Headlines
VA: Toll road will bulldoze hundreds of trees
PA: Port Authority mulling naming rights sale for assets
CA: A zoo by any other name?
DE: Comedian’s death raises questions of private jail
LA: Port looks for private partner
NC: Bell tolls for low-income drivers – opinion

News Summaries
VA: Toll road will bulldoze hundreds of trees
Hundreds of trees along the Capital Beltway will be cut down in
preparation for construction of four more toll lanes, officials said
yesterday. The Virginia Department of Transportation said crews have
begun clearing brush and trees to make room for construction trailers
along the Beltway. Hundreds of trees along the 14-mile project will be
cut down, officials said — probably the first sign commuters will see
of the project. The public-private partnership is trying to add the
lanes within the Beltway’s existing footprint to prevent the need to
purchase adjoining land and houses. That means trees and shrubbery have
to go. Washington Post
PA: Port Authority mulling naming rights sale for assets
The Port Authority of Allegheny County is considering selling naming
rights to a 1.2-mile light-rail extension under the Allegheny River as
well as to other transit stations and assets it controls.Marketing
consultants and public relations firms have until May 22 to present
proposals to the authority board. Among the more likely targets for
naming rights are a new glass-covered light-rail station being built in
downtown Pittsburgh. That station would help riders access the new
light-rail extension that will take riders through tunnels beneath the
river to the city’s North Shore, which is home to PNC Park, Heinz Field
and other attractions. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
CA: A zoo by any other name?
The Pampers Greek Theater? The Purina L.A. Zoo? Not likely. But under
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s proposal to sell the naming rights for Los
Angeles facilities, the possibility exists. The concept could generate
more controversy than revenue, advertising experts say.
Los Angeles Business Journal
DE: Comedian’s death raises questions of private jail
An autopsy will be performed tomorrow on Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, a
39-year-old comedian who died Thursday after contracting pneumonia at
the Delaware County jail, where he was awaiting trial. Since 2005, at
least eight people have died at the George W. Hill Correctional
Facility, the state’s only privately run jail. Several of those deaths
resulted in lawsuits by family members who say the facility did not
provide adequate medical care or proper supervision for inmates.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
LA: Port looks for private partner
The Port of New Orleans is getting serious about finding private
investors to help pay for an expansion of its Uptown container
terminal, the jewel of the port’s $1 billion master plan for 2020. U.S.
toll roads have generated much of the private-sector activity. The
practice has drawn criticism from those who say such deals put public
assets in the hands of private operators who are free to jack up tolls
and other fees with impunity. Despite the controversy, ports smell
opportunity in such partnerships and are increasingly seeking them out.
Boock said private partners can often pump money into a project more
quickly than government can. Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
NC: Bell tolls for low-income drivers – opinion
The N.C. Turnpike Authority is advocating regressive toll road
solutions that will negatively affect our broader transit needs for the
next 40 years. Toll roads lead to taxpayer subsidies that siphon off
resources needed for public transportation and create special hardships
for lower-income drivers. The News & Observer (Raleigh)