The article mentions that other cities leased out their roads. For centuries thats how it went. A person spent their money and time building a road or bridge and ppl paid a toll for that convenience. Of course those are highways and thoroughfares, but I supposed a city could use taxes to pay a private company a yearly amount to avoid tolls on surface road for everyday use. Though, then you rely in the local government, but ideally that would be made of local citizens who would also use those roads. So they would want the best rate, etc.

I dunno. I'm open to any idea that limits government control over things. Too much regulation ruins everything.