CHARGING: LEAD OR BE LED?

This series of articles focus on the problem of financing new highways and maintaining old ones, noting that investment in maintenance and new highway structure over the next 20 years in the United States alone could run to $2 trillion. One article gives an overview of programs taking place, with the theme that toll roads may be the only answer. An accompanying article describes the success of ring roads with tolls around historic city centers in Norway, while another suggests that public-private partnerships are the key to transportation solutions. In Denmark, a state guaranteed model is being examined. In this scenario, the state loans money for construction and operation, and is then repaid through income generated by the project over 30 years. Finally, a program in Portugal is described that moves from real tolls to shadow tolls.