Vitagliano Appointed to Infrastructure Comm.

Winthrop resident and transportation guru John Vitagliano, principal of Seagull Consulting, was appointed by Speaker Robert DeLeo this week to serve as a members to the newly created Special Public-Private Partnership Infrastructure Commission.

Vitagliano will join six other members on the legislatively-mandated commission that will reviews and approve all public-private partnership transportation infrastructure requests.

“We have potential to address the state’s deteriorating infrastructure issues by entering in good partnerships with private entities to adress some of the costs given the current economic climate,” said Vitagliano.

According to MassDOT, commission members had to be experts with experience in transportation law, public policy, public finance, management consulting, transportation or organizational change.

Vitagliano was a former Massport board member and the former Transportation Commissioner for the City of Boston.

He was most recently involved in the multimillion dollar federal construction project of the Chelsea Street Bridge and played a significant role in the bypass riad that now connects Chelsea to Logan Airport.

“There’s a need to identify entities that benefit from the state’s infrastructure and find ways to bring them into the fold to help defer some of the costs,” said Vitagliano.

Vitagliano said his role, although not yet defined, could potentially focus on public transportation improvements.

“I look forward to our first meeting and take an active role in addressing some big transportation needs”, said Vitagliano.

According to MassDOT requests for proposal for a public-private agreement for design-build-finance-operate-maintain services must receive the commission’s written approval before being issued by DOT.

Vitagliano and the commission will also, in reviewing the requests for proposals, consider such issues as the proposed policies for overseeing a privately operated transportation facility; financial issues including taxation, profit-sharing, revenue producing ideas and the financial value of any state transportation facility involved; use of new technologies; and the anticipated advantages of entering into a public-private agreement for services.

“These highly-qualified leaders will provide critical early input to ensure that transportation investments are made wisely,” said Governor Deval Patrick.