Op-Ed: Infrastructure Projects Need More Women in Leadership Roles

Darlene K. Gee and Charissa Frank point out that "Women comprise half of the U.S. population, yet hold only 1 in 5 architecture and 1 in 7 engineering roles," arguing that "our transportation system touches everyone in our diverse population, so it's critical to gain input, perspectives and talent from all parts of our community."

They praise the Bay Area for leading the way in that regard. "BART, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Francisco County Transportation Authority and several other Bay Area agencies are led by women."

While most of the work on major projects "has traditionally been done by a handful of large, well-known companies," Gee and Frank believe that "better representation in the leadership ranks will help ensure major infrastructure projects are designed and built to meet the wide-ranging needs of our entire community." That means awarding contracts to and partnering with a more diverse range of firms.