As a condition of using federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration, Iowa City Transit is mandated to maintain a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, which seeks “to level the playing field by providing small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts,” according to the Department of Transportation.
The program began in 1980 as a minority and women’s business enterprise program, established as a result of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the DOT’s website stated.
To meet the stated eight objectives of the DBE Program Regulation, DOT fund recipients must develop and implement a DBE program that conforms to DOT standards.
To achieve this goal, Iowa City Transit is seeking input from the public. Feedback can be sent to Hannah Neel, Associate Transportation Planner for the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County, at hneel@iowa-city.org.
The proposed program can be found on the City Transit webpage, and the program document is also on file in the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County (MPOJC) Office, located in the lower level of City Hall, 410 E. Washington St.
Feedback opens Monday, June 3, and ends July 2 at 5 p.m.
