Eighteen leaders signed the Equity In Infrastructure Project (EIP) pledge in California recently to join a national coalition committed to increasing contracting opportunities for historically underutilized businesses in the infrastructure sector.

Among the 18 leaders were more than a dozen major Bay Area transit agencies and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. This increases competition for public contracts, saving taxpayer dollars and delivering better value for infrastructure investments while building generational wealth and reducing the racial wealth gap.

Quickly Growing Coalition

The signing grows the EIP’s voluntary coalition to 92 transit authorities, airports, water districts, and engineering, financial, and constructions firms from across the country.

The pledge was signing was held at the Milpitas Transit Center on January 13 and was hosted by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the EIP.

“VTA's transit connects one of the most diverse and economically vibrant metropolitan areas in the nation,” said VTA Board Chair, Sergio Lopez. “Today's commitment is a recognition that this diversity is key to success — whether to the economic vitality of Silicon Valley or to the successful operation of a complex transit agency — and will create opportunity in our communities for generations to come.”

The 18 entities that signed the EIP pledge are the VTA, BART, City of Milpitas, SFO, SFMTA, MTC, COMTO Nor Cal, AC Transit, Caltrain, SamTrans, San Francisco Bay Ferry, Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, Transbay Joint Power Authority, Denver Water, Valley Water, The Allen Group, BUILDIT, and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.

“EIP is an economic development program. When we are intentional about prime, joint venture, and equity participation opportunities for historically underutilized businesses, we put people to work, and we grow businesses and community wealth,” said EIP Co-Chair Phil Washington, who is CEO of the Denver International Airport. “These are tough economic times across our nation. What we are rallying people around is leveraging infrastructure investments into investments in people’s financial security.”

Objective of the Pledge

The EIP pledge calls for signers to:

• Increase the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to historically underutilized businesses

• Increase the number size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to historically underutilized businesses as prime contractors

• Streamline the administration of contracting with historically underutilized businesses aiming to meet infrastructure contracts by working with private and public partners

• Expand the number of signatories to the pledge.

The Bay Area’s commitment to supporting historically underutilized businesses is not just about compliance, it is about recognizing the value that diverse perspectives bring to infrastructure projects. By working together the organizations aim to build a more equitable future for all Bay Area communities.