Vincent Bevins reports on recent efforts by Brazil's leaders to modernize the country's transportation network, and ease the gridlock entangling the country.
Bevins cites a host of problems plaguing transportation in the rapidly modernizing country, as old airports, roads, and rails struggle to keep up with demands of citizens and businesses. With the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics fast approaching, President Dilma Rousseff has launched an effort to modernize the country's transportation infrastructure, beginning with the controversial selling of three major state-owned airports to private interests, reports Bevins.
"Analysts say pitiful infrastructure is keeping Brazil from even faster growth and that action is needed on the country's other transportation bottlenecks. But even limited privatization is a hard sell to unions and other hard-core supporters of Rousseff's Workers' Party. It's unclear how much further Rousseff, a former leftist rebel, might go."
FULL STORY: Brazil wins the gold medal in gridlock
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research