How can local firms get work?
Use of local businesses is one of the guiding principles established by the Sound Transit board. But location in the Puget Sound area does not guarantee a contract. According to Sound Transit Light Rail Director Paul Bay, “Nobody here should think that local firms are going to be given work when they haven’t done a whole lot of thinking about what needs to be done and how best to do it. Nor should anyone here think, for one moment, that national firms who may have done it 100 times in other cities are automatically going to be given the work because they’ve done it 100 times in other cities. (They must think about) how they’re going to do it here and how to put together a team here to make it happen well.” from Aug. 11, 1997 consultant briefing. According to a question presented at the Aug. 11, 1997 consultant briefing, “Discussions with potential prime contractors reveal a very strong bias to selection of local M/W/DBE to the exclusion of out-of-town firms. This appears to be an unwri
