The Department of Transportation released a project list this week to lure private investors. The list includes only projects in metro-Atlanta. Toll lanes high on DOT priority list for public private partnership program. (photo by Parvinder Singh via flickr)Toll lanes are the only items on the DOT's list of high priority projects for the states public private partnership program. Join discussion...

Berkshire Hathaway chairman and world's second-richest man Warren Buffett said Tuesday that his $34 billion purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is a bet on America's future. It's a bet, but not just on America. With the investment, Buffett is also betting on China's rebound and growth, the price of oil going back up, the continued use of coal to make electricity and a higher profile for the nation's railroads, thanks to a push from the White House. Join discussion...

The Department of Transportation has dissolved all its privately funded road projects in the state. The DOT says its part of a plan to revamp a program meant to lure private money to transportation projects. Join discussion...

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If Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has his way, Los Angeles County will soon embark on a commuter rail building boom the likes of which the region has never seen. The mayor today will unveil an ambitious but politically risky transportation plan that fast-tracks several high-profile rail projects to be completed within the next decade. That's a big speed-up, because officials have generally been talking about completing them within 30 years. Join discussion...

Hard economic times have prompted public schools to look for or accept private financial support. Education Week reported that private donations are covering $18,000 of the $225,000 annual salary paid to a school superintendent in Indiana. In Boston, public schools worked with corporations, along with pro and collegiate sports teams, to boost school athletic budgets by more than 60 percent over the next three years ($4 million to $6.5 million). Join discussion...

For years, Australia's biggest investment bank has been raising billions for airports, tunnels and toll roads throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Now the Sydney-based bank Macquarie Group Ltd. is seeking to help finance construction of a new Midtown Tunnel, upgrade the Downtown Tunnel between Norfolk and Portsmouth and extend the Martin Luther King Freeway. Join discussion...

California is completely ready to assess P3 candidate projects. On October 14th the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved policy guidance addressing the Commission’s role in selecting proposed Public private partnerships (P3) projects. Join discussion...

State officials and environmentalists are nearing a deal to build a 5-mile bridge to link the northern Outer Banks with the mainland. The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported Monday that the $650 million toll bridge would stretch over the Currituck Sound to Corolla, known for its lighthouse and wild horses. Projected tolls on the Mid-Currituck Bridge would be $10 to $15 for a one-way trip. The bridge is expected to generate $7 million in its first year. Join discussion...

Traffic on San Diego County's lone tollway — the South Bay Expressway — hit the skids this summer, largely because of a sour economy that has undercut one of the road's major selling points. When it opened two years ago, the tollway was pitched as a hassle-free alternative to busy Interstate 805 and other roads. But a regionwide drop in congestion appears to be making it less of a magnet for harried commuters. Join discussion...