New report uses Elgin-O’Hare Extension/O’Hare Bypass as a case study, demonstrating how Public-Private Partnerships can support specific projects and free up resources for other transportation priorities
(Chicago) … Northeastern Illinois’ Business Leaders for Transportation coalition has issued a
report supporting the Public-Private Partnerships model as a sound method for building and maintaining
vital transportation infrastructure statewide. Coalition members will discuss the report’s findings,
as well as the need
for Illinois to
adopt legislation enabling Public-Private Partnerships, during an audio news conference Wednesday,
Feb. 1, 2006, 11 a.m. to
noon.
The report, “Making the Case for Public-Private Partnerships in Illinois,”
uses a case study of the Elgin-O’Hare Extension/O’Hare Bypass to illustrate how
the public and private sectors can combine resources and incentives to generate
the revenue necessary to complete rail and road improvements critical to
maintaining the Chicago area’s competitiveness. At a time when money is scarce
at every level of government and critical sources of transportation funds are
not keeping pace with needs, such Partnerships allow the private sector to
absorb a large portion of the costs for building and maintaining new projects,
freeing up limited state resources for other priorities, including public
transportation.
The report is available on an embargoed basis. Please contact Mandy Burrell, MPC
communications associate, at 312-863-6018 to receive a copy.
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What: Media are invited to dial in to an audio news
conference featuring the release of “Making the Case for Public-Private
Partnerships in Illinois”
Who:
(speaking on the audio news conference
call)
MarySue Barrett, President, Metropolitan Planning Council;
John S. Gates, Jr., Co-Chairman, CenterPoint Properties
Trust; Chair, Business Leaders for Transportation Public-Private Partnerships
Committee; Immediate Past Chair, Metropolitan Planning Council;
Thomas H. Morsch, Jr., Senior Vice President, Marsh, Inc.;
Former Director, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; Co-Chair, MPC
Transportation Committee;
Gerald J. Roper, President and
CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
When: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Dial-in at 800.361.0912.