New research from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) shows that federal investment in public transport supports a wide manufacturing network across the United States, linking thousands of suppliers involved in the production of rail and bus vehicles.
According to APTA, about 77 percent of federal public transit funding flows to private-sector companies. The association says this spending supports manufacturing activity and family-wage jobs across the country.
To illustrate how this supply chain operates, APTA has released updated bus and rail manufacturing schematics. These visuals map where different components are produced and identify the states involved in building various parts of buses and trains.
A visual of the supply chain for rail cars
© APTA
The research indicates that more than 3,000 suppliers located in over 1,700 communities across all 50 states contribute to the production of public transport vehicles. The diagrams show how components are sourced from multiple states before being assembled into finished buses or rail cars.
For example, the supply chain for fuel systems used in buses and trains involves facilities in nine states: California, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. The distribution highlights the multi-state nature of transit manufacturing.
A visual of the supply chain for buses
© APTA
The visuals are designed to show the scale of the transport manufacturing supply chain and its connection to workers in many regions. The organisation is calling for continued federal investment in the next surface transportation legislation and says the schematics may help policymakers understand how transit spending affects local economies.
The diagrams are the result of a year-long research project led by APTA’s policy development and research team. The team worked with external partners to gather national data on the transit manufacturing supply chain. After collecting the information, researchers analysed the dataset to identify suppliers and map where specific components are produced.
The findings have been summarised in the schematics to provide a visual overview of the industry’s manufacturing footprint.
Two additional schematics, focusing on bus maintenance facilities and rail stations, are expected to be released at APTA’s upcoming APTA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.. These materials will expand the analysis to include other parts of the public transport system.