Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
U.S.DepartmentofTransportation
FederalTransitAdministration
Administrator1200NewJerseyAvenue,SEWashington,DC20590
APR232012
Mr.ArthurLeahyChiefExecutiveOfficerLosAngelesCountyMetropolitanTransportationAuthorityOneGatewayPlazaLosAngeles,CA90012DearMr.Leahy:Iwriteregardingamatterofutmostimportance,namelyourcollectiveresponsibilitytoprotectthecivilrightsofalltransitusersthroughoutthegreaterLosAngelesregion.Asyouknow,TitleVIoftheCivilRightsActof1964providesthat"NopersonintheUnitedStatesshall,onthegroundofrace,color,ornationalorigin,beexcludedfromparticipationin,bedeniedthebenefitsof,orbesubjectedtodiscriminationunderanyprogramoractivityreceivingFederalfinancialassistance."U.S.DepartmentofTransportation(DOT)regulationsrequirethatpublictransportationservicesbeprovidedinanondiscriminatorymanner.Toimplementthisrequirement,DOTregulationsandtheFederalTransitAdministration's(FTA)TitleVIguidancerequirethattransitagenciesreceivingFederalassistanceevaluatewhetheranymajorservicechangemayhaveadiscriminatory(disparate)impactonminoritypassengersascomparedtonon-minoritypassengersbeforeimplementingtheservicechange.Whenapotentiallydiscriminatoryimpactisfound,thetransitagencymustreviseitsplansinordertoavoidormitigatethediscriminatoryimpact.If,upontakingmitigatingactionsandreanalyzingtheproposedchange,thetransitagencydeterminesthatminoritypassengerswillcontinuetobearadisproportionateburdenoftheproposedservicechange,thetransitagencymayimplementtheservicechange
only
iftheagencyhasasubstantiallegitimatejustificationfortheproposedservicechange,andcanshowthattherearenoalternativesthatwouldhavealessdisparateimpactonminorityriders.OnNovember15,2010,FTAreceivedacomplaintfromtheBusRidersUnion(BRU)allegingthatthepoliciesoftheLosAngelesCountyMetropolitanTransportationAuthority(LACMTA)wereprioritizingrailserviceoverbusservicetothedetrimentofminorityandlow-incomecommunitiesandinviolationofTitleVIoftheCivilRightsActof1964.RatherthanpursuingtheBRUcomplaintinisolation,FTAconductedacomprehensivecompliancereviewofLACMTA'sTitleVIprogramandprocesses.Thefindingsofthecompliancereview,andsubsequentanalysisconductedbyFTAstaff,revealnumerousdeficienciesinLACMTA's
 
Page2Mr.ArthurLeahyimplementationofitsTitleVIresponsibilities.Someofourmostdisturbingfindingsindicatethat:•LACMTAfailedtocomplywiththeFTArequirementtoconducttherequiredTitleVIserviceequityanalysiswhenevaluatingtheimpactofmanyproposedmajorservicechangesoverthepastseveralyears.•LACMTAproceededtoimplementmultiplesemi-annualservicechanges,includingreductionsinservice,despitetheabsenceoftherequiredTitleVIanalysis.•LACMTAfailedtouseitsownBoard-adopteddefinitionofa"majorservicechange"whenidentifyingservicecutsthatmustbesubjecttoanalysisforpotentialdiscriminatoryimpacts.OnlybyconductingtheTitleVIanalysiscouldLACMTAdeterminewhethertheproposedservicechangeswouldhavedisparateimpacts.SinceLACMTAdidnotconducttheTitleVIportionoftheserviceequityanalysis,LACMTAcannotassurethatitsservicechangeswereimplementedinanondiscriminatorymanner.ThesefindingsareparticularlytroublingsinceLACMTAshouldbewellfamiliarwiththerequirementsofDOT'sTitleVIregulationsinthewakeofitsmanyyearsoflitigationandthemulti-yearConsentDecreethatitenteredintowiththeBRUandotherplaintiffs.ThesefindingsnowrequiremetoformallyfindLACMTAnotcompliantwithFTATitleVIrequirements.SinceFederallawrequiresFTAtofirstseekvoluntarycompliancewhenaddressingpotentialviolationsofTitleVI,youragencymusttakeaseriesofimmediateactionstocomeintocompliance.ForpurposesofcomingintocompliancewithFTArequirements,LACMTAisdirectedtotakethefollowingsteps:•LACMTAmustconductacumulativeserviceequityanalysisofthefollowingservicechanges:December2009,June2010,December2010,andJune2011,andmakeadeterminationastowhetherthosechangesresultedinunjustifieddisparateimpactsinviolationofTitleVI.•Priortoconductingthisanalysis,LACMTAisdirectedtosubmitadetailedmethodologyforconductingtheanalysistoFTAforapproval.
•Importantly,LACMTAistoassessitsserviceassumingthatithadnotmadeanyservicereductionsduringthisperiod;thechangesmustbeanalyzedcumulatively,comparingtoday'sconditionsandservicelevelswiththeconditionsandservicelevelsinplacepriortoDecember2009.
IfLACMTA'sserviceequityanalysisrevealsunjustifieddisparateimpacts,orjustifieddisparateimpactsthatmaybemitigatedthroughanalternativewithlessofadisparateeffect,LACMTAmustrestoreand/orrestructureservicetoremedyitsTitleVIviolations.FTAwillmonitorLACMTA'sprogressduringthisanalysis.Priortoimplementinganycorrectiveservicechanges,LACMTAmustsubmititsdocumentationofthemethodologyandanalysistoFTAforfinalreview.
 
Page3Mr.ArthurLeahyTobeclear,aninabilitybyLACMTAtodemonstrateasubstantiallegitimatejustificationandselectionoftheleastdiscriminatoryalternativewithoutappropriateservicerestorationscouldresultinLACMTAbeingfoundinviolationofTitleVIandendangeritseligibilitytoreceiveFederalfundsforbothitsongoingneedsanditsplansfortheexpansionofitsrailnetwork.FTA'sfindingsandthemeasuresrequiredforLACMTAtocomeintocompliancearediscussedingreaterdetailintheencloseddeterminationmemorandum.FTAfirstdiscussedthedraftcompliancereviewfindingswithLACMTAinSeptember2011.ThispastDecember,LACMTAsubmittedacorrectiveactionplantoaddressmanyofthefindingsofthecompliancereviewandsubmittedanupdatetothecorrectiveactionplaninFebruary2012.WearepleasedwithLACMTA'snotableprogressinmanyareas,andweappreciatethediligencewithwhichLACMTAisnowseekingtocorrectpasterrors.ConsiderableprogresshasbeenmadewithLACMTA'scorrectiveactionplan,notablyitsupdatednoticetobeneficiaries,itstranslationofthenoticeinto10languages,andtheestablishmentofsystem-wideservicestandardsandpolicies.Whileagreatdealofworkhasbeendone,agreatdealmoreworkmustnowbedonetoensurethatthecumulativeeffectsofmultipleservicechangesdidnotinanywayviolatethecivilrightsofLosAngelestransitriders.LACMTA'sFebruary2012correctiveactionplanmustnowberevisedtoincorporatethedirectivescitedaboveandintheencloseddeterminationmemorandum.FTAwillsendaseparateletteridentifyingwhichelementsoftheFebruary2012correctiveactionplanareapprovedandprovidecommentsornecessaryrevisionstothoseportionsofthecorrectiveactionplanthatarenotyetsatisfactory.Sincerelyyours,PeterRogoffcc:TheHonorableThomasE.PerezAssistantAttorneyGeneralEnclosure:DeterminationMemorandum
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more