Economy

CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich last week signed into law a new five-year hospital assessment program aimed at leveraging about $4 billion in additional federal matching Medicaid funds for the state's not-for-profit hospitals, especially those considered "safety-net" hospitals with high Medicaid volumes.

DALLAS - Texas Gov. Rick Perry and top legislative leaders yesterday urged lawmakers to allow use of state retirement and other investment funds for transportation projects and demanded immediate issuance of $1.5 billion of bonds authorized last year.

A state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would allow Montana municipalities to issue revenue bonds backed by local gas taxes to fund transportation projects.

Santa Clara County voters will decide in November whether they want to pay more property taxes to rebuild their public hospital and a higher sales tax to take the Bay Area Rapid Transit system to San Jose.

DALLAS - A key player in a transportation plan in north Texas aims to keep its inaugural rail project on track with funding from the area's Regional Transportation Council.

The Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey yesterday approved toll and fare increases on its four bridges and its PATCO mass-transit system, with those hikes to take effect on Sept. 14.

Moody’s Investors Service last week upgraded to Aa2 from Aa3 the long-term rating on debt issued for the Medical Center of Central Georgia Inc.

WASHINGTON - Airports and toll roads face a more uncertain future than other transportation sectors, Fitch Ratings said in a special report due out today. The agency revised its outlook for both airports and toll roads to negative from stable, and suggested the sectors may be undergoing permanent transformation.

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is expected to propose in his 2009 budget to be released next month that the county fund a study on the privatization of Mitchell International Airport.

ATLANTA -The Atlanta City Council on Monday made more progress towards bringing the historic BeltLine tax allocation district project to fruition by approving a $120 million bond deal for its development.

The Kansas City council last week decided to ask voters on the Nov. 4 general election ballot whether they support a sales tax increase to fund an $800 million starter light-rail system.

DALLAS - A convergence of economic and social trends is driving cities in the Southwest toward rail as an alternative to cars and planes, say transit experts who predict a new era in public-private partnership to finance the costly systems.

It's greenfields over brownfields as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission last week announced that it would evaluate bringing in a private company to finance, build, and operate 50-miles of new toll roads south of Pittsburgh.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week released preliminary renderings for a proposed replacement for the Goethals Bridge, which connects New Jersey and Staten Island.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has waived its fees and rental payments at Stewart International Airport for six months in a bid to retain air carriers.

Subsidies to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from New York City and New York State have remained flat since 1990, according to a report released last week by the New York City Independent Budget Office.

Motorists and mass-transit riders could see higher bridge tolls and mass transit fares by mid-September if the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey approves the increases at its monthly board meeting on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - The Maryland Department of Transportation will bring $280 million of consolidated transportation bonds to market on Wednesday. The competitive sale is the second of the department's 2008 series. Proceeds from the revenue-backed bonds will go toward an amalgam of capital projects.

SAN FRANCISCO - The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $40 billion sales tax measure moved closer to passage in the California Legislature late Wednesday.

They both receive a dedicated portion of Massachusetts' underperforming sales tax revenue, yet the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority anticipates selling roughly $300 million of new-money bonds in October while the Massachusetts School Building Authority will hold off on new borrowing until 2009.