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44
community equally. MDT reaches out to all demographic Table 6.
communities and involves the public by providing oppor- Transit Agencies' Resources When Reducing
tunities early and often in the transportation planning Service or Increasing Fares
and decision-making processes by holding public work-
shops, meetings, forums, town hall meetings, etc.
Transit Agencies That 28
SFMTA stated that Have Specific Resources to
[It] works with a diverse set of stakeholders, including Assist Them When Reduc-
community members, local organizations, City Depart- ing Service or Increasing
ments and other regional transit properties. For example, Fares
SFMTA coordinates with BART, its partner transit Transit Agencies That 32
agency, which provides regional rail service.... SFMTA
Do Not Have Specific Re-
also coordinate[s] with the [San Francisco] Human Ser-
sources to Assist Them
vices Agency, which helps us distribute our low-income
"lifeline" pass. Additionally, we work closely with a vari- When Reducing Service or
ety of non-profit organizations that represent the needs of Increasing Fares
our customers and other stakeholders.... Transit Agencies Not 4
Responding
SFMTA's most recent changes were informed by the
Transit Effectiveness Project, a comprehensive operations
analysis conducted to increase the effectiveness of the Although some of the resources identified below
City's transit system. During the TEP process, SFMTA's overlap, the resources include:
Service Planning staff met with dozens of community or-
ganizations to get input on service changes. · The FTA, the tri-annual report to the FTA, and the
Finally, TriMet stated that FTA Civil Rights Officer.
· GIS mapping of transit areas, on-board fare sur-
[It] provides notice of proposed reductions in service
veys, and reviews by the FTA District Office.
and/or fare increases through [a] public notice, outreach,
and comment process that reaches community, business,
· Census data to identify low-income and minority
and jurisdictional stakeholders. ...Methods of outreach neighborhoods.
and involvement include on-board notification, notifica- · The agency's own Title VI Committee that "is
tion at affected stops, notification through a diversity list made up of members from critical areas throughout the
serve, and public notice in local minority newspapers and agency."
community publications. Proposed changes are also con- · The city's Mayor's Commission on Disability Issues
tained in postings within buses and shelters. Among the that provides "input on accessibility to city facilities and
other measures taken, individual notices are mailed to properties and public transportation needs for people
any party who has requested such notice and any busi- with disabilities."
nesses or individuals identified as key stakeholders. Pub-
· In-house software (Trapeze Plan) that the agency
lic hearings are generally held within the affected com-
uses and the agency's "MPO, if necessary, for GIS assis-
munity...at public facilities (schools, community centers)
within the affected neighborhoods. TriMet communicates tance."
with community-based organizations who represent mi- · A "management firm for fixed route service as-
nority or low-income communities that are interested in sessments."
policy changes or may be affected by changes. · Demographic and service profile maps and charts
Thus, besides having public hearings, agencies re- to identify populations in service areas.
ported a wide variety of methods of coordination, in-
cluding having multiple public meetings and forums to The GCRTA identified its Citizen Advisory Board
gain public input; coordinating with school districts and (CAB) and ADA Advisory Committee as important re-
other public entities; communicating directly with sources.
elected officials in advance of any changes, including The CAB is a transit-related group of volunteers that
the mayor and council members, and inviting public meets monthly to discuss relevant issues pertaining to
officials to attend meetings; and making effective use of the operations of the Authority. Members of the CAB
work to increase citizen participation in community ac-
workshops, staff working groups, customer comments,
tivities and involve the public in transit decision-making.
neighborhood associations, advisory committees, local
The ADA Advisory Committee is comprised of representa-
civic groups, transit advocacy groups, disabled commu- tives selected from public and private agencies, consumer
nity and LEP support centers, and Internet postings. groups, interested individuals and users of the transit
system. This group's primary task is to assist the Author-
F. Transit Agency Resources ity in planning for and providing comments and sugges-
Twenty-eight transit agencies stated that they have tions about RTA's service for its disabled customers.
specific resources to assist them in complying with Title Omnitrans stated that
VI and/or the ADA when considering a reduction in [It] employs a variety of tools to aid it in complying with
service or an increase in fares. Thirty-two agencies said Title VI and ADA requirements whenever reducing tran-
they do not; four agencies did not respond to the in- sit service or increasing fares. Primary among these is a
quiry. well-designed and well-organized planning process which
ensures that decisions regarding service modification are
