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Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

TITLE VI COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

MTC has in place a Title VI Complaint Procedure, which outlines a process for local disposition of Title VI complaints and is consistent with guidelines found in Chapter VII of the Federal Transit Administration Circular 4702.1, dated May 26, 1988.

The complaint procedure has five steps, outlined below:

  1. Submission of Complaint: Any person who feels that he or she, individually, or as a member of any class of persons, on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, religion, or low-income status has been excluded from or denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance through MTC may file a written complaint with the Deputy Director, Policy. Such complaint must be filed within 60 calendar days after the date the person believes the discrimination occurred.
  2. Referral to Review Officer: Upon receipt of the Complaint, the Deputy Director, Policy, shall appoint one or more staff review officers, as appropriate, to evaluate and investigate the Complaint, in consultation with the Office of General Counsel. The staff review officer(s) shall complete their review no later than 45 calendar days after the date MTC received the Complaint. If more time is required, the Deputy Director, Policy shall notify the Complainant of the estimated time-frame for completing the review. Upon completion of the review, the staff review officer(s) shall make a recommendation regarding the merit of the Complaint and whether remedial actions are available to provide redress. Additionally, the staff review officer(s) may recommend improvements to MTC’s processes relative to Title VI and environmental justice, as appropriate. The staff review officer(s) shall forward their recommendations to the Executive Director, for concurrence. If the Executive Director concurs, he shall issue MTC’s written response to the Complainant.
  3. Request for Reconsideration: If the Complainant disagrees with the Executive Director’s response, he or she may request reconsideration by submitting the request, in writing, to the Executive Director within 10 calendar days after receipt of the Executive Director’s response. The request for reconsideration shall be sufficiently detailed to contain any items the Complainant feels were not fully understood by the Executive Director. The Executive Director will notify the Complainant of his decision either to accept or reject the request for reconsideration within 10 calendar days. In cases where the Executive Director agrees to reconsider, the matter shall be returned to the staff review officer(s) to re-evaluate in accordance with Paragraph 2, above.
  4. Appeal: If the request for reconsideration is denied, the Complainant may appeal the Executive Director’s response to the Complaint by submitting a written appeal to MTC’s Administration Committee no later than 10 calendar days after receipt of the Executive Director’s written decision rejecting reconsideration.
  5. Submission of Complaint to the Department of Transportation: If the Complainant is dissatisfied with MTC’s resolution of the Complaint, he or she may also submit a complaint to the Department of Transportation for investigation. In accordance with Chapter VII, Title VI Discrimination Complaints, of FTA Circular 4702.1, such a complaint must be submitted within 180 calendar days after the date of the alleged discrimination. Chapter VII of the FTA Circular 4702.1, which outlines the complaint process to the Department of Transportation, may be obtained by requesting a copy from MTC’s Public Information Office (510) 817-5787.