Economy

DALLAS - With revenues falling and costs rising, the Regional Transportation District of metropolitan Denver is developing a backup plan for its FasTracks transit program in the event voters refuse to raise more sales taxes to complete all the projects.

The South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank expects to competitively sell today $93.6 million of revenue bonds to refund debt issued between 1998 and 2000.

Fitch Ratings Tuesday downgraded $236 million of outstanding Alabama State Port Authority revenue bonds to BBB-plus from A-minus and said the outlook is stable.

DALLAS — The first of two refunding deals planned by the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will be the largest bond issue this week in Texas.

The Senate is likely to decide this week whether it will join the House in approving funds that could be used to establish a national infrastructure bank and pay for high-speed rail projects.

DALLAS — Tulsa, Okla., will finance the next 12 months of its five-year street improvement program with the proceeds from Thursday’s competitive sale of $70 million of general obligation bonds.

Standard & Poor’s revised its outlook to negative on two series of outstanding debt issued by Ward County on behalf of Trinity Health, the main tertiary provider in northwest North Dakota.

The Detroit Metropolitan Airport plans to install up to 22 gaming machines to lift revenue amid falling flight traffic.

Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Jim Aloisi announced Friday that he will step down from his post by Nov. 1, the same time that a new bonding authority, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, will begin overseeing most surface transportation systems throughout the state.

David Mack rebuffed New York Gov. David Paterson’s call to step down as vice chairman of the board at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as a board member of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week.

The New York Senate last week confirmed Jay Walder as the new chairman and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

SAN FRANCISCO — Like a patron at a Las Vegas buffet, the airport that serves the city is sampling a variety of the bond provisions enacted in this year’s federal stimulus bill.

DALLAS — Orleans Parish Hospital Service District A is considering a financing plan for a $130 million renovation project at a hurricane-damaged hospital in east New Orleans that could rely on bonds for half of the needed funds.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Mississippi Department of Transportation yesterday announced that due to the credit crisis, it has suspended the procurement process for the state's first toll road to be built as a public-private partnership.

Fitch Ratings on Friday revised the rating outlook to stable from negative on $260 million of bonds issued for the Mount Sinai Medical Center of Florida.

Despite the lagging economy, the summer season proved to be busy at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

WASHINGTON - A group of municipal analysts is urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to require muni issuers to file with EMMA certain material event notices related to swaps, bank bonds, and liquidity facilities. But issuers and borrowers are warning that the proposed 10-day deadline for filing material event notices would be difficult or impossible to meet and are pushing for 30 days instead.

DALLAS - Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is moving toward a $1.5 billion bond-financed renovation of the four original terminals that debuted 35 years ago.

Florida has dipped into its transportation trust fund for money to keep other programs going - an action other states may be forced to take if revenues continue to decline, market participants said.

DALLAS - The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority has proposed a $212 million streetcar expansion effort that would be financed with $73.5 million of sales tax revenue bonds and $121 million in federal transit funds.