Fast Lane readers will recall that, last week, we announced $100 million in transit grants to open up the door of opportunity to more Americans, wherever they live, whatever their background, whatever their economic circumstances.
But there are also folks who grasp a better life not by riding transit to work or school, but by building our transportation system. And it again takes a concerted effort to ensure that everyone has access to these opportunities.
It takes organizations like COMTO, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, who never let up in the fight to make sure minority transportation workers aren't unfairly denied higher-paying jobs or promotions, and that minority-owned, small, and disadvantaged businesses (DBEs) get a fair shot at contracting opportunities.
At DOT, we support that effort, too --not just making sure we rebuild America's infrastructure, but making sure that all Americans can participate in building it. And last week, we raised the stakes.
On Thursday, we issued a final rule designed to improve our DBE program regulations. To keep pace with economic realities, we're raising the gross receipts cap on what defines a small business. We're also streamlining the application process with less burdensome forms that don't ask for unnecessary information.
My message is: If you own a business that should qualify as a DBE, we don't want you hitting snags in the application process, or feeling like you're taking an exam. We want to get you certified. We want to tap into your expertise, and help put your company to work building our nation's infrastructure.
We're committed to that --not just because it's the right thing to, but because it's the smart thing to do.
Earlier this year, I was in St. Louis to cut the ribbon on the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge project. On this particular project, 117 different women- and minority-owned companies won 246 contracts worth more than $114 million dollars.
One of those was BRK Electrical Contractors, a small, minority-owned business. They formed a joint venture with one of the region's largest companies in their industry to build the electrical systems for the bridge structure. The project not only allowed BRK to gain valuable experience so they can tackle larger projects in the future; it also helped the city.
The BRK team was instrumental in figuring out that the electrical system called for in the bridge blueprints could be replaced with a much less costly system. And, as a result, they saved the project a million dollars.
If this story tells us anything, it's that minority-owned businesses bring some of the best ideas to the table. And with our new DBE rule, we're making sure that they have the opportunity to continue bringing those good ideas to transportation projects across America.