Absent the ability to facilitate a large capital outlay, Maryland, like many states, lacks the necessary funding to develop large transportation initiatives. Maryland officials stated that they are not taking on any new projects and the state's current focus is system preservation. While public-private partnerships are not a panacea to a state's financial problems, many states are entering into PPPs as a way to quickly and efficiently deliver new highways and bridges. With proven success in states like Virginia, Texas, and California, PPPs are beginning to take notice. While Maryland has a PPP program with MDTA, its legislation is very tenuous. There is also no evidence of overwhelming support or a consensus from the Governor and the General Assembly on PPPs for highways. If Maryland desires to spearhead new highway mega-projects, they need to have new comprehensive legislation for public-private partnerships. The legislation needs to be specific enough so that both the public and private sector understand the process from beginning to end. For this to happen and for PPPs to be successful, Maryland needs to have their Governor and General Assembly be ardent supporters of PPPs.
Recommendation 1: NCPPP should continue its educational activities across all sectors to enhance knowledge of public-private partnerships and their applicability to transportation projects, specifically the expansion of the Capital Beltway in Maryland.
Recommendation 2: NCPPP should continue its relationship with the School of Public Policy and Public Administration at The George Washington University as a means of furthering research into topics relating to the Beltway and PPPs. Topics recommended for future research include:
• The politics of PPPs: Exploring the roles and positions of the executive and legislative branches in implementing PPP transportation projects
• PPPs and the Maryland General Assembly
• Issues and options pertaining to a comprehensive approach to regional congestion management (e.g. highway expansion, smart growth, transit options, etc.).