Capital investments could get more expensive, if Congress forces transit systems to buy American.
"Yesterday, the White House issued an official endorsement of a version of language banning mass transit rolling stock procurements from Chinese manufacturers that includes buses as well as railcars, in a blow to electric bus manufacturer BYD," according to an article by Jeff Davis.
The endorsement is found in a letter [pdf] from the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget that explains the Trump administration's position on matters still to be negotiated as Congress hammers out a new National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020.
"The House has passed H.R. 2500 [pdf] and the Senate has passed S. 1790 [pdf], and both bills contain very similar provisions prohibiting the use of federal mass transit funds for the purchase of transit rolling stock from manufacturers owned, or subsidized by, the Chinese government, and discouraging transit agencies from using non-federal funding for such purchases," according to Davis.
Davis explains in more detail the legal language that would change procurement for transit agencies in the United States:
The language is mainly targeted at Chinese state-owned rail manufacturer CRRC, which has won several major rail car procurements (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles) with ultra-low bids in the last few years. But there is one key difference between the provisions – the House provision (section 896 of H.R. 2500) applies only to “rail rolling stock procurements” while the Senate language (section 6015 of S. 1790) applies to all rolling stock procurements, which means that the Senate language also applies to procurement of buses while the House language does not. BYD, while not owned by the Chinese government, does receive some subsidies from them, which would make them subject to the ban.
There's more on the political ramifications of the potential ban on Chinese-manufactured buses in the article. Davis also wrote a report in September 2018 about the consequences of such a ban on transit operations and the economy.
FULL STORY: White House Endorses Ban on Chinese Bus and Rail Procurements
What $454 Million in Bus Facility Funding Pays for in the United States
Spoiler alert: not much.
Congress Intends to Ban Chinese Rail Cars
The U.S. is an expensive place to build transit resources. A move from Congress to ban Chinese rail cars over espionage fears may exacerbate that problem.
D.C. Metro Wants Buy Lots of New Railcars
D.C. Metro recently announced its intentions to buy anywhere from 256 to 800 new 8000 series railcars to replace the oldest cars in the system.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
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
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
