Civil Rights and Accessibility

MTC Seeks Comment on Clipper Title VI Report

While transitioning the region’s transit agencies’ paper tickets to the electronic Clipper® fare-payment system, MTC is working to ensure that customers with limited-English proficiency, minorities, and low-income residents who are protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Environmental Justice principles are not adversely affected. MTC’s Clipper Title VI Draft Summary Report for Fare Media Transitions, which summarizes the agency’s approach to this issue, was released on September 2, 2011 for public review.

The draft report outlines steps that MTC and transit agency staff have taken to ensure that individuals protected by Title VI and low-income persons have equitable access to Clipper program benefits and services. These steps include waiving the $5 card acquisition fee since June 2010, holding more than 800 outreach events around the region to date, improving the multilingual capabilities at the Clipper Customer Service Center, running media campaigns in Chinese and Spanish languages, and widely distributing Clipper cards in communities of predominantly low-income, limited English, and minority residents.

The draft report then summarizes MTC’s requirement that transit agencies transition selected paper passes and tickets to Clipper-only availability, the potential for reinstatement of a card acquisition fee, and how these changes may potentially impact Title VI-protected and low-income communities. The report describes MTC’s efforts to mitigate four potential adverse impacts to these communities related to outreach enrollment opportunities for discount category patrons, Clipper vendor availability in specific census tracts, and the $5 Clipper card acquisition fee.

The public is encouraged to provide feedback on MTC’s efforts to mitigate these potential adverse impacts for Title VI-protected communities. MTC is particularly interested in public input regarding the proposal described on pages 15-18 of the draft report to reduce the card acquisition fee to $3, accompanied by a $2 minimum balance. Comments are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 2011. MTC also will be conducting a series of focus groups to hear more directly from residents in Title VI protected and low-income communities. Email written comments to info@mtc.ca.gov, or mail them to MTC Public Information, 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, CA 94607-4700, fax: 510.817.5848.

• More information on Title VI

After receiving and addressing public feedback on this draft report, MTC’s Operations Committee, which sets the policies of the Clipper program, will adopt any resulting changes to the Clipper Operating Rules.