Chris Dodd in 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future, by Marco Rubio

On Technology: America's highways are an indispensable part of our lives

Problem: Funding is inadequate to build and maintain a transportation system that meets Florida's expanding needs.

Solution: Government should collaborate with the private sector to fund, build, and maintain needed transportation improvements.

Currently, the private sector services in such areas as road and bridge construction, engineering design, construction inspection, roadway maintenance, and toll collection. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are comprehensive services that include design-build-finance-operate-maintain schemes, with the private sector receiving "payment" through tolls collected on a road or bridge, a direct payment from the "owner," or a combination of the two.