Private Toll Roads, British-Style

If, for example, the private sector would commit to construct and maintain the Metrorail extension from Falls Church to Dulles International Airport in return for a designated revenue stream (which might include Metrorail fares, surplus revenue from the Dulles Toll Road or other sources), it would be possible to create a public-private partnership that could achieve value for money for the region's harried commuters.

We don't need to reinvent the wheel concerning the privatization of roads. Britain has demonstrated a timely and cost-effective approach to this issue, and its successful experiences should become a model for transportation planners and policymakers here.

-- James Kee -- John Forrer

are, respectively, a professor of public policy and public administration, and an associate research professor of international business at George Washington University.

jedkee@gwu.edu;jforrer@gwu.edu