Recently in Transportation Category

Source: Gregory B. Hladky, New Haven Register (CT), 08/10/2007

A state commission heard sharply contrasting testimony Thursday of how corruption investigations and contracting reforms have either damaged or helped worker performance at the state transportation agency. Donald Shubert, executive secretary of the Connecticut Road Builders Association, claimed there now is a "culture of fear" in the state Department of Transportation that is delaying decisions on highway projects and costing taxpayers "a tremendous amount of money."

……. According to Doody, DOT engineers are more than capable of designing bridges of 20 feet or less and that "We are $25 per hour cheaper" than hiring outside consultants for that design work.

…….. Meanwhile, Rell announced the creation of a new state Web site to get citizens’ ideas on how to reorganize the DOT.

Source: Democrat & Chronicle (NY), August 1, 2007

Use available public transportation to help get kids to public schools. Makes sense right? Especially when doing so could save taxpayers money and focus more school dollars on student achievement.

Trouble is, the Federal Transit Administration doesn't see it that way. In a virtual replay of a lower-level ruling handed down last January, the FTA determined that a federally subsidized bus system such as the Rochester Genesee Regional Transit Authority must not compete against private contractors. Even when doing so would be cost-effective.

Source: Land Line Magazine, July 31, 2007

Gov. Bob Riley has a message for residents in Alabama who want better roads: consider tolls roads or public-private partnerships.

........ Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta recently shared that sentiment. Mineta visited the state this spring to stand by Riley and tout the benefits of tolls over more fuel taxes.

Source: Federal Transit Administration Number C-04-07, 07-26-07

Dear Colleague:

It is my pleasure to announce a new website dedicated to private enterprise participation in transit projects. You may remember that we distributed a Private Enterprise Participation in Planning and Service Delivery brochure several years ago. We recently updated that information and created a user-friendly webpage that will serve as one-stop shopping for private involvement in transit projects.

We developed this new webpage because we recognize the indispensable role of private enterprise in meeting the transportation needs of the public. Private sector operators are important for the delivery of transportation services in every community, in their role as either direct providers of services they choose to offer the public, or as contractors who deliver public transportation or specialized transportation services. Along with experience and knowledge, the private sector brings additional resources, flexibility, and competition to the transit community. The interconnected nature of America’s transportation network demands that public transportation providers work with the private transportation industry to maintain the vitality and effectiveness of every component.

We believe this new webpage, which is located at http://www.fta.dot.gov/private/, will provide helpful information for the private sector to get involved in transit projects. We also include information on Urban Partnership Agreements to reduce congestion and Public Private Partnerships in public transportation. In addition, we provide relevant legal citations and agency interpretations. We will use this new webpage to announce upcoming activities relating to private sector participation and we will post relevant documents that may be of interest to our private sector partners.

I hope you find this new tool useful and that you visit it often.

Sincerely,
James S. Simpson

Source: Gary McLendon, Democrat & Chronicle (NY), August 1, 2007

Regional Transit Service buses will not suddenly stop transporting students to Rochester high schools, the City School District says, because the transit agency will seek a federal court order allowing the service to continue.

The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority is expected to seek an injunction to prevent the Federal Transit Administration from demanding that RTS stop competing against private companies by transporting students for the district.

With the dispute headed to court, the district says bus service for students will continue as usual when school begins, despite Monday's decision by the FTA, which provides funding for RGRTA.

........ On Monday, the FTA upheld a decision by a regional administrator that RGRTA, which operates RTS, must stop providing bus service to the City School District because it violates regulations prohibiting federally subsidized organizations from competing against private contractors.

By Dakarai I. Aarons, Memphis Appeal (TN), July 24, 2007

Memphis City Schools is looking at bringing part of its busing in-house.

......... When the district's more than $20 million a year busing contract with LaidLaw ends in 2009, the cost is likely to go up by more than 20 percent because of the lack of competition, said Michael Goar, the district's chief operating officer.

....... The district has often come under fire for its longstanding contract with Laidlaw, which has been criticized as overpriced.

Source: BY LIZ COBBS, Ann Arbor News (MI), Sunday, July 29, 2007

Pinckney school officials weren't trying to lead the way on privatization when they decided to outsource food service in 1976 and bus transportation in 1994. They just wanted to find ways to save money, said Linda Moskalik, assistant superintendent for finance and operations.

......... During a time of budget cuts, declining student enrollment and uncertainty over state funding, many districts have turned to private companies to provide food, janitorial and busing services, and that trend is expected to continue.

Source: By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette (PA), Thursday, July 26, 2007

Gov. Ed Rendell assailed two Republican congressmen for trying to block the state's plans to place tolls on Interstate 80, saying their actions leave him no choice but to revive his unpopular plan to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private operator.

Source: By Jeffrey Leib, Denver Post, 06/01/2007

A team of companies from Portugal and Brazil has agreed to lease the financially distressed Northwest Parkway toll road for 99 years in a deal valued at $603 million.

The transaction buys out the roughly $503 million in bond debt carried by the toll highway and includes an additional $60 million that the companies will contribute for the extension of the road to Colorado 128, near Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (formerly Jefferson County Airport), said parkway executive director Steve Hogan.

Source: By Steve Brandt, Star Tribune (MN), July 20, 2007

Minneapolis will shed eight of the 24 parking ramps it operates under an $88.2 million deal approved over the objections of some union representatives.

The City Council approved the privatization deal 11-0, adding some job dislocation help for the undetermined number of largely immigrant workers who lose jobs.

....... The sale allows the city to retire about one-third of the debt on its parking facilities, and strengthen its cash flow on the remaining ramps, according to projections. The privately held ramps would generate an estimated $3.4 million in property taxes annually.