Office of Civil Rights

Mission Statement

The Office of Civil Rights aims to create a workplace free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, ensures that those who do business with BART are treated fairly and that BART riders and community members have fair and equal access to our system. 

The Office of Civil Rights exists to meet the following state and federal laws and regulations:

• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise: The Federal Transit Administration requires BART to maintain a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise policy and program under 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 26 and to enforce such provisions for all of BART's federally funded contracts. This is a requirement for recipients of U.S. Department of Transportation financial assistance.
• Labor Compliance: BART is mandated to ensure compliance with California Labor Code Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 2 and Federal Code of Federal Regulations 29 prevailing wage statutes and regulations.
• Title VI & Title VII: The Federal Transit Administration requires transit agencies who receive money from federal sources to comply with Federal Law and regulations relating to BART equal employment opportunity programs. These obligations arise under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §2000d et seq.) and implementing regulations at 49 CFR Part 21, as well as under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq.) and FTA Circular 4704.1A. BART must also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• BART must comply with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov. Code §§12900–12996), which mandates state employment protections, training requirements, reasonable accommodations with an interactive process (Gov. Code §12940(m)–(n)).
• The Director of the Office of Civil Rights is appointed as the EEO Officer and oversees compliance functions in the above laws and regulations.

Under these regulations, BART provides U.S. Department of Transportation with assurance that it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts. The Office of Civil Rights is responsible for implementing and administering the DBE Program and ensuring the District complies with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 and the USDOT Interim Final Rule issued on October 3, 2025. BART’s DBE Program supports federal transportation funding requirements under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and other federal transportation authorization laws.

Frequently Visited Webpages

B2Gnow Compliance System

Apply/Renew Certifications

Search for Certified Vendor Directory

Small Business Support Services

Search for Work Plans

Upcoming Outreach Events

Please check back soon for future outreach events— we appreciate your interest and support!

Latest News

Reevaluation of DBE Firms

BART has announced it is reevaluating Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) firms as part of a statewide effort in accordance with the Interim Final Rule (IFR), which went into effect October 3, 2025. This action, taken with other public agencies across the state, ensures continued compliance with federal law while maintaining fair and transparent access to contracting opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses.

Under the new federal DBE IFR, DBE certification is now based on individualized demonstrations of social and economic disadvantage, without reliance on race- or sex-based presumptions. All certified DBE/ACDBE firms (prior to the IFR issuance) in California and across the country are being reevaluated under these standards. Those who do not meet the new IFR certification criteria may not be recertified. If your firm was previously denied a DBE certification, you may reapply for DBE certification under the new guidelines after this reevaluation period (after April 16). During the reevaluation period, recipients such as BART will not set DBE contract goals nor count DBE participation toward their overall goal.

Please look for a recent email and postal letter (dated March 2, 2026) for more information about how to respond to the reevaluation through B2GNow.

The submission date for recertification packets is April 16, 2026.

Please note: If BART is not your DBE/ACDBE certifying agency, you will need to contact your designated DBE/ACDBE certifying agency in the jurisdiction of original certification (JOC) for instructions on how to submit the personal narrative.

If you have any questions regarding the DBE/ACDBE program updates, please contact BART's Office of Civil Rights, Certification Unit at [email protected].

Read the Reevaluation Letter Guide for more information.

BART’s Office of Civil Rights ensures non-discrimination in the execution of contracts.

Contact the Office of Civil Rights

10/03/25 Memo to Contractors, Consultants, and Suppliers

BART seeks members for the Business Advisory Council

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (District) is seeking new members for its Business Advisory Council (BAC) for a two-year term and your organization is invited to apply for membership. 

The BAC was established in 2010 to encourage communications between the District and the small business community and to advise the District in its efforts to ensure that small businesses are afforded equal opportunities to participate on District contracts and agreements.

The BAC currently consists of members representing the small business community covering geographical areas of the District’s service area as well as representation from the following industries: professional services, architecture and engineering, procurement and construction. Committee members serve a two-year period. Meetings are held once quarterly from 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in-person at BART Headquarters with the option to join virtually (via Zoom). 

Members are involved in providing valuable feedback on District contracting, services and procurement policies, programs and practices. 

If you would like to join the BAC, please submit the following: 

1. Completed BAC application 
2. Letter of recommendation from your organization (maximum one page)
3. Cover letter outlining your interest (maximum one page) 

Please submit these application documents to Alexandra Arroyo at [email protected]

If you have any questions, email Alexandra Arroyo, at the above email address

Rudy Garza, Director of Office of Civil Rights 

What We Do