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NATIONAL TRANSPORT ADVOCATE PRAISES ALLIGATOR ALLEY LEASE AS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO STATE’S INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES July 25, 2008 ORLANDO, FL – America Moving Forward, a national nonprofit coalition dedicated to advancing innovative solutions for the nation’s growing infrastructure crisis, today praised the state’s plan to lease Alligator Alley, the 78-mile stretch of Interstate-75 that runs between Naples and Ft. Lauderdale, as a forward-thinking approach to meeting transportation needs at a time of shrinking state budgets and a growing funding gap. The comments, which came at the annual leadership retreat of the Floridians for Better Transportation—a statewide business and transportation association—were part of a panel discussion on national transportation issues and sparked a lively back and forth between participants and those in attendance.
“Floridians want better roads, less congestion and improved all-around infrastructure to make their lives easier. That’s the bottom line, and public-private partnerships are a great vehicle for delivering that,” said Ryan Toohey of America Moving Forward. “The challenge is we need to learn how to talk about it in a way where the public understands what the benefits are and we’re not caught up in all this bureaucratese about leases and asset transactions—that kind of lingo only clouds the picture.”
Toohey, who was joined on the panel by Janet Kavinoky of the group Americans for Transportation Mobility, a national outfit advocating for increased federal investment in roads, bridges and transit, acknowledged the challenge of mollifying public skepticism—and even outright opposition—that has emerged in the communities surrounding Alligator Alley since the idea of a public-private partnership was first floated earlier this year. Still, Toohey maintains, we must have the patience and creativity to explore new ideas in light of the state’s projected $50 billion transportation funding gap over the next two decades.
“The old way of relying on taxpayer dollars to build, maintain and repair all of our roads just isn’t sufficient anymore,” said Toohey. “Sure, Congress is to be applauded for transferring money to the nearly-dry Highway Trust Fund, but that’s a one-off infusion—a temporary fix to a very long-term problem. Public-private partnerships like Alligator Alley provide a source of funding that, through good stewardship, is sustainable for the long-run.”
Toohey was referring to the U.S. House of Representatives approval on Wednesday to transfer $8 million in the general Treasury to the Highway Trust Fund to prevent an anticipated revenue shortfall for the fiscal year starting in October.
The potential lease of Alligator Alley, also known as the Everglades Parkway, is being managed by the Florida Department of Transportation and earlier this week received six proposals from groups interested in bidding on the project. Complete information about the project is available on www.alligator-alley.com.
Says temporary boost to U.S. Highway Trust Fund won’t solve |
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AMF on the BBC
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