Create 3.7 million clean transportation jobs by “making it in America”

The Apollo Alliance, an organization inspired by the innovation and vision that put an American on the moon, has a plan to put people back to work and build a cleaner and smarter transportation system here at home.

“Make it in America: The Apollo Clean Transportation Manufacturing Action Plan” calls for sustained investments to harness transit and clean vehicle building here in the U.S., investments that would result in 3.7 million jobs in the next six years. Of those new jobs, 600,000 alone would be in the manufacturing sector.

There is unanimity in this country — between business and labor, President Obama and many of his critics — that now is a smart time to invest in infrastructure. Interest rates are low, materials and labor are cheaper and a 17 percent unemployment rate in the construction industry has left millions of Americans in search of work. Apollo presents a path forward to seize this moment and put those people to work building a stronger 21st century economy.

Specifically, Apollo calls for $30 billion in public transit investment and $10 billion for intercity rail, along with a national freight plan to better move our nation’s goods. Apollo also supports efforts to increase the number of transit vehicles and parts made domestically, through adjustments in tax policy, enhanced transparency and research and development investment.

Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a supporter of Apollo’s plan who participated in today’s conference call announcing the report, said “it’s clear that we’re at a critical moment. Clearly we risk middle class jobs and a strong national defense without a manufacturing strategy.”

Brown says he plans to introduce a bill aimed at bolstering domestic manufacturing through, among other measures, strengthening Buy America provisions that require a percentage of parts to be made domestically, and making those provisions more transparent.

Leo Gerard, president of United Steel Workers, echoed the Senator’s sentiments, saying he saw a “triple bottom line” to Apollo’s investments: good jobs for working families, a stronger U.S. economy and less carbon in the air as more Americans use public transit.

“It’s those industrial jobs, it’s those manufacturing jobs that will help rebuild the middle class,” Gerard said during today’s call.

United Streetcar, which sold the first modern streetcar to Portland, Oregon, is already acting on Apollo’s vision. The company’s supply chain includes 200 vendors in 20 states, employs union iron-workers and commands a growing customer base.

“We’ve done it with the streetcar, we can do it with any other product as well,” said Chandra Brown, President of United Streetcar.

You can learn more about Apollo Alliance’s report here. The link includes the complete proposal, an executive summary and additional information.