Some of the plans to fund transportation involve attracting private investment. However, some are concerned that privatization will lessen the public's say over what historically have been public assets, may diminish the quality of facilities and could increase costs for consumers.18 In privatized highways in California and Colorado, state officials have been concerned that roads did not meet ridership projections and were poorly maintained. In other examples, tolls increased almost immediately on roads that had been privatized.19 Although many of these concerns can be addressed through the contract that gives control of a road or transportation facility to a private company, concerns about private involvement can create political obstacles to privatization and diminish opportunities for obtaining private funding.
After authorities in Chicago signed a 99-year, $1.8 billion agreement to give control of the Chicago Skyway to a private firm in 2005, several states-including Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, South Carolina and Virginia-considered similar agreements. In some states the proposals have generated controversy, with numerous lawmakers voting against them.20 In January 2006, however, Indiana lawmakers approved a similar lease totalling nearly $4 billion to privatize a toll road. Proposals in other states gained traction in 2006 and privatization of highways is now a growing phenomenon.