A trio of high profile former federal transportation and transit industry officials has joined forces to provide comprehensive strategic advisory services to private industry, state transportation departments, and transit operators poised to implement billions in federal and state funding obligated to capital transportation projects, as well as funds obtained through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, which President Obama signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009.

The new venture, Spartan Solutions, Inc., will help private and public sector clients seeking to participate in major capital transportation projects to navigate a highly challenging and rapidly evolving business and regulatory climate:

• The nation’s largest, most costly and complex public transportation development projects in history, in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere are now under way, commanding enormous capital and risk management resources.
  


• The regulatory climate is on the cusp of enormous changes, with the advent of new surface transportation authorizing legislation that may alter the course of federal funding for essential projects.
  


• Private investors and the development community are eyeing the transportation sector as a long-term investment vehicle—but putting together successful public-private partnership deals requires considerable expertise.

Spartan Solutions’ founders possess the experience and knowledge that’s required to address the conditions of today’s business climate—while also looking down the road. They are equipped to advise clients on a full spectrum of necessary services—from initial policy and planning considerations, to financing and risk assessment, engineering, contracting, procurement, and the construction and operation of infrastructure projects nationwide.

Spartan Solutions will deliver value-added cost savings and pragmatic management counsel, as well as guidance on the effects of government policies, regulations, and new statutory requirements on the public transportation landscape.

“The public transportation industry is poised for tremendous growth, which spells opportunity for public and private enterprises interested in creating successful partnerships that invest in and revitalize rail, bus, and other critical transportation modes,” says Spartan partner and cofounder James S. Simpson, a former administrator of the Federal Transit Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“But the business model for these projects is complex, entails significant risk, and requires the ability to look far down the road. There are a lot of moving parts,” says Simpson.

Spartan Solutions has offices in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.


About Spartan Solutions’ Partners

Sherry Little served as deputy administrator, the acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration from February 2007 to January 2009. During her tenure, Ms. Little took the lead in helping FTA to implement its regulatory and legislative agenda and recruited private sector participation in public-private partnerships to help finance public transportation partnerships nationwide. Ms.Little formerly served as a senior staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, where she authored the Senate’s version of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005.

Mysore Nagaraja was most recently responsible for overseeing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s multi-billion dollar capital system expansion projects in New York City. In this capacity, he was president of the Capital Construction Company, reporting to the MTA executive director. He has delivered more than $20 billion in capital projects for the MTA and earned a reputation for staying within budget and completing projects on or ahead of schedule. Mr. Nagaraja is also the former senior vice president and chief engineer in the Department of Capital Program Management at New York City Transit. Mr. Nagaraja is a licensed professional engineer.

James S. Simpsonserved as administrator of the Federal Transit Administration from August 2006 to November 2008. Under Mr. Simpson’s leadership, the FTA oversaw $30 billion of transit projects under construction and awarded nearly $14 billion in federal capital transportation grants. Mr. Simpson is the former CEO of Victory Worldwide Transportation, an international commercial transportation company. He was appointed by former New York Governor George Pataki to serve as Commissioner of the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority from 1995-2005. He is also a former chairman of the St. Lawrence Seaway Advisory Board.