(Save the date: RealShareNew Jersey comes to the Hyatt Regency,New Brunswick, NJ, September 19)

NEW YORK CITY-As municipal, county and state governing bodiescontinue to tighten their belts, public transportation agencies areincreasingly exploring opportunities with the private sector tohelp finance, develop and construct major infrastructure projectsthroughout the Tri-State area. Panelists agreed during theProfessional Women in Construction’s New YorkChapter that public-private partnerships—or PPPs—arebecoming a useful tool in solving the region’s need for not onlylarge capital projects, but state-of-good-repair work.

“We have a rich capital program, it is certainly not enough tomeet all of the needs of the railroad, and certainly not enough tomeet the expansion needs of the system,” said JamesWeinstein, executive director of NJTransit, explaining that while the agency recently approvea $1.9 billion operating budget and a $1.2 billion capital program,nearly 50% of the capital budget is allocated for state of goodrepair improvements, such as track work, signal fixes, technologyupgrades, new equipment and buses.