The New American Model
The Institute's Transformational Approach to Public Infrastructure
Ohio Route 30 Opportunity Corridor Project
West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridors
Congratulations to Senator Bob Plymale, and county development leaders Leasha Johnson and Jim Spencer on enactment of groundbreaking West Virginia legislation establishing an advanced energy and economic corridor commission which will promote hi tech advanced energy and economic development in communities along the future King Cole Highway in southern WVA This is an important next step in the movement towards the New American Model concept which mobilizes private investments to assist in funding important public highway projects while creating enhanced opportunities for the communities through which the highways pass, This important development builds upon the progress made in projects like the Ohio Opportunity Corridor and the Texas SH130 Intelligent Infrastructure Corridor which make highways engines for innovation, growth, and community benefits in the areas that they pass through. The following are links to the law text and press commentary.
Recognizing that (1) public funding sources will be inadequate to support adequate maintenance and updating of the nation’s transportation systems (2) that highways, as currently designed and conceived, do not maximize public benefits but, instead, may adversely impact local economies and (3) that properly designed and conceived highways and rights of way can generate revenues and produce sustainable and supportive communities, we are working with Senator Schuring and the State of Ohio to design, finance and develop the Ohio Route 30 Opportunity Corridor. This project will demonstrate the “American Model” approach for maximizing community benefits through planning driven by digitalized community input, transparency through auditable digital systems, and bringing in private funding through a public/private enterprise “run like a sustainable business”. Effective utilization of digital twinning and AI technologies are critical elements of this project—which is well underway.