Infrastructure

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's controversial transportation plan passed the House of Delegates Tuesday, but failed to get out of the Senate despite both chambers agreeing to ban tolling on Interstate 95 in the southern part of the state.

Several individuals have emerged as candidates to replace Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when he steps down, but that person will need to be very proactive to affect meaningful policy, lobbyists say.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority must consider the age of its subway system and a strained budget when considering technical enhancements, officials said.

New York's MTA said it saved $310 million by terminating three leveraged lease agreements that exposed itself to downgraded bond insurer Assured Guaranty.

U.S. airports have $71.3 billion in capital needs through 2017, a major airport interest group said Tuesday, a funding goal that they are not on track to meet.

Public-private partnerships are "toxic" to a lot of people and the mere mention of them can hinder projects, California Treasurer Bill Lockyer said Tuesday. Lockyer said, "Avoid talking about public-private partnerships. They are toxic with a lot of people."

A bill pending in the Maryland Senate would require the state transportation authority to begin exploring the possibility of a bond-financed bridge across the Chesapeake Bay.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority achieved about $1 billion in present-value savings from its 2012 refundings, according to officials.

Ray LaHood, a big supporter of high-speed rail and the Dulles Silver Line project, plans to step down as Transportation Secretary after a successor is nominated and confirmed by the Senate.

A plan released by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority details $6 billion of investment the nation's second-busiest subway system needs to make over the next 12 years, and stresses the need for new revenue to support it.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Tuesday that he will recommend over $2 billion of funding for hundreds of transportation projects statewide, new money projected to come from his controversial overhaul of the commonwealth's gas and sales taxes.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told municipal leaders meeting in Washington Friday that he would help protect the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds.

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., has reintroduced two bills aimed at giving Virginia control of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and strengthening government oversight of the scandal-wracked issuer.

The executive director of AASHTO, John Horsley, is going out with a bang, spending the final weeks before his planned retirement pushing Congress to make authorize $50 billion of tax-credit bonds and to change fuel tax policy.

The House late Tuesday approved more than $50 billion of aid for victims of Superstorm Sandy, which ravaged parts of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and other states.

Bond-related bills pending in the Virginia House of Delegates would limit toll increases on the Dulles Toll Road and authorize the commonwealth, through authorities, to purchase and control the privately-owned Dulles Greenway.

Detroit is expected this week to win a $25 million federal grant for a long-planned light-rail project along one of the city's main corridors.

The International Bridge Tunnel and Turnpike Association has announced a campaign to elevate the role of tolling in transportation funding, backed by a recent Reason Foundation study that advocates for expanded use of toll financing.

Pennsylvania has released guidelines for public-private partnerships under the state's new P3 authorization law, and announced it would accept unsolicited proposals during May and October.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce unveiled its 2013 policy agenda Thursday, calling for an increase in the federal gas tax at a time when some state leaders and industry experts are no longer pursuing that goal.