Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Metropolitan Council's Office of Equal Opportunity ensures that members of our service area are aware of Title VI provisions and the responsibilities associated with Title VI.

What is Title VI?

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance. Title VI 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.” In addition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there are other laws that we must uphold.

On February 11, 1994, President Clinton signed Executive Order 12898: Federal Action to Address Environmental Justice in Minority and Low-Income Populationns (PDF). Its purpose is to focus federal attention on the environmental and human health effects of federal actions on minority and low-income populations. The goal of this Executive Order is to achieve environmental protection for all communities.

On August 11, 2000, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13166: Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency. We are required to examine the services we provide and identify any need for services to people whose primary language is not English.

File a complaint

If you believe you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, or national origin, you may file a complaint in any of the following ways:

1. Fill out a Title VI Discrimination Form below and email to [email protected] or mail to:

Office of Equal Opportunity – Title VI
560 6th Ave N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411

• Title VI Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF)
• Formulario de Queja por Discriminacion Bajo El Titulo VI (Spanish - Microsoft Word)
• Daim Ntawv Foob Txog Kev Raug Xaiv Ntsej Muag Ntxub Ntxaug NtawmTxoj Cai Title VI (Hmong - Microsoft Word)
• Foomks Cabashada Takoorka  ee Xeerka TITLE VI (Somali - Microsoft Word)
• Mẫu Đơn Khiếu Nại về Phân Biệt Đối Xử Theo Tiêu Đề VI (Vietnamese - Microsoft Word)
• Title VI w>yJmz;eDRz;w>ym'h.ymur.vHmuGd.'d (Karen - PDF)

2. Write a written complaint. Please include:

• Your name, address and telephone number. If you are filing on behalf of another person, include your name, address, telephone number, and your relation to that person (for example, friend, attorney, parent, or other relative).
• The name of the agency, department, or persons you believe discriminated against you.
• How, when, and why you believe you were discriminated against. Include as much specific, detailed information as possible about the alleged acts of discrimination.
• The names of any person that the Metropolitan Council could contact for additional information to support or clarify your allegations.

Your complaint must be signed and dated. Email to [email protected] or mail to:

Office of Equal Opportunity — Title VI
560 6th Ave N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411

 

3. File a complaint directly with the Federal Transit Administration Office of Civil Rights.

Complaint process

According to USDOT regulations, 49 CFR §21.11(b), a complaint must be filed not later than 180 days after the date of the last instance of alleged discrimination. Please note that a complaint may be dismissed for the following reasons:

• The person making the complaint requests the withdrawal of the complaint.
• The person making the complaint fails to respond to requests for additional information that is needed to process the complaint.

Title VI Program

The Met Council has a Title VI Program (PDF), which is required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and enforced by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This program must be updated every three years. The program explains how we prevent discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. We refer to the FTA Title VI Circular (PDF) for guidance on complying with federal requirements.

Subrecipients

We receive FTA funds that are given to subrecipients that provide transit services. Every three years, each subrecipient is required to submit a Title VI Program to us, outlining the actions they are taking to fulfill their Title VI requirements. These subrecipients include:

• First Transit
• Maple Grove Transit
• Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
• SouthWest Transit
• Plymouth Metrolink
• Transit Team
• University of Minnesota

Title VI Service Monitoring Study

Triennially, the FTA requires us to conduct a transit service monitoring study. This study monitors transit system performance relative to system-wide service standards and policies. FTA requires recipients of federal funding who provide fixed route service, including Metro Transit, to develop and monitor quantitative system standards and policies to guard against discrimination toward BIPOC and low-income communities related to the quality of and access to fixed route public transit service and facilities. Read the 2021 Metro Transit Service Monitoring Study (PDF).

Language Assistance Plan

In accordance with DOJ Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Guidance (PDF), we are required to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to its programs and activities for speakers of languages other than English. Languages that are supported are determined through a four-factor analysis:

1. The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or grantee
2. The frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program
3. The nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided by the program to people’s lives
4. The resources available to the grantee / recipient and costs.

Read our Language Assistance Plan (PDF).