Rebuilding America's infrastructure, as promised on the campaign trail and in the first year and a half of the Trump Administration, will get a lot harder when the price of steel has gone up by 40 percent since the beginning of 2018.
David A. Lieb reports on the effects of the Trump Administration's trade policies on infrastructure investment projects and programs around the United States.
Steel prices have risen sharply since the Trump Administration instituted tariffs on steel imports in March, according to Lieb. While some projects are under construction with pre-tariff prices locked in, projects in the pipeline aren't so fortunate. Lieb references the Kansas City streetcar extension, a bridge project over the Mississippi River in St. Louis, and highway construction programs in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania to exemplify projects that are re-evaluating their plans in light of the new prices for steel.
There's also the specter of President Trump's proposed (but likely dead on arrival) $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan. The article implies, with some degree of subtlety, that Trump's trade policies are making Trump's infrastructure promises impossible.
FULL STORY: Trump’s own tariffs make it harder to rebuild infrastructure
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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