Economy

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Thursday moved forward with a freight-rail expansion program while offering little information on the future of a new passenger-rail tunnel that would run between New Jersey and Manhattan.

CHICAGO — UC Health, which operates the primary safety-net hospital in Cincinnati, is coming to market Tuesday with $207.5 million of revenue bonds to finance capital projects.

WASHINGTON — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Wednesday approved two underwriting syndicates for a total of up to $485 million of refunding bonds to be issued in two series next month.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation Wednesday formally announced the 75 state and local projects that will receive a total of $585 million for construction and planning, with Atlanta, Fort Worth, Tex., and Seattle receiving the three largest grants.

Harrisburg could gain $60 million by the end of the year as the Harrisburg Parking Authority in December plans to restructure all of its $105 million of outstanding debt and pass new-money proceeds to the city.

CHICAGO — The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will take competitive bids Wednesday on a $140 million refunding of top-rated senior-lien state road bonds in hopes of achieving about 6% to 7% in present-value savings.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation is expected Wednesday to announce $600 million of grants for transit, rail, bridges, and other state and local surface projects, including at least $390 million for 28 projects in 21 states, according to members of Congress and local officials.

Pittsburgh will not receive $451.6 million in a 50-year parking-lease agreement with a private operator, as its City Council Tuesday rejected the plan.

SAN FRANCISCO — State and local transportation agencies have penciled in the winning bid to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Presidio Parkway Project, California’s first public-private partnership.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority board this month is expected to vote to eliminate employee bonuses and payouts, toll-free work commutes, and other practices that have cost the agency $43 million in nearly four years.

DALLAS — The battle lines are being drawn in Austin over the capital city’s request for $90 million of general obligation bonds for transportation as opponents ramp up efforts to defeat the proposition on Nov. 2.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded to Baa1 its underlying rating on Bishop International Airport.

Moody’s Investors Service has pushed Keokuk Area Hospital’s rating on $5.4 million of debt further into junk bond territory due to its weak operating performance.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering a two-part financing structure with a private developer that would design, build, finance, and maintain a new Goethals Bridge, according to the request for qualifications for the project.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to competitively price $347 million of Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority bonds Wednesday.

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s first public-private project got a $1.1 billion boost from the recently passed state budget, which will fund construction of a new six-lane roadway linking San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

DALLAS — Even with ratings at the low end of investment grade, Colorado’s E-470 Public Highway Authority sees an opportunity for favorable interest rates on a $105 million toll revenue bond refunding this week.

Commuter rail service between Boston and Providence will extend south to Warwick, R.I., this year, Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri announced last week.

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. said it will use all tax-exempt bonds in its $513.8 million deal pricing this week instead of including a portion of Build America Bonds.

WASHINGTON — A professional group of accountants is asking the Internal Revenue Service to give large nonprofit hospitals a grace period of at least three years to fix any tax compliance problems that could jeopardize their tax-exempt status.