[COVER LETTER]

AECOM CONSULT, AN AFFILIATE OF DMJM HARRIS
3101 WILSON BOULEVARD, SUITE 400
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22201
T 703.682.5100  F 703-682-5001 WWW.DMJMHARRIS.COM

July 7, 2007

Mr. James W. March
Team Leader - Industry and Economic Analysis Team
Office of Policy and Governmental Affairs
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) - HPTS
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

User Guidebook on Implementing Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Infrastructure Projects in the United States - Task Order 05-002

Dear Mr. March,

AECOM Consult, in association with DMJM Harris, FaberMaunsell, Maunsell of Australia, the National Council of Public-Private Partnerships, and the Ybarra Group, is pleased to provide the final User Guidebook on Implementing Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Infrastructure Projects in the United States. This report provides a comprehensive set of insights for developing and implementing transportation infrastructure projects using PPP approaches. It is aimed at both the early practitioners of PPP projects as well as those agencies just beginning to consider the possibility instituting some form of PPP arrangement for a particular project currently stalled for lack of available resources.

This PPP User Guidebook describes the many participating groups, stages of development, and institutional factors associated with surface transportation PPPs. It considers the full life-cycle of PPPs, from development to execution to performance reporting. It identifies and discusses statutory, regulatory, financial, and institutional issues that should be addressed to successfully implement and manage a PPP project. The guidebook suggests a general process for developing transportation project PPPs and strategies for overcoming impediments faced by public and private sector partners during contract development and project implementation phases. The guidebook also offers general lessons learned from prior or current transportation PPP projects in the United States and other countries.

Two companion reports present PPP program descriptions and case studies and cameos of actual transportation PPP projects. One report focuses on transportation PPP projects in the United States while the other report focuses on transportation PPP programs and projects in other countries where modern PPPs evolved and have been used for many years.

We appreciate the opportunity to prepare this PPP User Guidebook. We acknowledge the support and assistance provided to the study team by members of the FHWA Office of Policy and Governmental Affairs, FHWA Office of the Administrator - PPP Unit, and FHWA Resource Center in San Francisco. We are especially grateful for your guidance and suggestions throughout this study effort.

Very truly yours,

Daniel L. Dornan, P.E.
Senior Consulting Manager
AECOM Consult, Inc.

AN AECOM Company