Transportation industry

A member of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives is asking the commonwealth's comptroller’s office to review a $2.4 million contract between the Puerto Rico Public Private Partnerships Authority and law firm Mayer Brown LLP, saying a conflict of interest exists regarding the proposed privatization of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has appointed four people to the nascent Connecticut Airport Authority and named Mary Ellen Jones of Glastonbury as the board’s chairwoman.

LOS ANGELES - A confirmation hearing on the Las Vegas Monorail's plans to exit bankruptcy that had been slated this week was postponed after bondholders, the insurer, and the issuer all balked.

Federal investigators are auditing a billion dollar expansion project at the Port of Anchorage amid huge cost overruns, published reports say.

WASHINGTON - Transportation industry and government groups have not found a lot to like in President Obama's American Jobs Act, and they are particularly unhappy about the proposed infrastructure bank.

Fairfield, Conn., is targeting an Oct. 31 opening for its third Metro-North Railroad train station after the town passed a $7.5 million bond authorization to cover the costs of the long-delayed Fairfield Metro project marked by cost overruns.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal last week signed an executive order creating the Transit Governance Task Force.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority said in a notice that Florida has refused to pay its monthly bill under a lease-purchase agreement for facilities built with toll-backed debt.

DALLAS - The Arizona Transportation Board has switched lanes to adjust to market conditions, planning to substitute a senior-lien excise tax revenue bond issue for a subordinate-lien highway revenue bond sale that had been expected this week.

Highway and airport construction projects should escape shutdowns now that House and Senate leaders have agreed to extend airport construction funding through January and highway funding through March.

Businesses and organizations associated with the chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission are the major contributors in support of a statewide election in November to reauthorize $525 million of grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds.

WASHINGTON - The aviation community was prepared to see House Transportation Committee chairman John Mica, R. Fla., introduce a new Federal Aviation Administration extension bill Friday, one expected to pass both houses of Congress without a battle this week. But it didn't happen.

WASHINGTON - Fitch Ratings downgraded the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's airport revenue bonds to AA-minus from AA as it prepares to issue $192 million of refunding bonds.

Some of investment banking's marquee names are competing to run Puerto Rico's main airport under a privatization plan that's part of a Federal Aviation Administration pilot program.

BRADENTON, Fla. - North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue has announced a plan to accelerate "urban loop projects" in six cities using grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds.

Fitch Ratings upgraded the underlying rating on $430 million of outstanding Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission registration fee revenue refunding bonds, Series 2005, to AA-minus from A-plus with a stable outlook.

Transportation Secretary Richard Davey warned that closing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s budget deficit next year without fare hikes or service cuts would be “very difficult.”

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to extend federal highway aid for four months to Jan. 31 at current spending levels.

Moody’s Investors Service gave an A2 rating to $296 million of airport refunding bonds that Hawaii plans to sell this month. The savings from the deal is expected to exceed 6%.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is already trying to tackle a $23 million annual budget deficit, according to local press reports.