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About P3​

What is a Public-Private Partnership (P3)?

A public-private partnership project is a contractual agreement between a public entity and a private entity (or another public entity) in which the public entity transfers the responsibility for engineering, construction, operation, financing, and/or maintenance (or any combination) of a transportation project or facility to the private sector for a defined period of time.

 

Benefits of Public-Private Partnerships

If the P3 board determines a state operation or project would be more cost-effectively administered or delivered by a private company, the department or appropriate transportation agency can advertise a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP). PennDOT enters into a contract with a company to completely or partially deliver the transportation-related service or project.

In addition to cost savings, P3 projects have other advantages over traditional procurement such as:

  • Risk-sharing protecting project sponsors from the cost and consequences of negative events
  • Accelerated project delivery compared to traditional public-sector project scheduling and delivery methods
  • Improved quality and system performance from the use of innovative materials and management techniques that may result in higher initial quality to minimize long-term maintenance and operations costs
  • Ability to apply special incentives to improve project performance and operating efficiencies
  • A more optimal distribution of risks, that is allocating certain project risks to the private sector (e.g., financing, schedule, long-term operations, and maintenance) and retaining others with the public agency (e.g., program management, environmental clearance, permitting, and right-of-way acquisition)
  • Use of private financial resources and personnel
  • Access to new sources of private capital, while leveraging scarce public resources and conserving public-sector debt capacity

 

What does the P3 Office do?

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation P3 Office is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the P3 program:

  • Identifying, screening, and prioritizing unsolicited proposals and candidate projects;
  • Presenting proposals to the P3 Board for review and approval at board meetings;
  • Managing the successful implementation of PennDOT projects from development to procurement and deployment;
  • Assisting and providing counsel to other public entities.

 

P3 Team

P3 Office Staff

Kristin A. Mulkerin 
Deputy Secretary for Planning

Michael Bonini
Director
717-772-4664

James Nicastro
Deputy Director 
717-756-5187

 Madelyn Vergos 
Project Manager  
717-214-2264

 

Transportation P3 Board

Honorable Michael Carroll
Secretary of Transportation

Uri Monson
Secretary of the Budget

Gregory Davis
Governor’s at-large appointee

Vacant
Appointee of House Majority Leader

Geoffrey Clarke 
Appointee of the Senate Minority Leader

Honorable Ed Neilson
Appointee of the House Minority Leader

Dr. Timothy F. Murphy 
Appointee of Senate Majority Leader