If your child brought home a report card with a C average, you’d likely be underwhelmed. But a C average is what the American Society of Civil Engineers gives Maryland’s infrastructure, and they have some suggestions for how to improve. Infrastructure is the "bread and butter" of government—covering everything from the water in your pipes to the bridges on your commute—but as construction costs rise and traditional funding sources like the gas tax dwindle, the state is looking for new ways to build.
In this episode, hosts Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin dive into the complex and often debated world of Public-Private Partnerships, or P3s. They spoke to some experts to discuss whether these deals are a "panacea" for the state's building woes or a "necessary evil" that requires caution.
Featured in the episode:
- Michael Sakata, President and CEO of the Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association
- Dr. Jonathan Gifford, Director of the Center for Transportation Public-Private Partnership Policy at George Mason University
- Marshall Macomber, Chief of Innovative Finance and Delivery, Maryland Department of Transportation
- Jaclyn Hartman, Assistant Secretary of Transportation Investments, Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)
- Brad Frome, Partner at Rise Investment Partners
What We Discuss:
- The "C" Grade: Why Maryland’s infrastructure is struggling and why the traditional way of paying for roads and bridges is breaking down.
- Beyond the Purple Line: Moving past the headlines to understand how P3s work and the challenges with this particular project.
- Success Stories: How the P3 model has been used to fast-track a "bundle" of new schools in Prince George’s County and manage the Port of Baltimore.
- The Maintenance Guarantee: Why the most valuable part of a P3 might not be the initial construction, but the thirty years of guaranteed upkeep that follows.
Maryland Now is brought to you by Blended Public Affairs and produced by Carper Cre8tive.
Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
- (00:00) - C Grade Wake Up Call
- (00:38) - Why P3s Matter
- (02:46) - School Construction Spark
- (04:29) - Risks And Skepticism
- (05:25) - Maryland Infrastructure Report
- (07:52) - Funding Model Breakdown
- (10:52) - What A P3 Is
- (13:01) - Maryland P3 Examples
- (16:25) - Purple Line Case Study
- (20:24) - PG County School P3
- (24:11) - Maintenance And Value
- (25:19) - Wrap Up And Takeaways
What is Maryland Now?
Maryland Now is a podcast that goes beyond the headlines to explore the forces shaping Maryland’s politics, policy, and public life. Hosted by Dori Henry, Josh Kurtz, and David Nitkin — three veteran journalists and public‑affairs leaders with more than 60 years of combined experience — the show brings depth, context, and historical perspective to the issues facing Maryland today.
Each episode blends reporting, interviews, and insider knowledge. You’ll hear directly from the people driving decisions in Annapolis and across the state: agency heads, lawmakers, advocates, strategists, and longtime policy experts. The hosts draw on their decades covering and working in Maryland government to connect past decisions to current debates — revealing how we got here, what’s been tried before, and what’s at stake now.
Season One follows the 2026 General Assembly session and election cycle, with deep dives into housing, energy, the state budget, public health, and more. The conversations are smart, candid, and grounded in real reporting — not hot takes.
If you want to understand Maryland — its politics, its communities, and its future — Maryland Now is for YOU