skip navigation
Build America Transportation Investment Center (BATIC) Institute: An AASHTO Center for Excellence
Build America Transportation Investment Center (BATIC) Institute: An AASHTO Center for Excellence

Mission & goals

A final update to this content was completed in March 2022.

Mission

The Build America Transportation Investment Center (BATIC) Institute: An AASHTO Center for Excellence enhances taxpayer value from transportation investment by promoting public sector capacity building in the analysis, understanding, and use of project finance techniques through a program of training, sharing of best practices, and technical assistance to all State Departments of Transportation and their local partner agencies.

Goals

BATIC Institute's goals are to increase the capacity of policymakers and project sponsors including state DOTs and local partner agencies to:

Understand project finance tools available to all types of projects.

An array of financing mechanisms may be available to projects of varying complexity and cost throughout the United States. In partnership with industry leaders, BATIC Institute brings expertise in all forms of innovative finance to be considered in the transportation planning, programming, and project delivery processes. This proficiency helps project sponsors understand the potential of financial tools such as federal credit assistance, bonding, state infrastructure banks, and public-private partnerships.

Create a sound environment for partnership among project delivery stakeholders.

The delivery of much-needed transportation improvements is optimal when public and private sector interests align. BATIC Institute builds technical capacity to support stakeholder collaboration, including communication and engagement, program-level accountability and transparency, and a strong commitment to create public benefit.

Assess projects for potential delivery via public-private partnership (P3), and if suitable, empower the delivery of projects under this approach.

Early involvement of the private sector can enhance the creativity, efficiency, and capital needed to address complex transportation problems. BATIC Institute provides training that helps State DOTs and local partner agencies assess the suitability of their projects for P3s, which are contracts that allow for greater private sector participation in the financing, delivery, and operation of transportation projects. Key areas of BATIC Institute capacity building include the examination of project risks (including revenue estimates, construction, operation, and maintenance) and the management of contract performance.