Experienced US officials support PPPs

Furthermore, the financial crisis is not stopping consideration of PPPs: 71% of state and local officials report that PPPs are just as or more attractive during the crisis.
The report said experience leads to a positive outlook on PPPs: 92% of experienced state and local officials are interested in PPPs, while those without experience are almost evenly split.
Like Australia, US infrastructure is in generally poor shape. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated nearly $50bn to transportation infrastructure funding, but this is only a fraction of the funding needed long term observers say. For example, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that only $70.3bn is spent each year on highway capital improvements, when $186bn a year is needed. The US is facing serious challenges as its roads, bridges and tunnels deteriorate, the Society said.
In order to remain globally competitive and move our goods and services effectively, we need to be prioritising the improvement of our infrastructure, and we need the financing to make that happen, said Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president of industry analytics, alliances and strategic initiatives, McGraw-Hill Construction. PPPs provide one option that can help fill this revenue gap, and state officials who are working with them, are realising the success they can offer. We think this new research helps move us toward a better, more informed conversation about innovative infrastructure financing options.
We are faced with a great opportunity - the opportunity to lead with new thinking regarding infrastructure funding, particularly through vehicles such as PPPs, said Michael Della Rocca, president, North America, Halcrow. I fundamentally believe it is within our collective ability to redefine the funding, procurement, implementation, management and renewal of our infrastructure assets, and provide a network that will make a genuinely positive difference to peoples lives and to the broader wealth of America.
McGraw-Hill Construction surveyed state and local government officials in the US about engaging in PPPs to identify trends, offer better understanding, reveal areas that need education, and provide information on market opportunities. The resulting PPP report features data results, case studies, and interviews with key decision-makers and PPP leaders. Other highlights from the report include:
    PPPs are well-known, but not well-understood: 70% of US state and local officials know of projects outside their states, but 61% have had no direct PPP experience and do not fully understand their terms or benefits.
    Negative opinions were surprisingly few - only 10% of state and local officials said they were not considering PPPs, and 75% of respondents were ambivalent - suggesting that education is the most important next step.
More information: http://construction.ecnext.com/coms2/analytics or Halcrow.com