Transportation industry

Democrats aim to scale back scheduled toll increases on the New Jersey Turnpike after Gov. Chris Christie terminated a Hudson River commuter-rail tunnel they were meant to help finance.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority in the Florida Panhandle made its January debt-service payment, but its July payment is in doubt and most board members overseeing the credit have now resigned.

DALLAS — Denver’s Regional Transportation District is considering asking voters for a 0.4% sales tax increase this year or next to complete the $6.7 billion FasTracks project currently under construction.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted last week on a rule change that could affect the state’s plan to issue $1.1 billion of grant anticipation vehicle revenue bonds. The provision could allow lawmakers to divert transportation funds to other spending projects.

CHICAGO — Using a structure that bypasses airline approval, Chicago will enter the market early next month with a long-planned sale of $1.1 billion of debt for O’Hare International Airport.

DALLAS — Arkansas House Speaker Robert Moore opened the 86th General Assembly by asking lawmakers Monday to adequately fund a proposed road plan that could involve more than $2 billion of bonds.

New Jersey now has until Jan. 18 to repay $271 million to the Federal Transit Administration for a canceled commuter-rail tunnel. The previous deadline was Monday.

The new speaker of the Arkansas House said last week that lawmakers should find some way to fund needed improvements to the state’s highway system without taking the issue to voters.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is considering leveraging future parking revenues through a proposed nonprofit entity to generate up to $325 million and help pay down outstanding debt.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Southern California’s LA/Ontario International Airport could soon be under new management.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A $500 million cost-cutting proposal for the $4.1 billion Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project could result in a review of federal approvals for the mega-project, a Kentucky transportation spokesman said.

TRENTON , N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced a plan Thursday to borrow $4.4 billion of bonds during the next five years to help finance road, bridge and mass-transit projects throughout the state.

WASHINGTON — House members voted 240 to 191 Wednesday to adopt Republican-approved rules for the 112th Congress that transportation and business groups claim will hurt funding for programs and possibly curb the ability of states to finance projects with bonds.

DALLAS — Travis County, Texas, commissioners said Tuesday they want to reduce a proposed road and parks bond package from $550 million to $200 million before asking voters to approve it.

Atlanta is calling on area volunteers to help maintain the city’s $2.8 billion BeltLine redevelopment project, which is to be partly funded through the issuance of bonds.

The Wayne County Airport Authority, which runs the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, said it achieved $51.7 million in net present-value savings in a recent refunding.

The Illinois Department of Transportation late last month signed an agreement with Amtrak and the Union Pacific Railroad that paves the way for using $1.1 billion in federal funds for necessary improvements to high-speed passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Louis.

SAN FRANCISCO — A Superior Court judge has lifted a temporary restraining order that blocked a public-private partnership set to rebuild the southern link to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The North Texas Tollway Authority’s debt service will increase by 22.3% to $204.5 million under the fiscal 2011 budget adopted in late December. Estimated 2011 total bond debt-service coverage is 1.85 times for first tier debt and 1.44 times coverage overall.

Fitch Ratings last week affirmed its underlying A-plus rating on $99.5 million of Albuquerque’s outstanding senior-lien airport revenue bonds and the underlying A-rating on $38.5 million of outstanding subordinate-lien revenue bonds. Both ratings on the Sunport facility have stable outlooks.