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Ppp and Project Financing in Logistics Infrastructure In: Business and Management Ppp and Project Financing in Logistics Infrastructure Project Finance and Private Public Partnership in financing logistics infrastructure. Introduction Finance scholars acknowledge a clear-cut distinction between corporate finance and project finance. The two techniques are considered as basically different approaches to the problem of raising debt to fund capital investments. In corporate finance lenders assess the creditworthy of a whole company, evaluating the going concern, the full range of projects in place, and the cautional value of all the assets. The amount to lend and the risk-spread are decided on a global evaluation of the firm's economic and financial situation. In project finance, the goal is the implementation of a specific project. Lenders typically finance a special purpose vehicle for the development and construction of a particular project, looking to cashflows and project's assets as sources of payment for their loans, rather than to the credit ratings of the project sponsors. Historically project finance was widely used in financing transport and logistics infrastructure, like railways or channels. More recently, in the past decades, there has been a new wave of global interest: large amounts of debt have been raised to finance projects like motorways, distriparks, maritime ports, intermodal logistic platforms. These infrastructures are built, owned and operated by special purpose vehicles (SPV), organized for that single project and financed mainly by debt. In many cases, SPVs are not wholly owned by private investors since governments, public authorities and international organizations take equity stakes in them, creating private-public partnerships (PPP). This brief note will not explore all the technical aspects of project finance, that have been extensively covered by academic scholars and practitioners in a wide literature on this subject. The foc

The projections fallacy Blog post by Charles Marohn on 23 Jul 2012 feature development highways policy streets Charles Marohn, Better! Cities & Towns We spend billions every year in this country on our transportation network, large percentages of it based on traffic projections. This despite the fact that we have a long record of not being able to accurately project traffic. The answer isn't better projections but a better transportation system, one that is robust to modeling error. If you are in Pennsylvania and would like to have the Strong Towns message brought to your community, we have an ongoing fundraiser to help us visit your state and hold 8 to 10 Curbside Chats. Please consider supporting this effort and pass it along to those you know in PA. We'd love to bring this message back to the Keystone State and change the conversation on growth statewide.  My home town newspaper recently ran the standard repeat-what-the-engineer-says article on traffic projections. Essentially, the report indicated that we're going to be inundated with traffic. As things continue to "full build out" (it was in quotes so I'm assuming it is an engineering term), traffic is going to increase by 75 percent, an astounding amount since most locals will attest we are already drowning in traffic (we're not, but most would attest that we are). The recommendation for dealing with all this traffic seems sensible: make some prudent investments today to acquire more land for future road expansion and then, as they are built, oversize the roads to meet this future demand. A lot of the rationale for these projections - as well as the public's acceptance of them - comes from the fact that growth has been robust. In fact, if you go back decades and look at the projections that were made for the present time, they are laughable in how dramatically they underestimated the amount of traffic. We projected out based on what our experience had taught us to anticipate, but we were wrong

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT FINANCE AND PPPS. A LEGAL GUIDE TO KEY GROWTH MARKETS 2012 Edited by: Jeffrey Delmon, Victoria Rigby Delmon November 2011,  ISBN 9041136754 ISBN 13: 9789041136756 Paperback USD price: $338.00            DESCRIPTION TABLE OF CONTENTSRELATED PRODUCTS Infrastructure drives economic growth, jobs, quality of life, health and welfare, but public mechanisms for delivering infrastructure services face particular challenges of efficiency and politicized decision making.. Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), if well designed and implemented, can provide Governments with more efficient, more effective, better managed, more transparent and more competitive sources of infrastructure services, financed through new sources of funding. International Project Finance and PPPs: A Legal Guide to Key Growth Markets provides a summary of the key legal issues relevant to PPP and project financing in strategic growth markets. Each summary is prepared by top rated legal practices, with extensive experience in commercial and financial law, and at the forefront of PPP and project finance in their respective jurisdictions. The legal issues addressed highlight the most fundamental legal concerns that investors will have with the enabling environment when contemplating a PPP in a growth market, for example: ; asset ownership; tariff and regulatory regimes; penalty regimes; corporate structures; foreign ownership restrictions; dispute resolution mechanisms; and the creation of security rights. The sixteen countries represented were selected for their current pipeline of projects and their growth potential. They are Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, the USA, and Vietnam. This guide offers investors, lenders, consultants and Governments a practical, accessible and substantive resource, a survey of applicable law at your fingertips. It is an essential tool for companies, fun

Children are the foundation of the cycling culture When you use a bike as a child, chances are that you will also use a bike as a grown-up. In Denmark, the cycling culture is built through more than 100 years. The foundation of the cycling culture is the fact that Danish children learn to ride a bike from their parents, brothers and sisters, or friends. Cycling is inherited from one generation to the next. But the culture is only kept alive, if it is used. If all children stopped cycling, it would not take long for the cycling culture to decline. The Cycling Embassy of Denmark places great emphasis on the creation of the best possible conditions for children who cycle. This article provides insight into three different kinds of projects with the purpose of supporting and improving the conditions for the child cycling. Cycle Games Children should feel encouraged to play and move around, and a bike is an ideal means for that purpose. When children cycle their sense of balance and mobility are stimulated. At the same time, the sense of locality and the perception of space and direction are increased, because the movement is being done at a higher velocity and on a moving vehicle. Furthermore, learning through play is a more effective way of learning than the old-fashioned cycle training with broom handle and supporting wheel. We believe that it is reasonable to begin at the age of two. When children play on their bike, the focus is shifted from the bike to the playing. When the actual cycling "automated" and the attention is on the surroundings, the basis is created for safe children cycling. The safe cyclist does not think about how the bike works, but only has the focus on the surroundings and the other cyclists. Cycle games contributes to better cyclists. Because the children have fun while they learn, chances are that they as adults will use the bike as their everyday means of transport. In Denmark the project "Cycle Games for everybody" consist of the foll

Transport and logistics MOSI-T is active in the field of transportation and logistics management. Prof. Dr. Cathy Macharis is in charge of MOSI-T. She is specialized in the application of socio-economic evaluation methods in the field of transportation and logistics. Among other things, the MAMCA (Multi-Actor, Multi-Criteria Analysis) method was further elaborated and refined so it could be applied in the field of transportation and logistics. People Publications Projects Links   MOSI-T's research can be divided into four main research areas. In all cases, an integrated and policy-orientated approach is aimed at. 1. Mobility policy The projects on mobility policy cover the socio-economic evaluation of policy measures or strategies. This evaluation is done by way of a cost-benefit analysis or a multi-actor, multicriteria analysis. Examples of these projects are the evaluation of the implementation of tradable mobility rights (2002-2003), the socio-economic impact of free public transport (2004-2005) and the socio-economic impact of the expansion of the hub-activities of the DHL courier at Brussels-Zaventem airport (2004-2005). In addition, in 2006, a project was started to investigate the impact of the aviation sector on climate changes and formulate recommendations with regard to policy possibilities in this area. 2. Transportation infrastructure We also have a policy approach for the socio-economic evaluation of large infrastructural projects, such as the renovation of the Royers lock (2004) and the economic developmental possibilities of the Dender (2004-2005). We take into account all decision-making criteria for the investments and, if necessary, analyse them by way of operational research models. Other examples of projects from this research domain include the Master plan for the harbour of Brussels (2002-2004), the Economic Development Study for the harbour of Antwerp (2005) and the development and estimation of the market-share model for Western Europ

Spotlight on Pedestrian Safety by Tamara Redmon, Dan Gelinne, Leah Walton, and Jeff Miller FHWA's aggressive approach to reducing the fatality rate in 13 States and 5 municipalities is showing promising results. Focus cities have installed high-visibility crosswalks, such as this one in Montclair, NJ, in a number of locations to improve pedestrian safety. For the past 7.5 years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been trying to aggressively reduce pedestrian deaths by focusing extra resources on the States and cities with the highest numbers or rates of pedestrian fatalities. In recent years, 13 States experienced pedestrian fatalities above 150 per year and above the national rate of 2.5 per 100,000 population. In 2003 those States were Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. An increase in Nevada's rate later added it to the list, while Michigan dropped off in 2007. In addition, five cities had the highest number of fatalities per year: Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Phoenix, AZ. Washington, DC, later went on the list, and Detroit dropped off (only to rejoin in 2011). To address this challenge, FHWA's Focused Approach to Pedestrian Safety project began with a memorandum dated May 2004 outlining the goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities by 10 percent by the year 2008 (goal later changed to 2011). To address this performance goal, FHWA encouraged the affected States and cities to develop and implement pedestrian safety action plans. A previous article in Public Roads documented the early implementation of the Focused Approach to Pedestrian Safety (see "In Step With Safety" in the September/October 2006 issue). "The focused approach to pedestrian safety has changed the way road owners and operators view pedestrians," says Elizabeth Alicandri, FHWA director of the Office of Safety Programs. "One of the reasons it has bee

How to choose environment-friendly means of transport Transport is responsible for one-fourth of all Norwegian emissions. A new research project is now underway to identify the changes needed to reduce emissions from this sector. By Silje Pileberg If major, comprehensive measures are not implemented, the transport sector's impact on the climate will continue to increase throughout this century. This applies to Norway as well. From 1990 to 2005, emissions from the transport sector increased by 27 percent, while total emissions in Norway increased by 9 percent. The Norwegian Government's white paper on climate change calls for emissions from the transport sector to be reduced by 2.5 to 4 million tonnes of CO2 compared with the anticipated level of emissions in 2020. What must be done to reach this goal?   "There are many research activities now underway that aim to develop environment- and climate-friendly technology. But it does not help to design and build emission-free forms of transport if we cannot get society to use them," says Lasse Fridstrøm, Managing Director of the Institute of Transport Economics.   Fridstrøm heads the recently-launched research project called TEMPO, which will study the social conditions for a sustainable transport sector. Choices made every day "Choices between climate-friendly and climate-unfriendly transport alternatives are taken every day - by the individual consumer, company or agency. How can we get these millions of individual decisions to move in one sustainable direction?" asks Fridstrøm. He continues:   "How can we achieve one consistent, effective policy? What instruments do we have at our disposal? What instruments work best? Which ones do not work? There are many myths out there and just as little scientific knowledge."   The TEMPO project will create a better basis for decision-making on climate policy in the transport area. The Institute of Transport Economics is heading the project in conjunction

onceptualising joint knowledge production in regional climate change adaptation projects: success conditions and levers for action Dries Heggera, ,  [Author Vitae], Machiel Lamersb, c [Author Vitae], Annemarie Van Zeijl-Rozemab [Author Vitae], Carel Dieperinka [Author Vitae] a Environmental Governance, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and Innovation, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands b International Centre for Integrated Assessment and Sustainable Development (ICIS), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands c Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands Available online 20 February 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2012.01.002, How to Cite or Link Using DOI Permissions & Reprints View full text Purchase Abstract Matching supply and demand for knowledge in the fields of global change and sustainability is a daunting task. Science and public policy differ in their timeframes, epistemologies, objectives, process-cycles and criteria for judging the quality of knowledge, while global change and sustainability issues involve value pluralities and large uncertainties. In literature and in practice, it is argued that joint knowledge production in projects through collaboration between (and within) science and policy serves as a means to bridge the gap between the two domains. However, an assessment framework for analysing the merits and limitations of such projects, identifying good practices and enabling adaptive management as well as social learning had not yet been developed. This paper aims to develop such a framework. We portray joint knowledge production projects as policy arrangements in which the degree of success depends on the actors involved, contents of dominant discourses, presence of rules and the availability of resources. Literature was discussed to specify these four dimensions into seven success conditions for j

Capital Cost Elements for Light-Rail Transit University Transportation Research Center (UTRC2), City College of City University New York iStockphoto.com/LaneFTA incorporated recommendations from City University's UTC study of capital cost elements for light-rail transit into its capital construction application guidelines.The apparent increase in capital costs for light-rail transit is a significant concern. While unit costs have not changed, individual agencies are experiencing unexpectedly high project costs and could use guidance in reducing present costs and anticipating future ones. This project examines three distinct types of cost growth: cost overruns, unit cost escalation, and project escalation. During the study period, a time of generally stable prices economy-wide, U.S. transit properties experienced no statistically significant increase in prices for capital investment in light rail projects, either overall or in any individual asset category. However, there were significant differences in unit costs among projects in all three types of cost growth. Ongoing problems with cost containment affect the ability of FTA and its partner agencies to keep up with demand for funding light-rail transit capital projects. Researchers noted that, while prices had been stable over the preceding decade, there was anecdotal evidence of rising commodity prices driving up the cost of newly bid contracts, and that the overall picture of cost escalation could change. They identified several areas in which guidance or policy development would help agencies to better contain costs over the long term, including technical and institutional capacity, regulatory reform, competition, accounting for lifecycle costs, and broader use of standards. FTA incorporated these recommendations into its capital construction application guidelines. Additional funding for this project was provided by FTA. UTC Website: http://www.utrc2.org/ Impacts of Employer-

Cargo Cycle Crazy: 30+ Companies Form Freight Bike Federation  For Immediate Release. Cycle delivery companies from across Europe have gathered in Cambridge (UK) to form a European "Cycle Logistics" Lobby July 16, 2012 - Cambridge, United Kingdom - Over 30 companies from across Europe have joined forces to form the "European Cycle Logistics Federation". During a weekend event, the newly formed federation discussed ways to improve urban delivery and will act as a lobby group to promote cycle based delivery solutions.   "As a group we will be able to influence and convince stakeholders that freight bikes are a feasible option for delivering cargo in congested inner city areas. More cargo bikes delivering goods means less trucks in city centres and safer, liveable streets for people," says Rob King, founder of the Cambridge based cycle delivery company Outspoken Delivery which hosted the event. The event received praise from British politicians with Member of Parliament for Cambridge Julian Huppert stating: "Our city, which has the highest number of cyclists riding to and from work and school in the UK and a highly successful bike courier company, is a fitting place for such an event. Any changes that we can put in place to allow freight to be carried by bike have to be worthwhile. This idea has the potential to take vehicles off our roads, easing congestion and cutting carbon emissions. As a keen cyclist, it was very exciting to hear more about such great work."   It also won the interest of academics: "It's fascinating to be here in the early days of a new logistics paradigm. I see a knowledge community taking shape, defining and addressing shared challenges," said Proffesor Rachel Aldred, who directs the University of East London's Sustainable Mobilities Research Group and attended the event.    Participants at the event shared knowledge and experience on how cargo bicycles can reshape urban logistics. Speakers were adamant that cargo

For more than a decade, Atlanta has been among the fastest-growing regions in the country, but the road and rail system in a state that ranks 49th in per capita transportation spending just could not keep up. Hourlong commutes are common, and more than 80 percent of commuters drive alone. Only 5 percent make use of the region's limited train and bus systems, according to research by the Brookings Institution. This month, Atlanta-area voters are being asked to approve an ambitious fix that would ultimately raise $8.5 billion by adding a penny to the sales tax for 10 years. The proposal, which bundles 157 projects in 10 counties, is part of a July 31 referendum that will allow voters across the state to decide if they want a new tax for transportation specific to their region. Voters in the Savannah area, for example, will decide on a $229 million package of road and transit improvements. The complex regional voting scheme could bring in more than $18 billion in new tax money, plus additional federal money, making it the largest package of its kind in the country, transportation experts said. The approach is also an attempt to thread the political needle in an era when the recession and smaller government sentiment have made any effort at new public spending, especially one with the word "tax" attached, a Sisyphean task. "It's not a good time to be asking people for money," said Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, which is at the forefront of the campaign to promote the tax. Brent Buice, executive director of Georgia Bikes!, said, "A lot of states are looking at it very carefully to see what happens because it's a politically safe way to get transportation funding." "Essentially, this is a way to make people tax themselves," added Mr. Buice, who will be voting for a package of projects in the Athens area. "It's a way for the Georgia legislature to kick the can down the road and not have to rai

Cycling and walking related initiatives From 2005 to 2008 the Cycling Demonstration Towns programme saw six towns across England receive European funding to deliver a range of measures designed to increase cycling levels. Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit was responsible for the monitoring of the programme where a 27% average increase in cycling across all six towns was observed. Additional funding awarded in January 2008 allowed Cycling England to recruit England's first Cycling City and eleven new towns in addition to those already established, creating the Cycling City and Towns programme. Sustrans' Research and Monitoring Unit conduct monitoring in all eighteen locations. Finding New Solutions is a Cycling England initiative aiming to introduce cycling to different audiences through leisure, workplaces and train stations. Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit is responsible for the overall evaluation of the programme, but is more directly involved with the Leisure and Workplaces strands. Through the Future Jobs Fund, Sustrans hired 182 long-term unemployed, young people on six-month contracts to upgrade and maintain parts of the National Cycle Network. The Research and Monitoring Unit was involved in evaluation of the project. The Research and Monitoring Unit holds a 'strategic partner' relationship with the EPSRC. As part of this activity a small number of projects and studentships are underway. The iConnect study aims to measure and evaluate the changes in travel, physical activity and carbon emissions related to Sustrans' Connect2 programme. The five-year iConnect study started in May 2008 and involves a broad evaluation of the whole programme coupled with detailed investigations at five specific sites. The Visions 2030 research project assesses the potential in the UK for achieving substantial increases in walking and cycling by 2030. Through innovative approaches to analysis, longer term targets can be reached and the step changes necessary to

Cycling Data The collection of data on the number of bicycles per household, number of bicycle journeys and the nature of those journeys helps to inform transport policy and practice. Filter by : All |  Case Studies | Cycling Advocacy | Effective Marketing | International | Resources | Videos | United Kingdom | Australia | Victoria | New South Wales | Queensland | New Zealand | South Australia | Bike Commuting | Bike Share Schemes | Europe | North America | State and Territory Government | Tasmania | Sustainable Urban Transport Plans | Cost Benefit Analysis | Research paper | Austroads | Australian Capital Territory | Local Government | Northern Territory | National Government | Western Australia | United States of America | Canada | Australian Bicycle Council Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers (USA) 06th Feb 2012 Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers was published by Rails-to-Trails Conservacy in January 2012. It shows that in large and small "rural cores" of 2,500 to 50,000 residents, the share of total trips made on foot or by bike is only 20 percent below the rate for larger urban cores. Furthermore, when it comes to work trips, rural areas fall right in line with the national rates of biking and walking to work. Read more Local Government Bicycle Account 2011 (Australia) 02nd Feb 2012 In January 2012 the Australian Bicycle Council released the results of Local Government and Cycling Survey undertaken in July 2011. Councils responding to the survey spent more than $72 million on bicycle-related programs in 2009-10. More than two thirds of responding councils either have a bicycle strategy or are working towards one. As at June 2010, councils responding to the survey reported having constructed 11,704km of cycling infrastructure. When their cycle networks are complete the infrastructure will measure 17,842km. Read more Weather or Not to Cycle: Temporal Trends and Impact of Weather on Cycling in an Urban Environment (Canada) 01st Feb 2012 Thi

WP4: Interventions to the bicycling infrastructure Coordinated by Henrik Harder, AAU The research approach will rely on a survey of Danish bicycle infrastructure cases/interventions in the period from 1978 until 2009, and a comparative case study of seven Danish cases of intervention to the bicycling infrastructure. WP4 incorporate a Dutch reference study analyzing seven cases of intervention to the bicycling infrastructure, including new (to the Danish context) forms of interventions/projects - such as "bicycle streets" - that have not yet been implemented in any Danish municipality until 2009. The results of WP4 will provide WP1.3 with information on types of interventions/project and case based assessments for validation and triangulation of conclusions. The WP consists of 4 subprojects. WP4.1 The Danish bicycling infrastructure cases will survey bicycling infrastructure cases implemented between 1978 and 2009, based on a web-based questionnaire to all Danish municipalities. A typology of interventions will be developed, and assessment made with respect to the state of knowledge as well as evidence of effects. WP4.2 Study of selected Danish bicycling interventions will study a selection of bicycling infrastructure cases in a multiple case study representing a variety of interventions as well as regional and urban contexts. Two case studies will be reserved for planned interventions in the projects main case study areas Odense and Copenhagen while the rest will assess projects and effects in retrospect and based on available data. WP4.3 Reference study of selected bicycling interventions in the Netherlands will conduct a multiple case study will be carried out in the Netherlands by the projects Dutch partner, focusing on bicycle infrastructure cases that helped increase local bicycle traffic significantly. This reference study will be based on considerations related to the classic study "Sign up for the Bike: Design Manual for a Cycle friendly Infrastr

The Bikeable City - a course in how to plan for cycle friendly cities Call for expressions of interest The Cycling Embassy of Denmark, CED is offering a cycle planning course, The Bikeable City, in how to plan for cycle friendly cities. Many cities round the world want to develop their traffic culture with a view to more sustainable mobility. We are seeing public transport systems developing along these lines in many cities throughout the world. Along with this, there is a wish to develop a cycle culture in order to increase the mobility of the citizens and to reduce private car traffic in the cities. The aim of the course is to contribute to the development of liveable and bikeable cities throughout the world. Development of a cycle culture is an important part of sustainable mobility. The objective is to increase cycling by creating a safe environment for cyclists, which will also contribute to urban life, to a liveable urban environment and to the health of the citizens. Moreover, a bikeable city will contribute to important Millennium Development Goals in reducing poverty, developing democracy and increasing both gender equality and growth through increased mobility. Overall objective: To develop liveable and bikeable cities To support cycling-friendly policy development. To increase cycling as a mean of sustainable mobility To develop a cycle culture which contributes to urban life, and urban environment and health To strengthen the advocacy for cycling in civil society To support development goals in cities such as: poverty reduction, democracy, gender equality, growth through increased mobility, affordable transport To create a safe environment for cyclists.   The target groups are professionals from Danida collaborating countries working in Danida projects such as city administrations, local authority politicians, urban planners and designers and cycle advocacy groups in civil society. Possible participating countries could be: Bangladesh, Benin, Bhu

Why the Bike Lane is the Golf Course of the 21st Century Posted on January 26, 2012 Hello Dear Readers, The Sightline Daily, a blog affiliated with a Northwest policy think tank, published an article I wrote about my Stevens Fellowship experience. You can read the article here! A funny story about how the opportunity with Sightline came about. I was waiting at a stoplight near Mercer Street in Seattle in late November and this guy pulled up to me (on his bicycle) and commented on how bad the bicycle infrastructure was at that particular intersection. He noticed that I had no "biking clothes" on and asked me if I'd ever heard of Copenhagen Cycle Chic.  "Copenhagen Cycle Chic is my favorite blog!" I told him. Then we started talking bike politics and eventually I realized he was Alan Durning, the founder of the Sightline Institute. I've been reading the Sightline blog and using their research in my work for years. I really like that this Sightline article came about because of a conversation that started on the bike lane (or..errr…lack of bike lane).  Who needs the golf course when you cycle! Cycling is such a social form of transport. Sean and I were biking in to work a few days before Christmas and bumped into our friend Jed who I hadn't seen in almost a year.  (Jed and his wife recently had a baby!) We rode together along the cold, but sunny, shores of Westlake for about ten minutes and caught up.  It was a great way to start the day and I was happy to know that Jed was doing well. Then, the next morning, Sean and I bumped into Jed again-in almost the same place as the day before-and we shared another pleasant commute together while joking about how we were becoming a bike commuter gang. The morning before I left for Copenhagen I biked downtown alone after saying goodbye to Sean. I was feeling the weight of the goodbye and also some anxiety about professional challenges ahead.  I pedaled slowly along Dexter, my pace matchi

Financing urban rail projects: The case of Los Angeles Peter R. Stopher Download PDF (1.5 MB)Permissions & Reprints Related Issue Journal View Related Documents Journal Article EditorialYoshitsugu Hayashi Book Chapter Comparison of Two Metrics for Assessing Human Response to VibrationR. Carman Book Chapter Cooperative Network for Environmental Risk Analysis Studies: The Case of the Middle East RegionM. K. Zaidi Journal Article Convertibles and milestones in staged financingLanfang Wang Journal Article Recent changes in the housing status of blacks in los angelesJ. Eugene Grigsby Book Chapter Building a Complete Application Book Chapter Working with Rails Projects Book Chapter Promoting Private Sector Participation Book Chapter Obstacle Investigation RandstadRail in Rotterdam, The NetherlandsRobert Berkelaar Book Chapter Using Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relations to Risk Factors Priority of Metropolitan Underground ProjectShih-Tong Lu Scroll upScroll down REFERENCES (12)EXPORT CITATIONABOUT Abstract This paper describes the potential use of the financing strategy of value capture or benefit assessment for an urban mass transportation project. The paper describes the legal background to the use of benefit assessment, and the process of implementation for the first construction phase of the Los Angeles Metro Rail project. The process of developing the benefit assessment structure was a consultative one, utilizing technical inputs from a team of specialist consultants, a task force consisting of major developers and property owners in the affected area, and politicians representing many of the interests in the region. The initial benefit assessment districts were set up to raise $130 million of the cost of the first 4.4 miles of the rail project, and are based on the benefits accruing to certain categories of property in the vicinity of stations. The assessment would be collected for about 18 years and bonding would be used to provide the capital at the time of constr

This research examines and compares the development of two large-scale projects in Southern California, the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) and the Alameda Corridor East (ACE), sharing a number of features for useful paired comparison. Both have similar political institutions at the regional and local levels, serve the same ports and the same private sector railroad parties, and have a similar regional purpose. This paper uses a specific model of strategy to consider a set of outcomes designated by the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) as a framework that can be applied across different projects and regions. The TBL framework tests the strategy model for explanatory power, for the criteria needed for large scale projects to move forward. This model makes explicit the strategic components of each project that advance a triple bottom line as three distinct outcomes: Increased freight velocity (efficiency), improved air quality and reduced traffic congestion (environment), community protection and safety (equity).

Center for Transit-Oriented Development The Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD) is a joint venture with the Reconnecting America, a non-profit working to integrate transportation systems and the communities they serve; and Strategic Economics, an urban economics firm. CTOD is the only national nonprofit effort dedicated to providing best practices, research and tools to support market-based transit-oriented development. We partner with both the public and private sectors to strategize about ways to encourage the development of high-performing TOD projects around transit stations and to build transit systems that maximize the development potential. CTOD has been funded by the federal government to serve as a national clearinghouse for best practices in TOD, to help develop standards for TOD as well as guidance for transit system planning with the goal of maximizing ridership through planning and development. CTOD also does fee-for-service work in regions, which helps inform our nonprofit work. Transit-oriented development is often defined as higher-density mixed-use development within walking distance - or a half mile - of transit stations. We use a performance-based definition, and believe that projects should also: Increase "location efficiency" so people can walk and bike and take transit Boost transit ridership and minimize traffic Provide a rich mix of housing, shopping and transportation choices Generate revenue for the public and private sectors and provide value for both new and existing residents Create a sense of place We believe that TOD is really about creating attractive, walkable, sustainable communities that allow residents to have housing and transportation choices and to live convenient, affordable, pleasant lives-with places for our kids to play and for our parents to grow old comfortably. One of CTOD's key assets is a national TOD database - a GIS platform that includes every fixed-guideway transit system in the U.S. a

MIT Smart Cities: City Car Published February 12, 2008 Energy Policy , Transportation 2 Comments Tags: Automotive X Prize, Electric Car When I think of car sharing in the U.S., I think of Flexcar and Zipcar [they have merged -- new name is Zipcar]. Together I think they had around 5,000 vehicles at merger time in 2007. But so far carsharing has no measurable impact on urban traffic or CO2 load. Some of the consumer resistance may be price. That's where the MIT City Car looks promising - this is exactly what I want for the urban short-trips that involved carrying stuff back to the transport station. I could imagine the Buenos Aires CBD traffic density being cut in half or more by a hundred thousand of these way-cool cars, with a "luggage cart" stand every couple of blocks. And a little car that can move in any direction on its four independent wheel-robots would be very appealing - though possibly deadly amidst speeding BA taxis… UPDATE 080212: Some clarifications are required, prompted by comments to this post from carsharing pioneer Dave Brook - whose blog is a recommended source on the industry. I'll just briefly enumerate these points: 1. Carsharing cannot make a major impact on urban traffic/CO2 load unless the concept wins large scale adoption by consumers who elect to substitute public transport + carsharing for their current single-passenger-per-vehicle preferences. 2. Not being privy to any objective studies of consumer preferences, I'm speculating that at least two factors will gate acceptance: convenience and price. On convenience the City Car concept might contribute if deployed with sufficient spatial frequency to e.g. make Ms. shopper happy running her errands within a convenient carsharing radius around a transport station. My speculation is that density is probably not coarser than a 2 block grid. 3. Price - The City Car could make high frequency deployment more economic by introducing several operating cost efficiencies