Ohio Gov. John Kasich recently called on U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to grant Ohio a waiver from the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program to make way for a pilot project.
Kasich and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) both requested the waiver in separate letters to Foxx. The waiver would enable the Ohio Department of Transportation to implement a pilot project that is designed to increase minority business participation in an upcoming project in Cleveland.
“ODOT began implementing a program for the second phase of the Cleveland Innerbelt project to increase minority business participation in a meaningful, substantive and representative manner,” Kasich said. “Some strategies include focused outreach, expanded training opportunities and technical assistance, mentoring programs and reimbursement for some costs associated with becoming prequalified to work on ODOT projects.”
Kasich said the strategies would improve participation from local businesses, but more urgent steps are also needed to have an immediate impact on the current project.
Fudge said federally funded transportation projects have not resulted in contracts reaching all disadvantaged groups and city residents equitably.
“According to recent Census data, the population of the city of Cleveland is 53.3 percent African-American, 33.4 percent non-minority, 10 percent Hispanic, 1.8 percent Asian and 0.3 percent American Indian,” Fudge said. “To offer an example of a recent DBE participation breakdown on a project in Cleveland, the Innerbelt bridge phase one reflects a breakdown in participation by DBE-qualified firms as follows: six percent African-American, 56 percent non-minority women, three percent Hispanic, five percent Asian and 29 percent Native American. It’s clear these figures reveal socio-economic inequity.”