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.
Read the full story: Trump’s own tariffs make it harder to rebuild infrastructure
MTA expects Trump’s tariffs to increase new NYC transit costs by $1 billion
The Metropolitan Transit Authority said the cost of new subway cars has risen by 30% since Trump began his second term as president.
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Trump's Infrastructure Accomplishments Fall Short of Promises
President Trump has fallen short of 2016 promises to update and upgrade the key infrastructure of the United States, according to this article.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
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Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Satanic Place Names
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California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
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Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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