A public-private partnership to build a tunnel connecting Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth under the Elizabeth River in Virginia has gone awry, saddling the public with increasing costs and, likely, more expenses in the future.

"The private proposal to build a new underwater tunnel in [the] congested port city [of Norfolk] was originally billed as a way for Virginia to get a crucial piece of infrastructure without having to put in a single dollar of state money," according to an article by Michael Laris.
"Instead, Virginia officials have agreed to spend slightly more than $580 million on the project, more than twice the investment from the companies behind the deal."
The article cites the Midtown Tunnel project, as it's known, as the latest example of public-private partnerships that failed to deliver on their promise of delivering cheap and efficient transportation investment. For example, according to Laris: "An Indiana toll road went bankrupt last year after falling short of traffic projections; in Chicago, a 75-year deal privatizing parking meters has been denounced by critics as an unnecessary giveaway."
Laris goes on to describe just how the public cost burden spun so far from its original promise, which representative from one of the companies on the private side of the equation comes from the state's unwillingness to charge the money necessary in tolling.
FULL STORY: Agreement for new submerged tunnel in Norfolk leaves Virginia underwater

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions