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600451-00072-1 Report Abstract

Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation Infrastructure: Survey of Experiences and Perceptions

Sergio E. Martinez, Andrea Hall, and C. Michael Walton, September 2013

The use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for transportation infrastructure delivery has increased in the U.S. However, concerns about and opposition to these agreements exist due to a variety of factors. This paper explores the perceptions that a variety of PPP stakeholders have about PPP usage to deliver transportation infrastructure in the U.S., including stakeholders from fields at times overlooked in PPP literature but that are key to these transactions, such as professionals in legal, banking and finance, and concessionaire organizations. The paper reports the results of a survey taken by 101 professionals, with responses classified based on different aspects of the respondents’ backgrounds. Results indicate that stakeholders’ perceptions about benefits, barriers, and valuation of PPPs vary—at times greatly—depending upon the respondent’s work type, location, and especially whether they had previous experience with PPPs. While this is not surprising, in some cases, such variations in perceptions were unexpected in both type and magnitude. It is understandable that some misperceptions still exist among PPP stakeholders due to various reasons, yet some responses showed deep misunderstandings, fears, or unrealistic expectations about PPPs. The fact that respondents were targeted because of their assumed familiarity with these transactions is worrisome and it indicates the need to educate decision-makers, staff, and the general public about what PPPs really are, why they are needed, and what they can and cannot do.

Keywords: Public-Private Partnerships, PPPs, Transportation, Infrastructure, Survey

ENTIRE REPORT (Adobe Acrobat File – 1.2 MB)