Infrastructure

Pennsylvania's Transportation Commission will submit an updated 12-year, $63.2 billion transportation program to federal officials, said Gov. Tom Corbett.

Congress delayed, but did not fix, a $100 billion hole in federal transportation spending with the enactment last Friday of legislation providing $10.8 billion to extend solvency of the rapidly shrinking Highway Trust Fund by 10 months.

President Obama signed a 10-month, $11 billion bailout of Highway Trust Fund that ensures federal reimbursements continue to state transportation projects.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is urging voters to press lawmakers for a long-term solution to federal highway funding before the end of 2014, but industry experts don't expect Congress to take action until spring 2015 at the earliest.

The National Association of Water Companies wants the Treasury Department to clarify tax rules so that state and local governments can ensure the tax-exempt bonds they used to finance their water and wastewater facilities will not become taxable if they enter into public-private partnerships.

Short-term patch of the Highway Trust Fund is credit positive for $12 billion of state highway Garvee bonds, Moody's says. But neither it nor other major rating agencies are planning to change Garvee ratings or outlooks.

A slew of bond-related bills was introduced in the House and Senate in the last few days before members of Congress left town to begin their five-week recess.

A water main break that resulted in the release of an estimated 20 million gallons of water, flooding Westside Los Angeles neighborhoods and the University of California-Los Angeles campus, is reflective of problems cities across the country face as they grapple with aging infrastructures.

The Senate keeps transportation dollars flowing with for at least 10 months with last-minute approval of the House's $11 billion highway fund bailout.

The House rejected the Senate's amendments to its $10.8 billion, 10-month bailout of the Highway Trust Fund on Thursday afternoon and sent its original bill back to the Senate.

Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday released proposed changes in its rating methodology for 1,100 municipal utilities that it said would only result in rating changes, split between upgrades and downgrades, for less than 10% of them.

The House and Senate seem to be playing a political game of chicken with the Highway Trust Fund, sending differing bills to extend its solvency back and forth just two days before federal officials have threatened to begin cutting back on federal transportation reimbursements to states if there is an impasse

Maryland asks four consortiums for proposals to build and finance $2.4 billion Purple Line commuter rail project.

The Senate adopted legislation that would provide a five-month, $8 billion bailout of the Highway Trust Fund that extends the fund's solvency through mid-December.

Highway construction project awards slacken in 2014 as states gird for possible delays, cuts in federal transportation spending.

Trains are now carrying passengers on the first segment of Washington rail system extension funded with $3 billion of federal loans and toll revenue bonds.

The Agriculture Department and CoBank have formed a $10 billion fund to spur private investment in rural public infrastructure.

Allowing states to toll existing highways as an infrastructure funding option divides transportation industry advocates.

Three senators hope to offer an amendment on Senate floor that rejects budget gimmicks and requires passage in 2014 of a longer term transportation funding measure.

The ailing Highway Trust Fund needs a long-term answer, not another short-term patch, says Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx