Transportation industry

DALLAS - Amid major expansions, Texas' top two toll road authorities are preparing variable-rate refundings expected to total about $200 million.

A bill recently introduced in the House would create new tax-credit bonds to help state and local governments finance charging stations for plug-in electric cars.

WASHINGTON — The House Transportation Committee chairman said Thursday he wants bond provisions in a bill he plans to introduce that would fund highway and transit programs for six years.

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire announced she has formed a task force this week to develop a 10-year investing and funding plan for the state's transportation system.

Leaders of the House and Senate transportation committees are preparing two significantly different bills to reauthorize highway and transit programs after the current law expires on Sept. 30.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe will call a statewide election on a proposal to renew the state's existing $575 million Garvee road bond program.

Little Rock lawyer Sheffield Nelson has filed a revision with the secretary of state’s office to his proposal that would amend the Arkansas constitution and increase the state severance tax on natural gas to help fund maintenance of city, county and state roads.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority bondholders did not get paid July 1, according to the Florida agency's trustee, Bank of New York Mellon.

SAN FRANCISCO — Washington plans to reimpose tolls on the busy Seattle-area State Route 520 floating bridge to back almost $2 billion of bonds that will be issued to finance its replacement.

The board of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday authorized, without debate, the negotiated sale of up to $500 million of tax-exempt Series 2011A transportation revenue bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. - A last-ditch effort to prevent the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority in northwest Florida from a bond payment default has failed and the remaining member of the board plans to resign next week.

Louisiana will set up a 10-member task force and a five-member advisory council to study a proposal to remove the tolls from two bridges over the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans.

DALLAS — The Oklahoma Supreme Court declined Monday to hear arguments in a lawsuit contending that the use of $101.7 million of highway tax revenues to balance the state’s fiscal 2012 budget was unconstitutional.

St. Louis saw strong demand among institutional buyers for its $30 million refunding last week of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport revenue bonds and achieved 4.6% in net present-value savings, city Comptroller Darlene Green said.

Gov. Mitch Daniels Wednesday will tour three Indiana cities to mark the five-year anniversary of Major Moves, the largest infrastructure program in the state's history, which was financed in part with the $3.8 billion Indiana Toll Road lease.

DALLAS — With a $1 billion renovation of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in the works, the Houston Airport System will seek interest-rate savings in a $424 million refunding deal expected to price in mid-July.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco International Airport will sell $323 million of debt this week to refund outstanding revenue bonds in a revival of a deal it had shelved last year.

Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport will see $200 million of new facilities under a facilities proposal approved last week after a nine-month hiatus.

An end to truckers' support for an ­increase in Arkansas' diesel tax to support $1.1 billion of road bonds could mean a tax increase for trucking companies.

Puerto Rico will issue its first new-money general obligation bond sale in nearly three years, a $304 million offering that will help finance transportation infrastructure upgrades.