Transportation industry

The official groundbreaking took place last week in Broward County on the Interstate 595 Express Corridor Project, a nearly $2 billion public-private partnership with I-595 Express LLC, a subsidiary created by ACS Infrastructure Development.

CHICAGO — Faced with aging infrastructure and a pledge to not raise taxes, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard wants to use public-private partnerships to raise new revenue that could fund water and sewer upgrades and other citywide projects.

WASHINGTON — Multiple factors such as the lack of a White House proposal and a public push-back against gas-tax hikes or new mileage fees are working against the passage of a new multiyear transportation bill, market participants warned yesterday at a conference here sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

WASHINGTON — States could lose $768 million of highway funds this week and be forced to delay or cancel projects due to the failure of Congress to approve a short-term extension of federal aid to states, state officials and transportation advocates said Monday.

SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico by the end of the year may select winning bidders to operate and maintain the airport in San Juan and three different toll roads on the island.

DALLAS — With some misgivings, the North Texas Tollway Authority has agreed to add the $1.4 billion State Highway 161 toll road to its rapidly expanding system.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Georgia Department of Transportation on Friday released its solicitation for qualified firms to do the state’s first public-private partnership, a plan called the West by Northwest Project that is designed to bring needed traffic-congestion relief to metropolitan Atlanta.

WASHINGTON — States will not receive highway payments from the federal government starting today because of the Senate’s inability to clear a temporary extension of aid to states, although payments could resume this week, according to market sources.

A project to increase public transit access between Pittsburgh and its neighborhood of Oakland is seeking expressions of interest from potential investors and partners to help develop transportation in the area via public-private partnerships.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced last week that it will begin cutting more than 1,000 jobs to help deal with its deteriorating fiscal situation. The agency plans to cut 15% of its administrative positions — more than 600 jobs — and up to 500 subway station agents.

Fitch Ratings last week downgraded $103 million of Massachusetts Port Authority special facilities revenue bonds to BBB from A-minus. The outlook is stable.

WASHINGTON — A Fitch Ratings report released this month lengthens the shadow cast over transportation credits by the economic downturn. However, the agency predicted an eventual upturn for seaports.

Lower revenues have hit Washington’s largely gas-tax funded transportation budget, but they’ve been offset somewhat by lower construction bids and favorable capital markets, according to a report Tuesday from the chair of the state House Transportation Committee, Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey yesterday took a step toward cashless tolling at its six state border crossings. The agency approved the design and construction of a new $175 million toll collection system at its monthly board meeting.

The House and Senate are hurtling toward a deadline this weekend to extend the current surface transportation law, but bills pending in each chamber differ significantly in how funds would be allocated to the states.

The Illinois Regional Transportation Authority last week warned that additional service cuts are looming if the state doesn’t soon make good on $250 million in aid payments owed to the agency.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved the sale next month of $500 million of dedicated tax fund bonds at its finance committee meeting yesterday. Pending approval by the full board tomorrow, most or all of the bonds will be marketed as taxable Build America Bonds.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie last week appointed Sen. Bill Baroni to serve as deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New ­Jersey.

The Massachusetts Port Authority plans to issue $110 million of private-activity bonds before the end of 2010 to take advantage of the federal government’s temporary suspension of the alternate minimum tax for such deals.

CHICAGO — The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission enters the market this week with $185 million of Garvee bonds to complete the financing of its Safe and Sound bridge program and to fund its share of a new span across the Mississippi River.