More than 200 transportation design and construction executives, financial services and consulting professionals, and government officials gathered in the Nation’s Capital July 15-17 to discuss the role of public-private partnerships (P3s) in financing transportation infrastructure projects. Under the theme of "P3s in Transition: The Next Chapter," participants at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) 27th annual conference included more than two dozen federal and state transportation officials, as well as a unique panel of house transportation committee chairs from four states who shared their respective views on P3 policy.
With transportation reauthorization activities reaching a critical point on Capitol Hill, conference attendees heard the latest details about efforts to fix the Highway Trust Fund from U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and a panel of key congressional staff.
In addition to the leading top-level speakers, the P3 conference featured more than 50 other transportation proponents in 15 interactive sessions. Key topics included: the long-term future of P3s in transportation, unsolicited proposals, current and prospective federal financing tools, emerging P3 markets, the views of ratings agencies, and details on P3 mega-projects in the operations and maintenance stage. Presenters included private sector professionals in construction, design, finance, law and academia. ARTBA's P3 Owners Council, a peer group exclusive to public agency representatives, met for the second year.
During the conference, ARTBA recognized Ananth Prasad, HNTB Corp. senior vice president and former secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation; and Bryan Kendro, former director of the Office of Policy & Public-Private Partnerships at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, as “P3 Entrepreneurs of the Year.” The I-95 Express Lanes project in Virginia received the “Project of the Year Award.” At the same awards luncheon, Dusty Holcombe, deputy director of the Virginia Office of P3s, assumed the presidency of ARTBA's P3 Division for the coming year.
For more information on the conference and ARTBA's P3 Division, visit www.artbp3.org.
