Over the past decade, New York state lost 220,000 manufacturing jobs, nearly one in three. While other sectors added jobs in recent years, they don’t come close to providing the family-sustaining wages and health benefits long associated with manufacturing. In addition to being a source of good jobs, manufacturing has a high multiplier impact, contributes to sustainable growth and provides fertile ground for entrepreneurship, technological innovation and productivity improvements.

On Sept 27th, Surdna grantee the Blue Green Alliance (now merged with another grantee, the Apollo Alliance) organized Building the Future, a one-day conference about opportunities to increase regional transit manufacturing opportunities. The event brought together a broad and growing coalition of organizations that encompass perspectives from business, community, environment, education, and labor.  For the first time, these organizations  are working together to advance a job creation and business development manufacturing strategy in New York State.  The event received coverage on the White House and DOT blogs.

Here are some quick facts:

• New York has the largest base of transit-related manufacturing firms in the U.S., and it has significant potential to further expand its transit-related manufacturing capacity.
• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates the largest transit system in the U.S and twenty-five percent of New York City’s construction industry is working on MTA expansion projects to enable the region’s future growth.
• New York State’s current transportation manufacturing base largely results from a conscious effort on the part of both the state and the MTA to encourage in-state production of transit equipment. Over the past 30 years, $80 billion has been invested in the downstate region’s transit rolling stock and infrastructure, helping spur the regional economy.

To build a bright future for New York, the growing coalition of diverse organizations will work together to: (1) develop and implement a mass transit-related economic development strategy that creates jobs and fosters business development in New York State through transportation manufacturing; (2) build a campaign to secure the fullest political commitment from the Governor, the state Legislature, local elected officials and regional economic development councils in support of a transportation manufacturing job and business development strategy; and (3) promote and secure adequate and sustainable funding for the MTA and New York State’s other transit authorities’ capital and operating budgets and for national mass transit infrastructure and advanced manufacturing investments.

Download the white paper above, and click here for the conference program.