Economy

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Tulsa International Airport's revenue bonds to Baa1 from A3, citing five straight years of declining enplanements.

A high-speed rail line along Colorado's Front Range could carry 13 million passengers a year and would likely cost $9.8 billion, according to a state estimate.

Chicago plans to enter the market Thursday with $326 million of Midway International Airport second lien refunding bonds in a long planned restructuring that was on hold as the city pursued a privatization deal.

The federal government will swap obsolete office buildings in Washington for more modern facilities through P3 arrangements.

The improved forecast New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority revealed in its November financial plan is a credit positive, according to Moody's.

American Airlines will ask a bankruptcy court to approve an agreement with federal regulators that settles the government's antitrust lawsuit against American's proposed merger with US Airways Group Inc.

Vice President Joe Biden used a visit to the Port of Houston to renew the Obama administration's proposal for a $50 billion infrastructure renewal program.

Legislation recently introduced in Congress would transfer nearly all authority over federal highway and transit programs to states and substantially reduce federal motor fuel taxes over a five-year period.

New York's MTA will receive $30.5 million for its capital program through the sale of Bronx property for a retail complex and possibly senior housing.

Tolls from managed traffic lanes can be an effective way to fund expensive highway projects, but investors need to consider revenue volatility.

Illinois hopes to select a private partner to develop its estimated $1.1 billion share of the proposed Illiana toll road by next fall with the goal of closing on a finance package as soon as early 2015, a top state transportation official said Thursday.

States are no longer waiting for the federal government when it comes to trying to drum up new revenue for transportation infrastructure, said Victor Mendez, administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Friday morning at the Bond Buyer's Transportation Finance/P3 conference here.

With motor fuel tax in a long-term slide, transportation advocates need to get better at convincing the public and elected officials about the link between infrastructure and regional economic health, transportation experts here at the Bond Buyer's transportation conference said Thursday.

Legislation introduced in the Senate Thursday would create a new financing authority that would provide loans and loan guarantees for infrastructure projects.

The proposed merger of US Airways Group and American Airlines could be bad news for smaller airports as the combo unit gives up gates at major hubs, Moody's says.

Municipal borrowers looking to expedite the process to tap the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program for project loans should bring a thorough financing package to the table and be flexible in negotiating terms, loan recipients offered up as advice Thursday.

Los Angeles Department of Airports bonds received a healthy reception as the operator of Los Angeles International Airport hits the halfway mark on a $7.2 billion modernization project.

Rhode Island municipalities are shifting retirees onto new health-care exchanges, reducing benefits and raising employee co-pays to curb soaring costs, Moody's said in a report.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is advancing a major renovation of LaGuardia Airport that may lead to $1.1 billion in bonds being sold.

More than $5 billion in private activity bond capacity remains available from DOT to fund P3’s that invest in large surface transportation projects.