP Phase

The next round of competition for Atlanta’s massive top end express lanes network has entered the proposal phase. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) shortlisted bid teams for the I-285 East Express Lanes procurement in late February. The I-285 East Express Lanes project was expected to draw heavy competition from investors, and GDOT’s shortlist is […]

A Fiscally Responsible Highways Reauthorization Bill

The U.S. government’s fiscal situation is going from bad to worse. Neither the White House nor Congress has proposed any measures toward anything like a balanced budget, leading to increasing concerns about our government’s fiscal solvency. – In December, former Comptroller General David Walker told Congress that he sees a 70% chance of a serious […]

PWF Book Review: Why Nothing Works

When New York City implemented its new congestion pricing program earlier this year, opponents tried to block it in court citing violations of a law familiar to American infrastructure practitioners: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As in many other NEPA lawsuits against infrastructure projects, those opponents claimed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) didn’t […]

Brightline West Oversubscribed for $2.5 billion PABs Offering

Brightline West’s plans for a high-speed rail connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas won a vote of confidence from municipal bond investors in March. The project’s $2.5 billion Private Activity Bond (PAB) issuance was significantly oversubscribed. The successful offering will be used to refinance some existing debt and invest in ongoing construction of the […]

Evaluating Fiscal Supports on the Public-Private Partnerships: A Hidden Risk for Contract Survival

Original study by Manabu Nose While public–private partnerships (PPPs) have the potential to bridge infrastructure gaps in developing countries, frequent contract renegotiations and terminations (contract distress) pose significant challenges.  Frequent contract distress imposes fiscal burdens on governments and may deter future private investments. In developing countries, the proportion of PPPs backed by government guarantees has […]