Pennsylvania has received the largest bid for transportation infrastructure development investment in history. Coming in at almost $13 billion, the offer to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike and invest the proceeds in Pennsylvania’s infrastructure is a milestone. It represents over one-fourth of the annual amount the federal government has budgeted for highway construction.
As I’ve mentioned before, it has been conservatively estimated that the private sector has over $400 billion available to invest in our nation’s infrastructure (on top of already-record levels of federal funding). It’s encouraging to see that a substantial amount of that money might be available soon to help Pennsylvania improve their transportation system.
You can read more about the proposal, which Governor Rendell is supporting here.
If the transaction is approved by the Pennsylvania Legislature, the operator would be subject to some of the most rigorous performance requirements of any road in the United States, rigid constraints on their ability to raise tolls, and a requirement to invest billions of dollars in the facility.
-Secretary Peters
The United States should adopt British/German highway standards. Lane markings need to be thickened, roadway surfaces need to be improved, and pavement thickness needs to be increased. A national 'keep right except to pass' law should be passed and ENFORCED.
Posted by: Jason | May 28, 2008 at 08:56 PM
Why are we selling our infra structure to a forgein company? It doesn't make sense to me. What do we do for ourselves anymore? It just doesn't make sense to me #1 that we have outsorces all of our work and #2 Now the services we do provide are going to be outsources to a forgein company. What's left? How long until the United States becomes a third world country. Can we continue outsorcing our work and moving forgein people in to do our work without it having a detrimental effect on our workforce therfore our ecomony.
Secretary Peters you are excited about all this. A main road through Pennsylvania, America's first super highway a road that provides jobs, and safe travel in any type of weather. Are those services going to stay at the level they are now? I don't think so, it costs money and a company purchasing this road wants to make money they aren't going spend money on anything that they don't have to. So some of the services that are provided are going to go away. In addition it would appear that these sale/leases aren't working out in the few states that have sold their roads.
I would agree that the Pa Turnpike isn't the running as effeciently as it could be however neither is the government.
I would ask that you reconsider your position. Or maybe you could help me understand why it's a good thing. Maybe you could explain the math to me, I can't get the numbers to add up right. It appears to me that we are coming up short in money and in years. Nor have I seen any legislation offered up to protect this money that we would recieve from the sale/lease.
I hope to get some clarification on these things. Thanks so much.
michelle
Posted by: Michelle Kovel | May 29, 2008 at 11:26 AM