Title VI

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that “no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The Environmental Justice (EJ) component of Title VI requires recipients of Federal funding to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse effects programs, policies, and activities may have on minority and low-income populations.

In accordance with the provisions of Title VI, SARTA:

• Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin;
• Ensures the availability and equitable distribution of transit services and benefits;
• Invites full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process;
• Makes transportation-related decisions without regard to race, color, or national origin;
• Offers the level and quality of service required to provide equal access and mobility for all persons;
• Prevents the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations;
• Avoids, minimizes, or mitigates disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations.

Title VI Complaint Process

Any individual who believes they have been denied the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or subject to discrimination on the grounds of their race, color or national origin may submit a formal complaint to SARTA. Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the alleged incident and may be submitted via the following means:

By mail

Download, print, and complete the Title VI complaint form and mail it to:

SARTA, Director of Development and Special Projects, 1600 Gateway Blvd. SE, Canton, OH 44707
The completed form may also be faxed to (330) 454-5476

By phone

Call the Director of Development and Special Projects at 330-477-2782 to file a complaint verbally.

Online

Complete and submit the online form below.

When submitting a complaint please provide the following information:

• Your name, address and telephone number. If you are filing on behalf of another person, include their name, address, telephone number and your relation to that person.
• A description of how, why, and when you believe you were discriminated against. Include as much background information as possible about the alleged acts.
• The names of individuals whom you allege discriminated against you if you know them.
• The location, names and contact information of any witnesses.
• If the alleged incident occurred on a bus, provide a date, time of day, and bus number

Complaints may also be filed directly with the Federal Transit Administration.

By mail
Download and complete the FTA complaint form and mail it to:

Federal Transit Administration
Office of Civil Rights
Attention: Complaint Team
East Building, 5th Floor – TCR
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

By email

Email the completed for to [email protected] with “FTA complaint form” included in the subject line.

By phone

Call 866-377-8624, 202-366-4043, 800-877-8339 (TTY) to file a complaint by phone.

Investigation

SARTA will promptly investigate all complaints. Reasonable measures will be taken to protect confidential information. Investigators will interview the complainant, witnesses, and others with knowledge of the alleged violation, identify and review relevant documents, practices, and procedures, and take other steps that may be necessary to determine if a violation occurred. SARTA will make a reasonable effort to complete investigations no later than 14 days after a complaint has been filed unless circumstances impede the investigator’s ability to initiate and/or complete the inquiry.

Reporting and resolution

SARTA will issue a final report at the conclusion of the investigation and notify the complainant of the investigator’s findings. If a Title VI violation has occurred SARTA will take appropriate steps to resolve the situation.

If there is an appeals process insert it here.