Patrick D. Jones is Executive Director & CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. IBTTA is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll highways, bridges and tunnels and the companies that provide products and services to the toll industry. IBTTA members that operate toll facilities in 25 countries on six continents around the world. Since assuming this position in 2002, Jones has built IBTTA into the principal advocate for toll-financed transportation and the leader in producing high quality educational experiences for toll industry professionals.
Under Jones's leadership, IBTTA revitalized its premier journal Tollways, created the IBTTA Leadership Academy, and introduced many new programs including the Transportation Finance Summit, Violation Enforcement Summit, Special Summit on Open Road Tolling, and its first workshops in South America and Australia.
Before coming to IBTTA, Jones held senior management positions at the American Trucking Associations, the American Public Transportation Association, and the Health Insurance Association of America. Jones holds a BA in political science from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and an MBA from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
To Ellen Dannin: Yes, it seems like these contracts are very complicated. Indeed, state and local governments ought to read very carefully any contract they sign to ensure that they are protecting themselves and their constituents against negative outcomes. I am not a lawyer, but I imagine that an agency of government has the same ability to negotiate alternative contract provisions as a private concessionaire does. However, the government also needs to accept that certain contract provisions may reduce the willingness of the private concessionaire to contribute as much money as the government wants. All contract provisions have a price tag, whether it is… Read more
Bill Graves says, “The United States cannot maintain a national highway network if key segments are owned by Wall Street investment firms or foreign consortia. The only private investment projects that should be considered are those that create new roads, adding greater capacity and mobility as an alternative to already-existing options.” Let’s assume for a minute that we follow Bill’s advice. We allow Wall Street investment firms and foreign consortia to create new roads as an alternative to already-existing options. Let’s also assume that these new roads – which must be toll roads if the Wall Street firms and foreign consortia are… Read more
Thank you, Geoff Yarema, for putting your finger on THE CRITICAL QUESTION in this whole debate: “At the same time the federal government is denying sufficient funding to right the ship, should Congress be limiting options available outside the Beltway? Should they be finding an overriding federal interest in objecting to how Sacramento, Austin, Richmond or Tallahassee elects to solve their difficult problems, despite the responsiveness to their electorate?” Amen. Don’t let the Feds stand in the way of state and local innovation that supports the federal goal of increased mobility and accessibility. All of the highway authorization laws in the last two… Read more
Normally I would have responded to this question about tolling the Interstates much earlier in the week. I’m glad I waited so I could read so many other excellent responses. The vast majority of respondents agree that we should never take any funding or financing option off the table, especially because our country is in a deep recession and we have failed to adequately invest in transportation for decades. I fully agree with what the vast middle ground of experts said in response to this question: “The archaic restrictions on tolling the interstates should be removed.” (Robert Puentes) “The federal government… Read more
Don’t rush the bill The passage of every highway bill in the last two decades has happened because passion and politics prevailed over logic and performance. If we really want to “reform” the system, then a new bill can wait until the passion subsides and the logic rises. When I hear someone say we must (MUST!) enact transportation legislation before the September 30 deadline, I feel as though I’m being pressured by a pushy salesman. If the future of our highways is a genuinely good deal, then we shouldn’t be forced to get it the way we would buy a diamond necklace… Read more
The question Lisa posed is “What role can technology play in measuring and improving the [transportation] system's performance, and how can the federal government best encourage the adoption of effective technological solutions to the country's transportation problems?” If we think of “technology” in the broadest sense to include not simply devices and electronic systems that can be manufactured, but also processes and human behaviors that will be encouraged through better policies, then a very powerful technology we should implement is road pricing and tolling. This is the conclusion of the recently released Bipartisan Policy Center report and the reports of… Read more
Better Players, More Goals, Winning I agree with those who say the collapse of the Midway Airport deal reflects short-term financial conditions rather than a setback for public-private partnerships. I also say “Amen” to Michael Jackson’s brilliant analysis of the current situation. I won’t repeat it; I’ll just say, read it. Since the Washington Capitals are still alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I’d like to use a hockey metaphor to respond to Lisa’s question. The object of the game is to win. The team whose skaters shoot more pucks into the opponent’s goal wins the game. Red light. Thunderous cheers from the crowd. Victory. I… Read more
To Rob, Geoff, and Kathy: I echo the sentiments of others in congratulating you on an excellent report that is refreshing and visionary. Thank you for devoting your time, talent, and energy to this important work. E.J. Dionne had an interesting column in Monday’s Washington Post that began like this: “Our political system adjusts badly when the familiar landmarks erected during controversies of the past are swept away and prepackaged arguments become obsolete.” This observation reminded me of Craig Lentzsch’s statement during the Commission’s press conference. I’m paraphrasing but essentially he said, You can say “no” to what the Commission is… Read more
Thanks, Eric, for getting us back on track. As one who has participated in the spats you describe, I appreciate your calling me out in a gentle and friendly way. You’re aces! Let’s get back to Lisa Caruso’s original question for this week: what can we learn about transportation from beyond our borders? Until 2001, I had visited only two countries beyond the borders of the United States: Japan and Sweden. Since that time, I’ve visited more than 25 countries on every continent and had the privilege of seeing how other parts of the world do transportation. It’s a humbling experience that has significantly… Read more
While I respect and admire my colleague Bill Graves for his passionate advocacy of the trucking industry, I must caution against the weakness of his argument in defense of the fuel tax and his ardent opposition to congestion pricing and “privatization.” Bill says that “congestion pricing comes at a cost to motorists, businesses and the economy.” This may be true in some circumstances. But the absence of congestion pricing also imposes huge costs on motorists and the economy. Today on our highways, we experience the equivalent of an electrical brownout twice a day – every day – in every major metropolitan area in… Read more
The (Foreign) Language of Transportation Innovation Some years ago, a European friend told me this joke: If someone who speaks three languages is trilingual and someone who speaks two languages is bilingual, what do you call someone who speaks one language? An American! I laughed when I first heard this joke. But it wasn’t a full-throated belly laugh. It was the ironic, mournful laugh of one who faces a sad reality. We Americans are very good at many things: farming, food production, sports, motion pictures, theater, medical research, construction, and much more. But compared to the rest of the world,… Read more
Robin, I love your video short. It made me think of this Tom Toles cartoon, which foreshadows what could happen in all major cities if $1.67 gasoline continues indefinitely. … Read more
“Winning” the “War” and Saving the World I agree with Steve Van Beek and all the others who say we should increase fuel taxes now to create incentives for consumers to burn less oil and for industry to develop cleaner alternatives to unbridled oil consumption. I also agree with Rob Atkinson that price signals alone will not stimulate the new technologies we need to bring about cheap hydrogen, electric and other types of clean vehicles. We probably need government help to stimulate the development and adoption of new technologies. As a start, however, we have to change the national bias that now favors… Read more
1. Get confirmed. Ray LaHood’s first challenge is to get confirmed by the Senate. It may not be his biggest challenge, but unless he crosses this hurdle, none of the other challenges matter. He has to be smart and prepared. The Obama team assembled a transportation transition team composed of bright people from inside and outside of government. And they have spoken to hundreds if not thousands of people. Listen to them; read the briefing books; come prepared. 2. Get the right people on the bus. This is one of the first rules of good management. A lot of people will worry first about where the bus is… Read more
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