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Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III and Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation Arlando Teller will deliver keynote speeches at the 10th anniversary forum hosted by the Center for Transportation Public-Private Partnership Policy (P3 Center) at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University on Wednesday, May 3. The multipanel symposium, “Ten Years of P3s: What’s Changed? What’s Next?,” will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia.
The study and implementation of P3 policies—collaborations between public agencies and private companies to create and manage infrastructure systems—continues to be a growing trend in the U.S. and around the world as governments seek better ways to deliver complex projects.
“This year’s forum will take stock of what’s changed in the last decade, and what’s to come, with contributions from leaders and rising stars in industry and government,” said Schar School professor Jonathan Gifford, founding director of the P3 Center.
“In the decade since the center’s founding in 2013, the P3 industry has delivered some stunning successes: airport terminals, commuter rail systems, and highway renewals and expansions,” he said. “Yet the challenges have also been formidable: COVID-19, inflation, and delays and cancellations for significant projects.”
The future of P3 projects presents both challenges and opportunities, Gifford said. “Risk appetites in the design and construction sector have evolved. New forms of P3s such as ‘progressive P3s’ have emerged. The federal government has unleashed a tidal wave of funding. And opportunities abound to use P3s to improve quality of life across the full spectrum of society through community revitalization and renewal.”
In addition, he said, “new players, new sectors, and new asset classes have also entered the scene: K-12 education, electric vehicle charging, public buildings owned by federal, state, and local governments, as well as newly enacted P3 legislation in several states.”
Panelists from a variety of fields in the public and private infrastructure sectors will address the future of the industry. Secretary Miller will be the morning session keynote speaker; Assistant Secretary Teller will take the stage in the afternoon.
For a complete schedule of panels and speakers and to register for the event, see this site.