Date:  Monday, March 21, 2011

Contact: Jackie Bayne, Office of Equal Opportunity, WSDOT, 360-705-7084 (Olympia)

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is seeking comments on its proposed Federal Transit Administration Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal.

The DBE program helps create a “level playing field” for firms owned and operated by disadvantaged individuals that want to participate in federally assisted highway, airport and transit-related projects.

The DBE goals for federally funded transportation projects represent a percentage of the value of work for which disadvantaged, minority and women business enterprises should participate. WSDOT is proposing a 7.51 percent participation overall DBE goal for Federal Transit Administration financially-assisted projects during Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2011 through FFY 2013 (Oct. 1, 2010, through Sept. 30, 2013).

Federal regulations require all FTA assistance recipients to set a goal. WSDOT’s 7.51 percent goal is based upon the opportunities available and the number of ready, willing and able DBEs. WSDOT made its determination by availability of DBEs and typical FTA-funded projects during prior and upcoming State Fiscal Years.

Documents detailing WSDOT’s DBE goals and the methodology used for determining the FTA DBE goal are available for review at all WSDOT region headquarters offices and at the Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE, in Olympia. These documents are also available online at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/equalopportunity/.

WSDOT will consider all comments, as well as other material that is either quantitative or anecdotal, before submitting its final DBE goals to FTA on May 9, 2011. Written comments on the overall DBE goals will be accepted until May 5, 2011. Send comments to:

Jackie Bayne, DMWBE Contract Compliance Officer
Washington State Department of Transportation
Office of Equal Opportunity
PO Box 47314,
Olympia, WA 98504-7314
Or email: BayneJ@wsdot.wa.gov  

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