Respondent #24

Type of Organization

i. Interest Groups (Please specify in question 3a) Represent state DOT employees

Top benefits of PPP

 

PPP Concern 1

Private financing is up to 35% higher than tax exempt financing- greatly increasing the cost of the project, making them financially unstable and subject to taxpayer bailout. Also greatly increases toll levels.

PPP Concern Mitigation 1

Public agencies should utilize tax exempt public financing. Not sure you can mitigate paying 35% more than you need to... both financing types-private and public-are secured with the tolls-why would we choose the far more expensive option

PPP Concern 2

Use of design-build, best value eliminates competitive bidding and increase project costs. Lack of oversight and public agency involvement encourages cost overruns and projects built on the cheap on public right-of-way

PPP Concern Mitigation 2

Prohibit no-bid design-build and require public oversight, design, and inspection to ensure road safety and cost controls.

PPP Concern 3

Toll roads take money out of our transportation system by moving revenues/profits

PPP Concern Mitigation 3

Toll revenues should be reinvested into our transportation system and not siphoned off to multi-national companies that don't remove the revenue from the system but often take it out of the country

PPP Concern 4

Non-compete clauses and cash payments prevent improvements to competing public roads and actually increase congestion

PPP Concern Mitigation 4

Prohibit non-compete clauses and cash payoffs-they just confirm the notion that toll roads aren't about reducing congestion-they are about increasing it to the point toll roads are viable profit centers.

PPP Concern 5

 

PPP Concern Mitigation 5

 

Factors to consider by decision-makers

See above

Contract structures/techniques to protect public interests

Require competitive bidding, public oversight, design, and inspection

Other perspectives

The only differences in a traditional toll road and a 3P, is that under the 3P model you pay up to 35% more for financing and another 20% or so must be paid out (by contract) in profit to private investors instead of being reinvested into the system to benefit the public.