Public Private Partnerships Key to Improving Infrastructure
It’s plain to see, across the country, that our nation’s infrastructure is in need of improvements. The need for present and quick attention is unambiguous, and there is widespread public support for action to repair our country’s roads and bridges. Support from citizens and lawmakers alike appears every day in the news, with President Trump calling for a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that has found bipartisan support. While broad support for infrastructure is apparent, progress has been slow in bringing investments to fruition. While public investments move forward slowly, private money can be a part of the solution to our infrastructure problem.
Public private partnerships, or P3s, can provide the necessary revitalization of America’s infrastructure. While roads and bridges falter, and waterways and dams age, hundreds of billions of dollars sit idle, waiting for the right opportunity. Infrastructure is that opportunity, providing a safe place for investors to find capital increases and good yields. Not only this, but P3s help to create jobs and improve the quality of life in communities, through improved infrastructure and boosted local economies.
The structure used in P3s offers a great framework for every step of the infrastructure project – from conception to maintenance once a project is complete. But several states have yet to pass legislature authorizing the use of P3s, hindering their ability to move forward on major infrastructure projects. Government action needs to be taken to ensure that every option is available for improving American infrastructure, and that includes allowing public private partnerships to fund major infrastructure projects.
While the recent progress around infrastructure has been very encouraging in Washington, public money cannot be the only solution to our infrastructure problem. Encouraging public private partnerships across the country will help to revitalize our failing infrastructure quickly, and ensuring that these options are available nationwide will allow every state to move forward quickly with infrastructure improvements. The GAIN coalition is glad to see so many options for infrastructure improvement, and we’re glad to see the conversation getting so serious. At this rate, we hope to see American infrastructure turn the corner soon, and become the envy of the world once again.