Infrastructure

WASHINGTON — Rep. G.K. Butterfield has introduced a bill that would curb the power of federal and state officials to toll interstate highways, just as tolls are increasingly seen by transportation officials as a key alternative to offsetting waning federal gas tax revenues for project funding.

WASHINGTON — Executives of two rail organizations that rely on municipal bonds to finance some projects told international advisory firm KPMG that getting stakeholders and policymakers to buy into and embrace a cultural shift will be key to successfully financing large fast-rail networks.

California’s Legislative Counsel says the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s $93 million purchase of a building in San Francisco, using bridge toll money, violates state law.

LOS ANGELES — A bankruptcy judge has approved the Las Vegas Monorail Co.'s reorganization plan, allowing it to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy while nearly wiping out the investment made by bondholders.

The New York State Thruway Authority plans to finance the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge mostly through toll-backed bonding, executive director Thomas Madison said.

DALLAS — The Kansas House adopted a $14.4 billion budget for fiscal 2013 late Tuesday that takes money from Department of Transportation revenues to raise public education funding by $50 million.

Louisiana saved more than $100 million in debt service costs with last week’s $803 million refunding of gasoline and fuels tax revenue bonds, said state Treasurer John Kennedy.

A coalition of public finance groups is lobbying hard for House and Senate conferees working on a long-term highway bill to include a provision that would temporarily increase the limit for bank-qualified bonds.

DALLAS — El Paso County, Texas, will dedicate $27 million of proceeds from $110 million of certificates of obligation to complete a bridge project across the Rio Grande into Mexico.

DALLAS — Two major airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, are trying to sway public opinion in a showdown between two Houston airports that resembles a recent fight in Dallas.