“Infrastructure Week” unfortunately became something of a punchline with the White House’s on-again, off-again dedication to the issue. But that doesn’t mean real infrastructure policy has to sit on the sidelines. There are bipartisan principles for success when it comes to infrastructure and, if the White House really dedicates itself, a way to actually get something done in a divided Congress.

The cornerstone of a successful infrastructure policy would be a strong emphasis on public-private partnerships. Structure infrastructure development around public-private partnerships have resulted in some of the most successful infrastructure developments this century, and have allowed for increased investment while minimizing the amount of waste and abuse that inevitably result from central government planning and traditional infrastructure contracting.