CTDOT Press Releases
03/06/2023
CTDOT Joins National Effort, Signs Equity In Infrastructure Pledge
On March 1, 2023, Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto signed an Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) Pledge alongside 11 other DOT chief executives to publicly commit to improving contracting opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses. The signing was held during the 2023 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Washington Briefing.
“The Connecticut Department of Transportation is committed to promoting equity in all aspects of our work,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Significant infrastructure investments can enable Historically Underutilized Businesses to thrive and transform historically underserved communities. Now, more than ever, ensuring the benefits of contracting opportunities reach businesses owned by people of color and women and businesses that are socially and economically disadvantaged is critically important. Through the Equity in Infrastructure Pledge and our collective efforts to take intentional steps to provide economic opportunities, we can create more inclusive participation in contracting and expand access to opportunity for this generation and the next.”
Through this Pledge, EIP is securing commitments to improve public contracting practices by creating opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) to build generational wealth, reduce the racial wealth gap, and grow the overall economy by including more Americans in the work associated with the ongoing historic investment in infrastructure by creating more prime, joint venture and equity contracting opportunities. HUBs can include firms formally designated as Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE), and Small Business Enterprises (SBE).
Joining Connecticut to sign the pledge on March 1 were the DOTs of Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington State, and Wisconsin. Now, a total of 25 DOTs, Transit Agencies, and Communities have signed the pledge.
By signing the pledge, an organization publicly commits to expanding current initiatives by December 2025 with the following priorities:
- Increasing the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to HUBs;
- Increasing the number, size and proportion of contracting opportunities going to HUBs as prime contractors;
- Streamlining the administration of contracting with HUBs to centralize certification, improve payment time, and standardize transparent data collection;
- Increasing the amount and type of appropriate financing available to HUBs; and
- Expanding the number of Pledge signers.
EIP was founded in anticipation of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and to answer President Joe Biden’s call to leverage infrastructure spending to build wealth in underserved communities.
For more information, visit EquityInInfrastructure.org.
CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto signing an Equity in Infrastructure Project Pledge
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
860-594-3062
CTDOTMedia@ct.gov
Twitter: @CTDOTOfficial
Facebook: Connecticut Department of Transportation
Share this information on: