Caltrans > Civil Rights > Title VI > Guidelines > Executive Summary

Executive Summary

 The California Department of Transportation (Department), as a recipient of Federal financial assistance, has established a Civil Rights Title VI Program to address nondiscrimination laws that impact transportation investment decision making. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, related statutes and policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability in the Department’s programs, activities and services. The purpose of Title VI and related statutes and policies is to ensure that public funds are not spent in a way that encourages, subsidizes or results in discrimination.

Since April 2000, the Department has aggressively developed and implemented the Title VI Program through an interdisciplinary approach. Civil Rights and program specialists have worked closely together to accomplish the following:
1. Designation of a Title VI Coordinator and staffing.
2. Formation of an Interdisciplinary Team.
3. Approval of the Civil Rights Title VI Program Plan by FHWA.
4. Compliance Review Pilot Project and Survey.
5. Compliance Review Process for Headquarters Programs and district offices.
6. Civil Rights Title VI Program Resource Directory.
7. Title VI Program Publications.
8. Annual Accomplishment and Upcoming Goals Report to FHWA.
9. Title VI Complaint Procedures and Form.

The document that follows provides guidance to Title VI Program customers to Assist in meeting compliance with nondiscrimination law. The guidelines focus on process and delivery of activities, products and services, to whom and when, whether the outcome is a benefit or burden to the eligible population, what was done to mitigate any disparate or disproportionate impacts and whether the actions were documented.

Implementation of the Title VI Program and interaction with Department Headquarters and district personnel, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) representatives and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) have led to the following immediate recommendations:
1. Implementation of a comprehensive data collection mechanism and methodologies for analysis to determine disparate or disproportionate impacts.
2. Initiation of context sensitive mitigation measures that reduce the unavoidable
adverse impacts to minority or low-income populations.
3. Implementation of a comprehensive Public Involvement Plan.
4. Completion of demographic analysis; statewide and by district; by race, language, gender, age, disability and income.
5. Documentation and record retention of actions taken by decision makers.
6. Implementation of procedure for pre-grant and post-grant reviews of applicants
for compliance with Title VI requirements.
7. Adherence to Assurances included in the Nondiscrimination Agreement between
the Department and FHWA and the Director’s Policy statement.
8. Initiate Headquarters’ and district’s self monitoring and corrective action.
9. Implementation of mechanisms that provide access to Department programs,
activities and services for Limited English Proficient persons.
10. Implementation of a continuous comprehensive training program.

In conclusion, the Department decision makers have been supportive and proactively implementing Title VI and related statutes and policy requirements. The recommendations stated above are a requirement of meeting and maintaining compliance with Title VI and related statues. Time, commitment and resources are needed to fully implement the requirements. The FHWA and FTA support the Department’s approach of implementing the Title VI Program.