Economy

SAN FRANCISCO — A Superior Court judge has lifted a temporary restraining order that blocked a public-private partnership set to rebuild the southern link to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The North Texas Tollway Authority’s debt service will increase by 22.3% to $204.5 million under the fiscal 2011 budget adopted in late December. Estimated 2011 total bond debt-service coverage is 1.85 times for first tier debt and 1.44 times coverage overall.

Fitch Ratings last week affirmed its underlying A-plus rating on $99.5 million of Albuquerque’s outstanding senior-lien airport revenue bonds and the underlying A-rating on $38.5 million of outstanding subordinate-lien revenue bonds. Both ratings on the Sunport facility have stable outlooks.

The Colorado Department of Transportation will set aside $21 million for mass transit under its Faster program, or Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery, officials said.

The E-470 Public Highway Authority that operates a 47-mile toll road east of Denver announced a series of promotions in top management last week.

WASHINGTON — The incoming chairman of the House Transportation Committee opposes the Republican leadership's proposal for a change in House rules that could hurt the funding of transportation programs.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A Superior Court judge here promised an answer by Monday morning as to whether he will keep in place the temporary restraining order blocking execution of a public-private partnership to rebuild a key access road to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Pittsburgh's City Council late last week was expected to override a veto by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl of a bill that would raise fees on city-owned parking garages to fund pension costs.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week recommended raising the roadbed of the Bayonne Bridge by 64 feet to provide more clearance for ships.

The Alabama Medicaid Agency will receive a $55 million federal performance bonus for implementing methods to enroll low-income children in the health insurance program in fiscal 2010, Gov. Bob Riley announced Monday.

A Wayne County Circuit Court judge will rule in January on the latest legal wrangle that is part of a larger, years-long dispute over dueling plans for a new bridge serving the busy trade route between Detroit and Canada.

The Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority last week reached a settlement with CAF USA Inc., over two disputed contracts for the construction of light-rail cars for its North and Southeast Corridor lines.

Two churches in Mission have filed suit in Johnson County District Court in Olathe seeking to overturn Mission's new transportation utility fee.

WASHINGTON — Improving economic conditions are likely to put new stresses on the nation’s roads, airports and ports in 2011, but congressional gridlock could stymie efforts to pass already delayed funding packages for capital investments in surface transportation and the air-travel network.

SAN FRANCISCO — A Superior Court judge has granted a restraining order temporarily blocking city and state transportation officials from inking the Presidio Parkway Project deal to upgrade the main roads linking the Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco.

Moody’s Investors Service last week downgraded $1.4 billion of Maine Health and Higher Educational Facilities Authority reserve fund bonds to A1 from Aa3 due to a new rating methodology for pooled debt programs.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Southwest Florida Expressway Authority had the potential to issue hundreds of millions in bonds for a toll-road project that was once estimated to cost nearly $1 billion.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare to Baa1 from A3 with a negative outlook Friday.

California's Business, Transportation & Housing Agency is in the early stages of a plan to remake the state's infrastructure investment market, with a clear focus on public-private partnerships.

Tax-exempt toll revenue bonds and public-private partnerships may be used to finance the $4.1 billion Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project.