Transportation industry

WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation Wednesday formally announced the 75 state and local projects that will receive a total of $585 million for construction and planning, with Atlanta, Fort Worth, Tex., and Seattle receiving the three largest grants.

Harrisburg could gain $60 million by the end of the year as the Harrisburg Parking Authority in December plans to restructure all of its $105 million of outstanding debt and pass new-money proceeds to the city.

CHICAGO — The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will take competitive bids Wednesday on a $140 million refunding of top-rated senior-lien state road bonds in hopes of achieving about 6% to 7% in present-value savings.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation is expected Wednesday to announce $600 million of grants for transit, rail, bridges, and other state and local surface projects, including at least $390 million for 28 projects in 21 states, according to members of Congress and local officials.

Pittsburgh will not receive $451.6 million in a 50-year parking-lease agreement with a private operator, as its City Council Tuesday rejected the plan.

SAN FRANCISCO — State and local transportation agencies have penciled in the winning bid to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Presidio Parkway Project, California’s first public-private partnership.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority board this month is expected to vote to eliminate employee bonuses and payouts, toll-free work commutes, and other practices that have cost the agency $43 million in nearly four years.

DALLAS — The battle lines are being drawn in Austin over the capital city’s request for $90 million of general obligation bonds for transportation as opponents ramp up efforts to defeat the proposition on Nov. 2.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded to Baa1 its underlying rating on Bishop International Airport.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering a two-part financing structure with a private developer that would design, build, finance, and maintain a new Goethals Bridge, according to the request for qualifications for the project.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to competitively price $347 million of Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority bonds Wednesday.

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s first public-private project got a $1.1 billion boost from the recently passed state budget, which will fund construction of a new six-lane roadway linking San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

DALLAS — Even with ratings at the low end of investment grade, Colorado’s E-470 Public Highway Authority sees an opportunity for favorable interest rates on a $105 million toll revenue bond refunding this week.

Commuter rail service between Boston and Providence will extend south to Warwick, R.I., this year, Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri announced last week.

The Pittsburgh City Council is poised next week to reject a $451.6 million offer for its parking system that would, if completed, raise revenue needed to ward off a state takeover of the city’s pension system, which is only 30% funded.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans to sell $850 million of traditional taxable bonds next week to finance construction at the World Trade Center site.

WASHINGTON — The top Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is opposing a recent Obama administration plan to invest in transportation, warning it is a year late and unacceptable because it would be paid for by ending tax loopholes for oil companies.

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority will price $275 million of debt Thursday, including $250 million of Build America Bonds, for the Monroe Connector System in a transaction that illustrates how some issuers are jockeying for pricing position ahead of the BAB program’s scheduled expiration.

CHICAGO — The St. Louis Metro will complete a ­refunding Wednesday of its $150 million floating-rate revenue bond issue from 2005, using a ­structure that provides a short-term salve for its fiscal challenges while the transit agency awaits a bump in sales tax dollars from a voter-approved increase.

Transportation stakeholders are divided this week on a renewed push by President Obama for Congress to provide $50 billion of funding and the release of a report by the Treasury Department and Council of Economic Advisers that stresses the economic risk of not spending more on infrastructure.