Economy

Some South Carolina legislators are looking for new ways to raise funds for transportation, and are looking at a novel plan backed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Florida has officially given the final approval for the $2.1 billion I-4 Ultimate Project in central Florida to move forward as the state’s largest public-private partnership.

Ohio transportation officials announced the three firms that will vie for work on a $330 million bridge project in downtown Cleveland that is the state's first public-private partnership.

Moody's revised its outlook for West Penn Allegheny Health System bonds to developing from negative as it monitors an affiliation agreement with Highmark.

The trustee for bankrupt American Airlines Inc.'s $1.4 billion of New York City airport revenue bonds hopes to submit a final settlement agreement after a majority of bondholders endorsed the terms.

Gov. John Kasich proposed $1.4 billion in tax cuts and a $3 billion infrastructure program financed in part by a new Ohio Turnpike bond credit as well as a one-time $500 million cash payment into the state's rainy day fund as part of his $130.5 billion 2014-2015 spending plan.

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.

Moody's affirmed Midway International Airport's single-A level ratings and said it should not see a significant credit impact from Chicago's effort to privatize the airfield.

Cincinnati and Duke Energy Corp. have agreed to ask a judge to decide who should pay $15 million to relocate underground utility lines to make way for the planned route of a new streetcar.

Fitch Ratings has placed Springfield, Mo,-based CoxHealth's A rating on Rating Watch Negative due to the system's impending new debt issuance.

A bill introduced last week would ask Michigan voters to raise the state sales tax by 2 percentage points to generate new money for transportation infrastructure funding.

A House committee last week approved a long-stalled bill that would fund a $1.3 billion mass-transit expansion in central Indiana.

Fitch Ratings downgraded Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, Ill. – which is preparing to merge with the higher rated Edward Hospital and Health Services -- one notch to BBB due to its weak operating performance.

The Internal Revenue Service has begun auditing $60.625 million of Build America Bonds issued in June 2009 by Louisiana for transportation projects.

Stephens Inc. was picked as Arkansas' financial advisor for up to $1.3 billion of revenue bonds to finance a statewide highway program.

Connecticut again weighs restoring highway tolls amid budgetary struggles, a raided lockbox transportation fund and less available federal money down the road.

Gov. Rick Scott upped his spending and borrowing plans for 2014 proposing Florida's largest ever annual budget at $74.2 billion along with $730 million of bonds for transportation projects.

A Kansas highway coalition will fight a state House Taxation Committee bill to divert sales tax revenues from a bond-financed transportation program into the general fund.

The Florida Department of Transportation is forging ahead with its biggest public-private partnership to date: a $2.1 billion managed-lanes venture dubbed the Interstate 4 Ultimate Project.

The Texas Transportation Commission plans to develop a major Dallas-Fort Worth freeway as a tolled public-private partnership and is re-issuing a request for qualifications for a similar project at an adjoining highway.