• What are the challenges facing the US infrastructure market and how will the upcoming presidential elections effect future infrastructure policy?
• What are the challenges facing the US infrastructure market and how will the upcoming presidential elections effect future infrastructure policy?
• Do you think that privatization will succeed in delivering essential infrastructure and would you see the P3 financing model the main structure for plugging these gaps? If not, why?
• What are the challenges for the administration for infrastructure policy and the role of the private sector?

The main artery for infrastructure was effectively clogged in early March when most of the country was shut down due to COVID-19 causing a strain on demand-risk projects such as toll roads, airports and ports. 

Longer term concerns arose about the health of states and cities in general have also risen as fears of recession could cut into their tax revenue base. This came at a time when Maryland and Georgia were in the early innings of two major road projects, but also with the US P3 industry starting to gain some much-needed positive momentum overall due to developments in the university space. 

In the interim, bad news has arisen this summer as the investors and contractors in the Purple Line consortium are trying to leave the project. At the same time, the privatization of JFK Terminal One is being delayed.

In this scene setting panel discussion, hear Panelists discuss:

• COVID-19 exposed major problems in the US healthcare system, will this crisis create the need for more healthcare infrastructure and which subsectors could benefit from P3s?
• What is your assessment on the federal stimulus package and its impact on infrastructure funding?
• Demand-risk projects harbor major defensive long-term characteristics, but has COVID-19 affected medium-term view when it comes to future toll road/managed lane projects?
• How will the looming presidential elections effect future infrastructure policy?
• What are expectations for the P3 market in the US and will it be more reliant on privatized deals (as seen in certain municipal broadband deals) as opposed to true P3s?

The ongoing procurements for the Corridor Trunk Line and Northern Corridor are supposed to be the tip of the iceberg for Miami’s SMART plan, which is inclusive of four other LRT extensions and multiple new busing routes along with related concepts such as transit-oriented developments (TODs). Miami officials will walk you through the following concepts:

• What is the grand concept behind SMART?
• The program was initially approved in 2002, what took it so long to progress
• How will COVID-19 impact all both the scope and design of SMART
• Update on Beach Trunk/Northern Corridor and timing behind the other LRT expansion

LA Metro’s grand USD 21.5bn vision for having a modern LRT system which finally connects to LAX airport and in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics is still currently in its first phase with the procurement for Sepulveda Pass still in gear and processes set to launch in 2021 for West Santa Ana and East San Fernando Valley LRT expansions. Rick Meade will outline:

• Status of the projects
• What changes to both design and scale will be needed due to COVID-19?
• Where is the status of Measure M in relation to these projects?
• What obstacles are looming particularly at a very challenging time for municipal funding?

COVID-19 has brought into question any increased development in risk-demand project as questions remain about managed lanes project. Yet today, there are two major road projects in the market—Capital Beltway P3 and SR-400—and even a progressive P3 state such as Michigan is seeking feasibility studies into tolling.

In the meantime, transit-oriented (TOD) developments had started to sprout up to modernize older transit hubs such as bus depot and bring in a retail component. What does the future look like for these projects? And in sum, will states remain committed to these projects or like Rhode Island and Michigan deploy resources towards more next generation transit developments such as electrified buses, autonomous vehicles, and/or smart cities?

Panelists will address:

• What are today’s challenges in getting a managed lane projects up and running?
• How do constituencies view tolling and tolling increases today and has education improved?
• What are the next steps for the Gateway Tunnel?
• Cities are procuring TODs and next generation projects, but is there enough of a demand at this juncture?

Skanska US and other contractors have slowly withdrawn from p3s in recent years as its continued to sustain losses from fixed price contracts associated with traditional DBFOM contracts. In the past years or so. Separately, agencies in Canada and the us have also been forced to look at p3 alternatives, such as DB, or outright cancelled contracts such as decision by the province of Ontario to cancel its Hamilton LRT project.  

Delegates will listen to panelists debate how owners and contractors can adjust the terms of fixed price contracting to get the p3 industry back on track.  

• What types of risks should owners retain?  
• How can developers better account for mega projects’ construction and design risks?  
• How can a developer’s board of directors' help assess a complex project’s risk?  
• What macro-economic and marketplace factors will continue to compound risk? Which ones will fade in time?  
• What can the insurance, tech and project management staff industries do to catchup in mitigating risk? 

Social infrastructure has begun to become a mainstay in P3 procurements as cities have become comfortable procuring public schools, courthouses, government buildings, prisons, and recreational fields. Universities have also expanded their P3 program to not only include housing & energy projects, but also academic buildings and research facilities. Panelists today will discuss the following topics:

• Why is it easier to advance a good portion of these projects as opposed to larger mass transit projects?
• There is a wider range of alternative procurements also being offered in these processes such as Miami-Dade Courthouse (DBFOM) and Travis County Courthouse (DBF). What models optimally work?
• How do politics play a role in these prison projects and is financing an issue; particularly as certain banks have withdrawn their support for certain projects
• How are universities now using P3s to modernize their campuses in general and where is the funding generally coming from?
• From private sector perspective, how are these university projects attractive?
• Why did the LA Civic Center project get cancelled and where were lessons learned?

GDOT has an ambitious MMIP program in place which has already launched two procurements-SR-400 and I-285/I-20 Interchange all as part of a broader effort to reduce congestion around the “Ring” surrounding the Atlanta area

• Latest updates on the two ongoing processes, what projects are likely to be next in the pipeline?
• What is the grand vision for these projects?
• Will COVID-19 affect the scale of the project?
• Will a broadband highway procurement, which was part of an earlier procurement that stalled in 2019, get reintroduced as part of this program?

Between the FCC and initiatives being introduced in Congress, one of the major focal points of this latest infrastructure push revolves around rural broadband. The reimagining of the workforce with COVID-19 forcing a work from home scenario has been a catalyst. However, even before, then highway systems were looking at alternative procurement to expand cashless toll systems and improve connectivity in certain places like tolling systems. Panellists will discuss today:

• Is there still a market to be made for the DBFOM for rural broadband projects?
• Will there be enough federal subsidies where private investment is not needed
• Where do the major carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile fare in these situations

The University of Iowa essentially replicated the OSU deal from 2016 when it selected Engie and Meridiam on its USD 1.165bn energy project in December 2019. Both projects--anchored by an upfront payment to those respective schools and 50-year concessions—are the tip of the iceberg as state universities such as Alabama are exploring similar projects. With officials of more than 50 colleges and universities attending a 2019 forum, this is likely to be a growing asset class.

PennDOT director Michael Bonini will present the DBF of the I-81 project and why it was revamped from a DBFM to a DBF. The project will consist of 7.5 miles of interstate construction and bridge replacements. The discussion will circle around the following points:

• Why did PennDOT revise the procurement?
• Lessons learned from the PennDOT Rapid Bridge Replacement project and how these lessons apply here
• What other projects might be in the pipeline statewide?

Climate change is a serious threat to the existing infrastructure assets. Extreme weather events can cause lots of damages and put existing and future infrastructure projects at risk.  The current and future infrastructure assets must be resilient to the growing challenges of climate change such as heat waves, floods, storms, and recent episode of bushfires. 

• How to mitigate the physical risks of climate change on infrastructure assets
• Strategies and policies to make infrastructure resilient and sustainable 
• How to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events
• Climate change as an opportunity for smarter P3 investments