Outlook for Transportation Infrastructure in 2017
December 29, 2016 10:57 AM
Blake Rutherford Attorney, government and regulatory practice, Cozen O'Connor
"Passage of an infrastructure bill within the first 100 days is ambitious, particularly considering the President-elect's suggested price tag of $1 trillion. Congress is going to have to sort out how to pay for it and there is going to be rigorous debate about that."
Ed Mortimer, executive director of transportation infrastructure, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
"A variety of [revenue] options must be considered, including raising and indexing the federal gasoline user fee, other fee options at various points of usage of transportation infrastructure, and possible other tax reform funding sources. The business community is ready to support our elected leaders in making the tough choices to rebuild and modernize our nation's transportation infrastructure."
Ananth Prasad director of transportation practice, HNTB
"The status quo is not working and change is needed. Whatever is done, we need to be bold and transformative in how we fund infrastructure."
Michael Lexton, head of the transportation public finance group, RBC Capital Markets
"If there's an attempt to use P3s as a way to bring more private equity into the funding of U.S. infrastructure, there has to be a return on those investments. It's not certain how that will be accomplished."
Marcia Hale, executive director of Building America's Future
"It is not realistic that Congress would be able to pass an infrastructure funding plan in the first 100 days of the Trump administration, and it will be hard to accomplish in the first year. But I know the president-elect is very serious about more infrastructure funding."
Bud Wright, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
"Our hope is that the Trump administration and Congress can build consensus around a package of funding and finance options that everyone can agree on. This provides a unique opportunity for the President-elect to come together with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to get an infrastructure bill across the finish-line within the new administration's first 100 days."
