Transportation industry

With new competition fast approaching, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is returning to the debt market to price $367 million of revenue bonds for its terminal renewal and improvement program.

The Connecticut Bond Commission earmarked $11.7 million for two Department of Transportation projects at the Stamford train station and in four other communities.

The Columbia River Crossing project, a $3.4 billion replacement of the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash., appears stalled unless Washington state lawmakers approve $450 million soon.

A Virginia Circuit Court judge has ruled that the financing mechanism of the Elizabeth River Crossings project in the southeastern part of the state is unconstitutional, calling into question the future of the multi-billion dollar public-private partnership and other Virginia P3s.

New York University's Mitchell Moss said tolling the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens borough would generate a reliable revenue stream for the debt-strapped MTA.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is conducting new environmental studies for the $802 million Monroe Connector/Bypass toll road for which much of the debt has already been sold.

Richland County, S.C., started paying an extra penny sales tax Wednesday, which will provide $1 billion for transportation projects over the next 22 years.

Fitch Ratings on Tuesday became the third agency to withdraw its rating on $131.2 million of defaulted toll-bridge bonds issued by north Florida's Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has introduced legislation to authorize $500 million of federal grant money for nationally or regionally important surface transportation projects.

The executive committee of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, which oversees the region's transit plans, voted last week to switch to a new funding formula that will mean the loss of significant funding for Detroit.

Chicago settled a legal dispute with the private operators of its parking meter system over lost revenue in an agreement that modifies the much maligned lease and could save the city as much as $1 billion over the next seven decades.

Austin is considering a plan to lease its airport to finance a light rail system, a move that would allow the city to bypass bonds for an inaugural 5.5-mile transit line.

Ontario, Calif., officials filed a claim on April 11 seeking to dissolve a joint powers agreement in an attempt to wrest control of its local airport away from Los Angeles World Airport.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber said the $3.4 billion Columbia River Crossing bridge project will die if Washington lawmakers try to kill light-rail from the proposal, according to reports.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted Wednesday to use a public-private partnership to replace the Goethals Bridge between New York and New Jersey.

The federal government will need to make difficult and politically divisive choices to maintain highway funding in coming years, transportation experts told members of the House Budget Committee Wednesday.

New York MTA chairman-designate Thomas Prendergast said favorable state aid might partially offset the size of a fare and toll increase in 2015.

New Orleans Aviation Board will build a smaller but more efficient passenger terminal with proceeds from $475 million of airport revenue bonds.

Gilt-edged Charlotte, N.C., will close May 7 on a $171 million deal that saw significant refunding savings as well as low borrowing costs at pricing, according to Treasurer Scott Greer.