The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) Board of Directors has approved a Buy America Bid Preference policy that gives preference to rail car manufacturers that create U.S. jobs. Board members made the move after saying that, as they prepare to replace BART’s aging train cars with a new fleet, they have heard from both their constituents and state and federal officials that putting Americans back to work should be a strong consideration.

“The Buy America policy mirrors the economic goals of federal lawmakers,” said BART Board President Bob Franklin. “Adopting this policy on a regional level demonstrates BART’s leadership in the rail industry. It will also transfer rail car technology to the U.S.”

The new policy, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2012, scores bids for federally funded procurements by using a formula that considers the domestic content level of a product.

BART’s “Fleet of the Future” train car replacement project is a $3 billion capital investment. The preliminary timeline is to award a contract to a manufacturer in the coming months.