Title VI


Title VI

Riders using public transportation must be provided equal access, seating and treatment without regard to age, sex, sexual preference, gender, gender expression or identity, race, color, national origin, dress, appearance, or disability. 
 

TITLE VI OVERVIEW

The Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of its services on the basis race, color, or national origin (including Limited English Proficiency), as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
 

WHAT IS TITLE VI?

Title VI is a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requiring that “No person in the United States shall on the grounds 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.” Note that Title VI does not address age, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation discrimination. It only covers race, color and national origin. Other Civil Rights laws, including state and local regulations prohibit these forms of discrimination.

The City of Alexandria and DASH are required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to develop and maintain a Title VI Program, which includes policies on how DASH will make sure its bus service is being provided in a fair and equitable manner, and to make sure that any potential service or fare changes will not create a disproportionate impact on low-income or minority passengers. These policies were adopted by the ATC Board of Directors in March 2022 and are included below. 
 

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

To request additional information on DASH Title VI policies and other anti-discrimination requirements or if information is needed in languages other than English, please contact us at:

Additional information on the City of Alexandria’s Title VI program and processes can be obtained through the City of Alexandria’s Office of Human Rights at 703-746-3140 or online at www.alexandriava.gov/HumanRights.
 

FILING A COMPLAINT

If you believe discriminatory treatment has taken place by the Alexandria Transit Company, which operates the DASH bus system, based on your age, sex, ability, race, color, national origin, and sexual orientation, you have the right to file a complaint through the City of Alexandria’s Office of Human Rights. The complaint must be filed no later than 180 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory incident.
  
Additional information on the complaint process can be found in the City of Alexandria’s FTA Title VI Program (Appendix B) or on the Office of Human Rights website at www.alexandriava.gov/human-rights/discrimination.
 

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT

Any person who believes that he, she, they, individually, as a member of any protected class, or in connection with any disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE), has been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, may file a complaint with the City of Alexandria and/or the Alexandria Transit Company (ATC), which operate DASH bus service. A complaint may also be filed by a representative on behalf of such a person. All complaints will be referred to the City of Alexandria Title VI Coordinator for review and action (Philippe Simon, philippe.simon@alexandriava.gov, 703-298-9071). 

Additional information on the City of Alexandria’s Title VI complaint process are available on the City’s Office of Human Rights website (https://www.alexandriava.gov/HumanRights). Copies of the Title VI complaint forms are available in Appendix B of the City of Alexandria Title VI Program and can be downloaded via the link below.

DASH TITLE VI POLICY INFORMATION

This policy assists DASH with evaluating bus service to ensure it is fair and equitable. The policy includes standards for vehicle headways, passenger loads, on-time performance and service availability.

This policy assists DASH with evaluating proposed service and fare changes to ensure that changes do not create an unfair burden for minority or low income passengers. It includes the Major Service Change policy that defines what service changes are subject to an equity analysis, as well as the Disparate Impact and Disproportionate Burden policies which outline how service and fare changes must be evaluated.

This memorandum presents findings from the DASH service monitoring procedures that are outlined in DASH Title VI Service Standards & Policies.

The board memorandum was presented to the ATC Board of Directors to summarize the public outreach that had been conducted in support of the DASH Title VI policies.  Based on this input, the Board of Directors adopted the final DASH Title VI policies on March 9, 2022.

The City of Alexandria fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, or to file a Title VI related complaint, see www.alexandriava.gov/HumanRights and www.dashbus.com/titlevi or call (703) 746-3140.