- Five executive actions on transportation infrastructure
- DOT advisory board supports asset recycling
- Is the toll transponder obsolete?
- Replacing the American Legion Bridge
- Does highway pavement EV charging make sense?
- Renewed AV legislation interest in Congress
- News notes
- Quotable quotes
While it is unusual to have a guest author provide the lead article in this newsletter, my reason for doing so this month is two-fold. First, DJ Gribbin is a noted infrastructure expert and a good friend. Second, he is suggesting a set of policy proposals that could make a big difference, are conceivable as executive orders from the White House and warrant attention here. — Bob
5 Executive Actions to Cut Red Tape and Build Infrastructure Faster
By DJ Gribbin
President Donald Trump has long positioned himself as a champion of infrastructure—and as a critic of the regulatory maze that makes infrastructure slower, costlier, and more uncertain than it should be. Strategic executive orders could advance both goals by cutting red tape, improving accountability, and expanding the practical tools available to states and private partners. Here are five high-impact executive actions that would meaningfully improve infrastructure delivery without requiring new legislation.
1. Restore One Federal Decision (EO 13807)
Revoked on the first day of the Biden administration, One Federal Decision (OFD) imposed firm deadlines on environmental reviews and required agencies to coordinate under a single timeline and record of decision. Fully reinstating OFD—with an updated interagency memorandum of understanding—would clarify accountability for federal staff, prevent diversion of resources from state priorities, and reduce duplicative reviews. In turn, this would yield faster project delivery and greater certainty for sponsors.
2. Use SEP-15 to Enable Tolling Innovation
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Special Experimental Project No. 15 (SEP-15) allows pilot approaches to project delivery and operations. An executive order could direct USDOT to expand the use of SEP-15 to allow toll revenues to support non-Title 23 projects integral to the transportation purpose and near the tolled facility (e.g., port facilities, border infrastructure, military bases). This would make transportation assets more valuable while helping the governmental owners of the tolled facilities think of transportation more holistically.
3. Expand TIFIA Eligibility to Airports and Waterways
The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program is primarily used for highways and transit. An executive order could direct USDOT to use SEP-15 to preserve TIFIA eligibility for airports—currently set to expire on Sept. 30—and to pilot eligibility for non-federal ports and waterways. That would unlock long-term, low-cost financing for terminals, runways, dredging, and navigation improvements.
4. Enable Continued Use of Tax-Exempt Debt
Under current rules, tax-exempt bonds used to finance public facilities must often be defeased if a private entity takes on long-term operations. Treasury could clarify that bonds may remain tax-exempt so long as facilities remain publicly owned and serve a public purpose. This reform would lower financing costs, broaden access to private capital, and ease transitions between public operation and concession models.
5. Streamline the Sale of Surplus Federal Property
A 2021 GSA audit found that the federal government holds thousands of aging, underutilized properties. Disposal rules are cumbersome, and proceeds typically return to the Treasury—giving agencies little incentive to sell. An executive order streamlining disposal and allowing agencies to retain proceeds would accelerate transfers, reduce maintenance costs, and unlock land for higher-value uses in local communities.
Taken together, these executive actions would lower barriers to private investment, speed up project delivery, improve accountability between federal agencies and states, and unlock hidden value in public assets.
DJ Gribbin is the founder of Madrus LLC. He was special assistant to the president for infrastructure policy (2017-18) and before that general counsel of U.S. Department of Transportation (2007-2009) and chief counsel of the Federal Highway Administration (2003-2005).
DOT Advisory Board Backs Asset Recycling
In December, the relatively new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Advisory Board had its second meeting with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. One of its recommendations is to create a federal public-private partnership (P3) office to assist state and local agencies in getting up to speed on P3 project procurement. That would include familiarizing them with both TIFIA loans and tax-exempt Private Activity Bonds (PABs) that have been used in numerous state/local P3 transportation projects. The P3 office would also introduce them to DOT’s Build America Bureau for TIFIA and PABs details.
The Advisory Board also discussed asset recycling. This concept was first used about a decade ago in Australia. The basic idea is that a state or local government identifies an existing infrastructure asset that could be P3-leased and upgraded. In this kind of “brownfield” P3, the winning bidder typically pays a large up-front concession fee. That new money is then used to help that agency finance a needed “greenfield” project. Australia’s national government encouraged its state governments to engage in asset recycling by providing modest grants as an incentive. For an overview of this subject, see my 2018 policy study.
The Advisory Board made two specific recommendations on asset recycling. First, DOT should offer a modest financial incentive (as Australia did) to encourage asset owners to consider recycling. Second, the federal government should remove the long-standing requirement to defease or pay off tax-exempt muni bonds on assets that are leased. On Reason.org, you will also find studies on asset recycling for U.S. airports and toll roads.
Asset recycling was mentioned in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) legislation, but the Build America Bureau did very little with this idea. It simply provided small grants for state and local governments to study assets that might be candidates for recycling. Asset recycling, as recommended by DOT’s Advisory Board, would be a wise inclusion in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill.
Is the Toll Transponder Obsolete?
The transponder was a breakthrough in tolling, enabling the transition from cash tolling to electronic toll collection. Interoperability followed, including the E-ZPass system that is currently interoperable among 19 states. But the question for the toll industry to consider now is the possibility of a successor. Most commonly being looked into is in-vehicle telematics.
One of the leaders in this potential change is J. J. Eden, executive director of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority. He’s been raising this idea in transportation media for several years. He was quoted in a May 2025 article, as follows: “The real question is: Should the toll industry’s priorities continue to be expanding its closed, single-purpose toll systems to be interoperable within the toll industry, or should it focus on being interoperable with existing telematic platforms that connect across multiple vertical markets?”
While this sounds simple, it turns out to be more complex than many people imagine. Eden and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) are underway on a pilot project that seeks to try out this concept. The agency is working with Volvo Cars and Mastercard on this project, which was announced last September at the annual North Carolina Transportation Summit. It will include one hundred people driving eligible Volvo vehicles from 2021 and later model years, equipped with Google access. They can log in and download an app to use for paying tolls.
A key enabler is Google’s Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS), which is already available in some new cars in the United States. Volvo Cars developed the app, but it plans to make it available to other vehicle manufacturers.
This all sounds straightforward, but the technical details are more complex. First, all tolling points in a state or the whole country need to be identified for the system. The “technology stack” for the NCTA pilot includes Microsoft Azure (secure cloud infrastructure), Red Hat OpenShift (developing an API-based middleware platform to connect toll providers and vehicle systems), and Cognizant serving as system integrator.
The NCTA pilot project is focused only on toll payments, but similar technology could be used eventually to pay for other services such as parking, fuel, and car washes.
Taking a longer view of where this might eventually go, imagine extending this concept to a future when road user charges/mileage-based user fees replace fuel taxes for all roads. So far, there is no consensus on an affordable way for those per-mile charges to be paid. Some future version of in-vehicle telematics may turn out to be the way forward.
Replacing the American Legion Bridge
By Baruch Feigenbaum
The American Legion Bridge, part of the I-495 Capital Beltway, is a critical piece of the Washington D.C. region’s transportation infrastructure. As the only connection between the two largest counties in the region (Fairfax County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland), the bridge provides a critical link connecting people and goods on a regional and nationwide basis.
The bridge has reached the end of its design life. Given its structural problems, the bridge needs to be replaced or retrofitted soon, preferably by 2030.
Congestion is another problem; any replacement bridge needs some increase in capacity. Since the bridge was last widened to 10 lanes in 1992, the region’s population has increased 60%, from 3.5 million to 5.6 million. Not surprisingly, with more than 250,000 average annual daily trips, the bridge suffers from backups that can add 30 minutes to a trip. Congestion is worst in traditional peak periods (particularly 3-7 PM on weekdays) but is increasingly a problem in middays and on weekends. Some days congestion begins at 6 AM and doesn’t subside until 10 PM.
Part of the reason for the acute congestion is that the region has too few bridges. A combination of well-intentioned but project-delaying environmental regulations and ill-intentioned but savvy Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) activists has prevented the construction of nearby bridges. For the nearly 100-mile stretch of the Potomac River in the Washington D.C. region, from Brunswick, Maryland, in the northwest to Quantico, Virginia, in the southeast, there are only seven bridges.
Trying to shoehorn all those drivers onto a limited number of bridges causes chokepoints, as drivers from numerous roadways are merging onto a limited number of bridge lanes.
There was a bi-state plan to improve the American Legion Bridge and nearby Interstates. Virginia recently finished adding four new variably-priced express toll lanes to I-495 south of the American Legion Bridge, widening I-495 from 8 lanes to 12 lanes. While the toll lanes provide a guaranteed travel option, a semi-dedicated guideway for transit, and driver choice, they end just south of the bridge. This creates a 12-lane to 8-lane bottleneck at the bridge heading northbound.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration had plans to rebuild the bridge and add four variably priced toll lanes on it and northward on I-495 and I-270. This would match the highway’s Virginia cross-section in Maryland, eliminating the bottleneck. The lanes were part of an expansive project that would have been the largest public-private partnership (P3) in the D.C. metro area. Unfortunately, politics got in the way with opposition from many Montgomery County leaders. Gov. Hogan was term-limited out of office, and new Gov. Wes Moore cancelled the project.
Initially, Gov. Moore was a staunch opponent of using P3s. He wanted to rebuild the bridge and add new lanes, with the state footing the bill. But with Maryland facing structural deficits in its general fund, and no appetite for a substantial increase in the fuel tax, the math didn’t work.
A mini breakthrough occurred late last month at meetings the Trump administration had with Gov. Moore. The parties agreed on the need to speed up bridge reconstruction and leverage innovative tools such as P3s. Moore even called P3s “necessary and required”.
But supporting P3s is one thing; reaching financial close is another. Neither Transportation Secretary Duffy nor Gov. Moore is a finance expert, and a P3 deal won’t work if the numbers don’t pencil out.
Maryland officials haven’t specified whether they are considering a revenue-based P3 or an availability payment P3. But this project needs a funding source. Tolls could provide the funding for a revenue-based P3, whereas the state would have to tap other revenues for an availability payment P3. Since Maryland does not have other revenues, an availability payment P3 is not viable.
Tolling just the bridge wouldn’t be as enticing to P3 concessionaires as adding priced managed lanes beyond the bridge, in Maryland. It also wouldn’t do much to reduce traffic congestion. It’s unclear how much new capacity the Moore administration would accept, but to reduce congestion, the widening would need to extend at least to River Road (an additional two miles). Any new capacity will face pushback from some of the same groups opposed to the original P3. Most of the original project’s opponents are based in Southwestern Montgomery County near the project. Gov. Moore’s base is in southeastern Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. While all parties are Democrats, they have different priorities and viewpoints.
Further, many of the P3 concessionaires who were involved in the cancelled Maryland project may feel snakebit. They might be concerned that the state is not for real, and that it is not worth the time or the costs to respond to an RFP (typically millions of dollars). The two largest P3 concessionaires active in the U.S. took part in the cancelled Maryland P3 and may be reticent to try again.
One advantage Maryland may have now that it didn’t four years ago is a Democratic administration in Richmond. New Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue has gone on record as saying rebuilding the bridge and adding managed lanes is his preferred way of solving congestion in the region. (The previous Republican secretary of transportation had the same viewpoint, but Maryland was less interested in partnering with a Republican administration.)
Virginia might also be willing to help with funding. Under the Hogan agreement, despite the bridge being located in Maryland, Virginia entered into an agreement to pay almost half of the total project costs. With Gov. Abigail Spanberger touting an affordability agenda, having the state pay for Maryland infrastructure is possible, not guaranteed. Given the challenges, this worthwhile project still faces long odds.
Does Highway Pavement EV Charging Make Sense?
As a technology geek (with two engineering degrees from MIT), I’m always interested in seeing new technologies being tried out. Two stories about one such concept crossed my screen last month: charging electric vehicles while they operate on highways, via “dynamic wireless power transfer” from specially equipped pavement.
The first article described a project underway on a new link in the tolled expressway system of the Central Florida Expressway Authority (the greater Orlando metro area). SR 516 is a new link in that system, currently under construction. A 0.75-mile section of this 4.4-mile link will be equipped with wireless charging capability in the pavement. As reporter Mark Peikert explains, “Specially equipped electric vehicles will be able to draw power at highway speeds, testing whether dynamic charging can work in real-world conditions.”
The second project is being pursued by engineers at Purdue University in Indiana. They have built a quarter-mile experimental highway segment on US 52 in West Lafayette. The goal is to charge electric-powered trucks while they are in motion. Reporter Neil Abt writes that this system delivered 190 kilowatts to a truck traveling at 65 mph. The “dynamic wireless power transfer” is intended to serve “the heaviest class of trucks all the way down to passenger vehicles,” research professor Aaron Brovont told the reporter.
Clearly, such dynamic charging of electric vehicles is possible, but this idea raises many questions that its proponents have not addressed. Highway owner/operators (mostly state DOTs) are not in the business of selling (let alone giving away) electric power. Whatever entity actually develops and operates such a system would be some kind of electric power company. It would have to devise a way to communicate with each “specially-equipped vehicle” to enable the vehicle owner to pay for the power received.
Another concern for highway owners is where to locate such in-highway charging points. If they are viewed as the equivalent of (or replacement for) current off-highway electric vehicle (EV) charging points, they would likely be located something like every 50 miles on the highway. But these would have to be special-purpose lanes usable only by equipped electric vehicles, none of which are on the market today. You can see the chicken-and-egg problems here.
Tests like that carried out by the Purdue engineers show that dynamic charging on highways is possible. But that’s very different from saying that it makes sense to be implemented.
Renewed Congressional Interest in Autonomous Vehicle Legislation
By Marc Scribner
After a decade of work, Congress may finally advance a national framework for automated driving systems (ADS) and the autonomous vehicles (AVs) equipped with them. Last month, Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) released a discussion draft of the SELF DRIVE Act of 2026, which was then debated at a Jan. 13 hearing. On the other side of Capitol Hill, the Senate held an information hearing on Feb. 4 on the need for and potential approaches to federal AV policy, where there was general bipartisan agreement about the potential benefits of automated driving technology. These are positive signs and offer some hope that comprehensive AV legislation will be included in the forthcoming surface transportation reauthorization.
The draft Latta-Dingell SELF DRIVE Act would authorize a realistic pathway for ADS-equipped vehicles to be self-certified under federal auto safety regulations and set a uniform national framework.
Most significantly, it would authorize the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create a rule mandating that manufacturers develop “safety cases” for their ADS-equipped vehicles, which must be available to regulators upon request. NHTSA is further authorized to establish “objective content requirements for a safety case” related to core ADS competencies. Stated competencies include performance of the ADS within its operational design domain, how the ADS detects and responds to vulnerable road users, how the ADS interacts with law enforcement and emergency services, among others.
This approach is a marked departure from traditional safety regulation. Under the Vehicle Safety Act, NHTSA must issue regulations “stated in objective terms” (49 U.S.C. § 30111(a)). This stated objectivity allows a manufacturer’s adherence to “a minimum standard for motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment performance” (49 U.S.C. § 30102(a)(10)) to be evaluated consistently, ideally with a standardized test procedure.
The SELF DRIVE Act, in contrast, would allow NHTSA to issue “objective content requirements” for safety cases, rather than the traditional objective performance requirements. This is a practical approach given the complexity and lack of consensus on ADS performance evaluation at present. It also underscores why NHTSA’s existing statutory authorities are inadequate for enabling near-term integration of AVs into the vehicle safety regulatory system.
If manufacturers of ADS-equipped vehicles develop safety cases consistent with these requirements, the SELF DRIVE Act would preempt state and local governments from prohibiting the sale, import, or introduction into interstate commerce of any subject vehicle. The bill would also establish a National Automated Vehicle Safety Data Repository and require manufacturers to submit crash reports and vehicle-miles traveled data to NHTSA. State and local governments would be prohibited from mandating data reporting that is already covered by submissions to the federal Data Repository.
Other notable provisions in the draft SELF DRIVE Act include a requirement that passengers in ADS-equipped vehicles operating without drivers be capable of initiating an emergency stop and another that would allow non-compliant ADS-equipped vehicles operating under a temporary regulatory exemption to “undertake limited commercial operations” as part of their evaluations.
The draft bill was considered at a Jan. 13 hearing of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over motor vehicle safety. It received a generally warm reception from both members and witnesses, with the notable exception being testimony from Michael Brooks of the Center for Auto Safety, a group founded by Ralph Nader that has generally been opposed to automated driving.
While the Feb. 4 hearing held by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology did not consider any draft legislation, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) said in his opening statement that “it is imperative that Congress acts now to create a national standard for AVs” and “surface reauthorization is the moment for Congress to act.” Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) added that “this technology will save lives” and that he is working to develop a bipartisan AV title to the surface transportation reauthorization bill.
The witnesses represented various segments of the AV industry, with the exception of University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith, one of the world’s leading legal scholars on automated driving. His testimony emphasized the role of establishing trust in companies providing automated driving, which he argued is the best proxy for AV safety. Establishing and maintaining this trust will be a “marriage, not a wedding”: “A safety case must be a living document that is robustly interrogated and routinely updated.”
Prof. Smith is generally skeptical of federal preemption of states and localities, and I share some of his concerns, but I think his appeal to federalism went too far in supporting a future that allows for AV bans by individual municipalities. He cited Mackinac Island, the resort community in Michigan that famously bans personal motor vehicles, as an example of how AV-prohibiting communities could coexist with the rest of the modern world.
A consistent and pro-safety approach would allow Mackinac Island to continue banning all private vehicles—with or without ADS—but the state would establish a uniform AV operating framework that prohibits localities from discriminating against vehicles equipped with ADS simply on the basis of automated driving capability. Under this approach, the state would exercise its traditional authority and ensure that more dangerous conventional vehicles are not favored by irrational local ordinances.
To be sure, Smith’s audience was Congress, and he stated that he would advise communities against banning AVs, but it is worth highlighting that a local-level patchwork of AV regulation within states would be a far bigger hindrance to ADS development and deployment than the current patchwork across the states.
As in the House, the reception to AV technology in the Senate was mostly positive. However, it remains to be seen if this renewed enthusiasm for a federal AV framework will overcome opposition from labor unions, trial lawyers, and other established foes of automated driving. The expected introduction of a five-year surface transportation reauthorization in the coming months should be a good indication.
Michigan DOT Exploring Road User Charges
With fuel tax revenue trending downward, Michigan DOT (MDOT) is considering replacing its per-gallon gasoline and diesel taxes with a more-sustainable method of user payment. Paul McDonald, MDOT’s chief administrative officer, is open to replacing fuel taxes with per-mile charges. Denise Donohue of the Michigan County Road Association is on board with such a transition. She points out that, “A true road usage charge is based on the miles that you drive, regardless of whether it’s an EV, a hybrid, or a pure fuel consumption.” A technical advisory committee is working with MDOT in seeking a consultant to assist in figuring out how to make the transition.
Two Unexpected Threats to Highway Funding
Jeff Davis in the Jan. 30 issue of Eno Transportation Weekly reported that in a recent interview with the California Post, President Trump suggested that state officials put a ceiling on the state fuel tax rates, which would lead to under-funding highways. And in Florida, term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis in December suggested that state residents be exempted from all tolls on state highways, with only tourists having to pay them. Either of these ideas would undermine the more than a century-old practice by which all highway users pay for roadways based on the extent of their use.
Brightline Trains Florida is in Financial Trouble
Due to passenger and revenue growth being well below company projections, Brightline Trains Florida has experienced recent downgrades by rating agencies. For example, in January, Fitch Ratings downgraded its $2.2 billion worth of senior secured private activity bonds from B to CCC and also downgraded senior secured taxable notes to CC from CCC+. Fitch explains the changes are due to “substantial credit risk and very low margin of safety, due to ridership and revenue growth being well below projections.” In January, Brightline’s parent company, Brightline Holdings LLC, announced the hiring of European passenger rail executive Nicolas Petrovic as its new CEO. Petrovic replaces Michael Reineinger and will be based in Miami.
Express Toll Lane Proposals in Five States
Express toll lane (ETL) projects are proliferating across the states in early 2026. Last month, new ETLs opened on 183 North in the Austin, TX area. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp proposed adding ETLs to I-75 in Atlanta’s southern suburbs. Colorado DOT is seeking public input on adding ETLs to congested I-270 in Denver. In South Carolina, legislators are discussing the addition of ETL “choice lanes” to I-526 and I-26 near Charleston, and in North Carolina, ETLs are being considered for I-40 west of Asheville.
Support for Tolling I-70 in Indiana
The Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce expressed support for Indiana’s plan to use toll financing to modernize I-70, especially if the plan includes adding a third lane. Chamber president Kristin Craig told local media last month that the Chamber has long advocated a third lane to alleviate congestion and delays on that Interstate.
Kentucky Establishes Toll Authority for I-69 Bridge Project
In response to recent state legislation, the Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority has established a tolling entity for the new I-69 bridge, whose construction is expected to begin in the first half of this year. The new entity will be governed jointly by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Indiana DOT.
Argentina Launches Highway P3 Concessions
Infralogic reported (Jan. 7) that the government has signed concessions for 460 miles of federal highways, as stage 1 of its federal highway concessions program. Three separate concession agreements cover Autovia del Mercosur, the Conexion Alto Delta, and the Rosario-Victoria Bridge. The contracts cover the operation, administration, and maintenance of the highways and the bridge.
New York Grand Central Train Shed P3s Financed
In December, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reached financial close on two P3 concession projects for the Grand Central Train Shed reconstruction. JP Morgan Chase will manage the reconstruction of Sector 2, and Vornado will do the same for Sector 3. The Train Shed is the structure below Park Avenue between 42nd Street and 57th Street, where trains arriving at Grand Central Station are switched to the designated arrival/departure gates.
Autonomous Trucks to Use SH 130 Near Austin
The Texas DOT and Cavnue are implementing a 21-mile “Smart Freight Corridor” on SH-130, America’s only privately operated intercity tollway, SH 130. The corridor has been equipped with sensors, cameras, radar, and wireless communication systems. TxDOT district engineer Mike Arellano says that crashes will be reduced thanks to real-time roadway information (on traffic, roadway conditions, and hazards) transmitted to on-board truck systems. An estimated 57,000 vehicles travel this corridor daily.
South Carolina Introduces Virtual Truck Weigh Stations
In what appears to be a first in the nation, the South Carolina DOT and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety have implemented virtual truck weigh stations along some highways. It is now using weigh-in-motion sensors already installed in highway lanes as an alternative to off-highway weigh stations. SCDOT is now using those sensors along with a high-speed camera and a computer mounted on the roadway shoulder adjacent to each sensor. The camera links the measured weight with the vehicle identification.
Washington State DOT Seeking Transportation P3 Advisor
Infralogic reported (Jan. 5) that WSDOT has issued a “competitive solicitation” for a public-private partnership (P3) advisor. The advisor would “assist WSDOT in developing and establishing a new P3 program framework, governance, policies, and rules to ensure the P3 program is ready for solicitations starting January 1, 2027.”
Chicago Considering Buying Back Its Parking Meter Contract
In what was (and still is) a controversial decision in 2008, the City of Chicago sold the right to operate and collect money from the city’s parking meters. The existing contractor has put its contract up for bid, and ABC7 reported that Mayor Brandon Johnson is considering buying back the rights. Infralogic reported in November that both Stonepeak and Mechhi Infrastructure Partners had submitted bids for the CPM contract.
Canada Begins Planning First Phase of High-Speed Rail Route
Public Works Financing reported that the Canadian government has decided to build the planned HSR line between Montreal and Toronto in stages. The first phase of the Alto High-Speed Rail project will be Montreal to Ottawa (200 km), while the full line between Montreal and Toronto is 544 km. The PWF article did not have an estimated cost for either the initial segment or the ultimate 544 km route.
Argentina Seeks Bidders for Tolled Waterway Concession
Infralogic reported (Dec. 19, 2025) that Argentina’s national government has launched a tender for a long-term P3 concession for its Via Navegable Troncal. The winning bidder will be responsible for modernization, expansion, operation, and management of this existing waterway. The tolled waterway handles about 80% of Argentina’s exports.
IBTTA Appoints New Executive Director
The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association has hired Mark Chung as its new Executive Director and CEO. Chung has held management positions at Cummins, Ford Motor Co., and, most recently, at the National Safety Council. He has also held leadership positions at SAE International.
“2025 saw a number of big milestones. The most noteworthy was the jaw-dropping $12 billion financial close for the SR-400 project in Georgia. GDOT is following it with the I-285 East Express Lanes procurement, which shortlisted bid teams in early 2025. Tennessee is also well underway with its first express lanes procurement for the I-24 Choice Lanes project, which shortlisted teams this fall. TDOT is planning three additional choice lane projects statewide. And lastly, North Carolina got its procurement under way for the I-77 South Express Lanes project in Charlotte. That project issued an RFQ in August, and a shortlist is expected soon. Last but not least, the 495 NEXT project in Virginia was completed and started operations in November.”
—Michael Bennon, “Express Lanes Boom,” Public Works Financing, Dec. 2025
“I enjoyed your piece on how ‘the self-driving economy’ (Nov. 29) will transform urban landscapes. But I disagree with your view that car-ownership will fall once robotaxis reach parity with private cars on cost per mile. You suggest that only ferocious gearheads will still want to own a car, but there are several unpriced benefits to ownership. These include reliability (no waiting for a vehicle or wrangling with apps), personalization (think child seats and nice speaker systems), and secondary uses such as storing gym kit (when in the office) or golf clubs in the back. There is also the prestige of owning your own car. Whether a Lamborghini genuinely enhances anyone’s coolness is up for debate, but the fact that people still buy them is not. History indicates that cheaper mobility does not automatically reduce ownership. The rise of ride-haiing was expected to curb car purchases. Instead, in cities such as London, Los Angeles, and Dubai, ownership stayed steady or even grew. Consumer behavior is stubbornly resistant to pure cost-per-mile logic.”
—Rory Sullivan, Dubai, “People Want to Own a Car,” The Economist, Jan. 3, 2026