Neal Peirce looks at new ideas for financing roadway improvements, including leasing toll roads to private companies and on-board computer monitoring of actual road use.
"Global finance firms are salivating over the prospect of long-term revenue streams from toll-road deals. Forty-eight firms have submitted 'expressions of interest' in the Pennsylvania Turnpike, reports transportation expert C. Kenneth Orski."
"So critics are clearly right in asking: Are the leases a good deal? The long-term proceeds of the Indiana Toll Road lease to its investors, according to one independent analysis, could run as high as $11.83 billion, not a bad return on their upfront $3.85 billion."
"One thing's certain - the voters are turning highly suspicious. Take the case of Indiana's [Gov. Mitch] Daniels. He's been obliged to abandon his high-powered campaign for yet another toll road - a new privately built, $1.5 billion, 75-mile roadway plowing through rural territory south and east of Indianapolis."
"Opponents also claim it's a bad idea to lease roads to private firms whose interest is their own profits - not serving the public interest. Private firms, they allege, will 'cherry pick' profitable routes, leaving government to support other roads. Truly smart governments, they contend, could raise just as much money as private concession leases."
"But can we do better in this century than a patchwork of road funding and repair fixes?"
FULL STORY: Paving the way for smarter roads

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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