While leasing public roads to private companies for large cash payments might be attractive for some public officials, it doesn't help solve the larger issues facing the country's transportation system.
Robert Puentes, a fellow at Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, argues that the growing trend of privatizing roadways is moving forward without real consideration for the repercussions to government's bottom line and the public at large.
"Governments lose more than they gain. All that up-front cash looks sweet, but the long-term revenue stream is lost since all the toll receipts flow directly to the private operators."
"Governments also lose the option to borrow against those future revenues."
"Far worse, policy-makers lose the ability to connect transportation to other emerging metropolitan trends. Transportation planning is inherently a metropolitan issue - people and goods travel in and out of cities and between suburbs - and removing a piece of the puzzle hampers the ability to deal strategically with the system in an integrated manner."
FULL STORY: Selling Off Public Roads Isn't A Transit Strategy

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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