This engaging workshop (and breakfast will be served!) is tailored for government attorneys but provides valuable insights for senior professionals leading procurement efforts or P3 initiatives. This engaging session will be a conversation-style format with attendees on real project experiences, lessons learned and will explore best practices for planning and executing complex construction projects.  We plan to highlight approaches to securing stakeholder buy-in, developing and maintaining a realistic budget, and drafting clear, forward-thinking contract terms that account for the unique dynamics of long-term agreements. We will discuss scenarios/experiences at the federal, state, and local level and varying types of projects (legal, technical, financial, and project level) and discuss the role of counsel on these complex projects. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to draft agreements that align with the needs and goals of the parties, fostering successful, and collaborative partnerships.

This program is pending approval for continuing education credit in PA, NY, NJ, DE and MD. Attendees may apply for CLE credit in their own states. Please consult your state bar’s CLE requirements and procedures for self-applying for credit.

Public Sector: Add on the workshop to your registration today!

The team from Transurban will open this year's Summit.

Michael Carroll, Secretary of Transportation for Pennsylvania, will keynote this year's Summit.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is at the forefront of redefining how ports—across air, land, and sea—manage the movement of goods and people. Developed by CVG’s innovation team, CLEAR (Critical Limits Evaluation and Adaptive Routing) is a cutting-edge software platform designed to detect bottlenecks, predict congestion, and optimize traffic flow at key infrastructure nodes.

Harnessing machine learning, digital twin technology, and real-time data integration, CLEAR goes far beyond conventional traffic modeling. It proactively identifies and responds to critical limits before disruptions occur—making it a scalable, adaptable tool for improving throughput and boosting operational resilience at airports, logistics hubs, seaports, and multimodal corridors.

This session begins with a fireside chat featuring CVG’s Chief Innovation Officer, offering an inside look at how CLEAR is being deployed at one of North America's busiest cargo airports. A follow-up panel—featuring collaborators helping CVG advance CLEAR to the next level—will explore how this breakthrough approach can enhance the performance and adaptability of infrastructure across all transportation modes.

When flow is everything, CLEAR makes the path forward visible.

Key leaders from aviation, roads, ports and the railway sector will explore comprehensive strategies for transportation infrastructure. These thought leaders will review the opportunities and obstacles impacting how transportation and economic development authorities execute a multimodal approach to infrastructure investment. Additionally, they’ll outline ongoing projects and prospective ventures shaping the future landscape of transportation infrastructure.

Join us for this lunch workshop as we look to the future of infrastructure!

Public-private partnerships (P3s) are playing an increasingly critical role in financing infrastructure, particularly in the aviation sector, where traditional funding sources often fall short. Airports and emerging vertiports require substantial investment to modernize facilities, integrate advanced technologies, and enhance sustainability while supporting the evolving National Airspace System (NAS). 

As one of the oldest modes of transportation, the maritime industry continues to adapt, change and reinvent itself almost as often as the changing tides. America's ports are under constant threat from massive storms, access to infrastructure, and impacts from changing politics. This panel examines the resiliency within America's seaports to adapt and respond to threats, along with their creativity and flexibility in maintaining operations. The panel will also dive into the continued need for federal funding to help with infrastructure upgrades and hear directly from the perspective of the Port of Baltimore and the nation's other top producing ports. 

From Philadelphia’s William H. Gray III 30th Street Station to the planned redevelopment of New York’s Penn Station, momentum is growing for a new era of rail infrastructure. With federal agencies prioritizing transformative investments and exploring public-private partnerships as a means to unlock innovation and reduce taxpayer risk, major stations are being reimagined to meet modern mobility needs. This session will examine how P3s are being leveraged—or considered—to deliver bold upgrades, improve the passenger experience, and position rail hubs as catalysts for economic opportunity. Industry leaders will share insights on the evolving delivery models, governance frameworks, and strategic planning driving this next chapter in U.S. rail.

The transportation infrastructure sector is rapidly embracing AI and IoT technologies, transforming traditional construction and maintenance practices. This shift is enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability in road, rail, and bridge projects. The future of transportation infrastructure is increasingly data-driven and automated. A few key developments include AI-optimized traffic management systems and Integrated smart city infrastructure networks.

As the sector continues to evolve, collaboration between construction firms, technology companies, and government agencies will be crucial in realizing the full potential of AI and IoT in transportation infrastructure. This session will feature a panel of leading diverse firms from the engineering, construction, finance and technology sectors to provide a holistic view of the cutting-edge developments in AI for transportation infrastructure.

The efficient movement of freight has become increasingly critical in today's economy. Managed lanes have been used to improve roadway netweorks, both directly and indirectly impacting the movement of freight. The panel will discuss the decision whether to allow heavy trucks within managed lanes and tolling regimes within the managed lane network.

Learn how to leverage alternative delivery and Public Private Partnerships to unlock new funding, accelerate project delivery, and foster creative solutions. The panel will also explore the importance of stakeholder engagement in building community support and ensuring project success. 

Mayor Cognetti will share her vision to move Scranton from industry to innovation with the support of transportation infrastructure that is safe, climate focused, user-friendly, and modern.

Innovation happens during all stages of a P3 project’s lifecycle, from design to construction, then financing, and through operations and maintenance. This panel will explore best practices for innovation in each stage from a variety of perspectives.

Join us at this special evening networking reception for all attendees. Enjoy drinks and light fare while meeting with exhibitors, speakers, and conference delegates. 

This interactive session introduces the new Grants+ platform, a powerful resource designed to help public agencies secure funding, identify local match opportunities, access innovative financing, and accelerate transportation project delivery. Participants will explore a suite of integrated tools organized into four key "corridors"—Local Match, Funding Source, Innovative Finance, and Accelerated Delivery—that collectively streamline the path from project planning to implementation. The session will provide a comprehensive overview of the platform’s structure, demonstrate practical applications in real-world scenarios, and highlight relevant USDOT tools that support innovative financing and accelerated project delivery. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to enhance project planning, inform funding strategies, and speed up implementation timelines.

Hear from Api Appulingam, Chief Development Officer, who oversees a multi-billion dollar program tasked with making critical improvements and developing new infrastructure at both Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) through architectural, engineering, environmental, planning and sustainability projects. Ultimately, she is responsible for bringing innovation to the airfield, terminals and roadways at both airports.

This panel will discuss the inland river system and the importance of using our inland waterways as instruments for the future of transportation and logistics.  As American industry continues to reshoring many activities from international partners, learning the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the inland river system is ripe to be more fully utilized.  We will discuss developmental opportunities and management opportunities and how the P3 world can actively participate, in addition to the funding and financing opportunities all through the lens of the importance of having a thoughtful and actionable plan to execute.  

In the next few years, a pipeline of $20 billion of managed lanes projects are expected to come to the market—two times more than the past ten years combined. What’s changed to account for the attractiveness of such projects? Is the model viable long-term, and will this trend keep up? 

In this panel, three new partners—Cintra, Transurban, and Tikehau—will discuss the approach of their bid to bring managed lanes to I-285 E in Georgia and I-24 in Tennessee and how these partnerships and projects in the pipeline benefit governments, communities, and the P3 sector. 

Public transit is often touted as the tip of the spear for fleet decarbonization, but the scale, complexity, and risk profile of the infrastructure transition required is daunting. However, innovative delivery models drawing on cross-sector insights are being explored by transit agencies and others seeking to solve structural challenges and catalyze transition. A discussion of charging/fueling as-a-service, shared infrastructure across fleets, and the potential for zero-emission bus (ZEB) P3s would focus on both opportunities and barriers to adoption.

The State of Colorado has been innovating in its approach to starting new passenger rail service on existing freight corridors, especially on the Mountain Rail corridor from Denver to Craig, Colorado.  Colorado is expediting the process for starting passenger service in a few ways. First, it has undertaken a streamlined, state-funded planning process that took a fraction of the time of a federally-funded Service Development Plan. Second, it coordinated this planning with access negotiations with the freight railroads and early procurement steps. Third, it secured funding for the project early to support access negotiations and procurement. Join this session and explore the incredible journey of the Mountain Rail Corridor!

With New York marking its first implementation of a comprehensive congestion pricing program, leaders from the New York Building Congress and other key stakeholders will explore how tolling strategies can fund transformative infrastructure, reduce traffic, and reimagine transit systems for a cleaner, faster, and more equitable future. This conversation will examine the long road to implementation in New York—dispelling myths, navigating legal and political hurdles, and pushing forward a bold vision—and what it means for cities across the country weighing similar programs.

This closing session isn’t just a wrap-up; it’s a call forward. Whether you're a policymaker, project developer, or mobility-minded innovator, this session will offer insights into how congestion pricing can serve as a powerful tool to modernize transportation and secure sustainable funding for the infrastructure of tomorrow.

We close out this year's Summit with a fireside chat with Michael Nutter, who served as the 98th Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016, and Emily Yates, Chief Innovation Officer of SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority).