Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation: A Toolkit for Legislators

A number of factors have contributed to the decline in revenues available to pay for highway infrastructure and transportation projects. These factors include altering economic conditions, decreasing value of the fuel tax, and a delay in the authorization of the federal transportation bill. It makes sense, then, to search for other ways to finance construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure. One method that has been used increasingly over the years is public-private partnerships. This paper tries to lay out the facts regarding public-private partnerships, to dispel myths, explore the impact of expectations, and clear up misinformation.