Overview

Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization or MPO responsible for transportation planning and decision-making in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, which includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties in New York State. The MPO devises solutions to regional transportation problems; this involves addressing other related important issues, such as land use, air quality, energy, economic development, and safety. Like other MPOs, GTC develops long-range transportation plans and a short-range capital program of specific projects to fund with federal transportation funds. For each of these planning products, the MPO’s duty is to engage many stakeholders in the decision-making process.

GTC does not own, maintain, or operate transit or other transportation facilities. The Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) is the public transportation operator in eight of the nine Counties. Yates County partners with Steuben County (beyond GTC region) to provide public transportation to residents.

Each year, the federal government distributes or apportions highway and transit funding to MPOs or State Transportation Departments to carry out planning and capital projects. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) distributes federal funds to MPOs and other subrecipients to administer highway-related plans and programs.

Since GTC is a subrecipient of federal metropolitan planning funds from both the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), GTC is required to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination based on upon race, color, and national origin. Other nondiscrimination authorities and executive orders provide protection against discrimination based on gender, age, disability, low-income status, and limited English proficiency.

To ensure continuous compliance with Title VI, the U.S. Department of Transportation established reporting requirements for federal-aid recipients under different scenarios. FHWA and FTA each have program requirements.

To meet its commitment to nondiscrimination and to comply with and exceed the requirements of federal law, the Genesee Transportation Council has instituted a formal Title VI Nondiscrimination Implementation Program to increase public involvement; provide technical assistance and guidance on nondiscrimination issues to consultants and subcontractors; train our staff in an ongoing, systematic way; and monitor our progress.

Title VI Nondiscrimination Assurance (December 2020)
GTCs commitment to complying with Title VI obligations. Appendix A of the Assurance is attached to all GTC contracts.
GTC staff training is ongoing and is based primarily on materials from the Federal Highway Administrations Office of Civil Rights.
Title VI & Nondiscrimination Implementation Plan (Adopted in June 2022)

Additionally, this Plan includes the following appendices with supporting information:
•   Title VI Assurances document (Appendix A)
•   Title VI Complaint Form (Appendix B)
•   Annual Title VI Report (Appendix C)
•   Notice to the Public (Appendix D)
•   FTA Log of Investigations, Complaints, and Lawsuits (Appendix E)
•   Public Participation Plan (Appendix F)
•   Summary of Public Outreach Activities (Appendix G)
•   Limited English Proficiency Plan (Appendix H)
•   Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Plan (Appendix I)
•   Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (Appendix J)
•   GTC Board Resolution approving Title VI Program (Appendix K)

Title VI Notice to Public

The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) has an evolving process to elicit and solicit public participation from all stakeholders without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, limited English proficiency, or income status.

The Genesee Transportation Council hereby gives public notice that it is the Genesee Transportation Council’s policy to assure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. Title VI requires that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, gender, or national origin be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the Genesee Transportation Council receives federal financial assistance.

Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint with the Genesee Transportation Council and host agency, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA). Any such complaint must be in writing and filed with the Title VI Coordinator within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. Title VI Discrimination Complaint Forms may be obtained from this office at no cost to the complainant on our website https://www.gtcmpo.org/title-vi or by calling (585) 232-6240.

En Espanol:

El Consejo de Transporte de Genesee por la presente notifica públicamente que la política del Consejo de Transporte de Genesee es garantizar el pleno cumplimiento del Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, la Ley de Restauración de los Derechos Civiles de 1987, y los estatutos y reglamentos relacionados en todos los programas y actividades. El Título VI exige que ninguna persona en los Estados Unidos de América sea excluida de la participación, se le nieguen los beneficios o sea sometida a discriminación por motivos de raza, color, género u origen nacional en cualquier programa o actividad para la que el Consejo de Transporte de Genesee reciba asistencia financiera federal.

Cualquier persona que crea haber sido agraviada por una práctica discriminatoria ilegal en virtud del Título VI tiene derecho a presentar una queja formal ante el Consejo de Transporte de Genesee y la agencia anfitriona, la Autoridad Regional de Transporte de Rochester Genesee (RGRTA, por sus siglas en inglés). Cualquier queja de este tipo debe ser por escrito y presentada al Coordinador del Título VI dentro de los ciento ochenta (180) días siguientes a la fecha del presunto hecho discriminatorio. Los formularios de denuncia de discriminación del Título VI pueden obtenerse en esta oficina sin costo alguno para el denunciante en nuestro sitio web https://www.gtcmpo.org/title-vi o llamando al (585) 232-6240.

GTC’s Commitment to the Public

The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, disability, age, gender, or income status, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity. GTC further assures every effort will be made to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not.

En Espanol
El Consejo Genesee de Transporte asegura que ninguna persona, por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, discapacidad, edad, sexo o situación económica, será excluida de participar en ningún programa o actividad, ni se le negarán los beneficios de los mismos, ni será objeto de discriminación de ningún tipo. El GTC, (por sus siglas en inglés) asegura además que se hará todo lo posible para asegurar la no discriminación en todas las actividades de sus programas, ya sea que esos programas y actividades estén financiados por el gobierno federal o no.

It is also the policy of GTC to ensure that none of its programs, policies, and other activities have disproportionate adverse effects on minority and low-income populations. GTC identifies minority and low-income communities from US Census data. GTC takes a proactive approach to engage minority and low-income communities and encourage their full and fair participation in the transportation decision-making process.

In addition, GTC will offer meaningful access to services for persons with Limited English Proficiency.

In the event GTC distributes federal-aid funds to another agency as a subrecipient, GTC will include Title VI language in all written agreements and will monitor for compliance.

GTC is responsible for initiating and monitoring Title VI activities, preparing required reports and other GTC responsibilities as required by 23 CFR 200 and 49 CFR 21.

Legislation and Guidance

The above rights are guaranteed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states:

No person in the United State 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 (42 U.S.C. Sec200d).

Subsequent federal regulations have prohibited discrimination according to handicapped status (29 U.S.C. 790); sex/gender (23 U.S.C. 324); age (42 U.S.C. 6101); and English language proficiency (EO 13166).

In addition, Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 1994, provides:

Each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations.

Complaints

If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination under Title VI, you may file a complaint with the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), GTC’s host agency.

Any person who believes that he or she has individually, or as a member of any specific class of persons, been excluded from participation in, been denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any RGRTA service, program, or activity, and believes the discrimination is based upon race, color, gender, or national origin has the right to file a Title VI complaint with RGRTA.

All complaints must be filed in writing with the RGRTA Legal Department within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act or occurrence. Complaint forms may be obtained through the following contacts:

•   www.myrts.com/titleVI
•   (585) 288-1700
•   www.myRTS.com/contact-us

In addition to the Title VI process at RGRTA, Title VI complaints may be filed with Federal Transit Administration, Office of Civil Rights, by calling 888-446-4511 or by writing to 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. www.transit.dot.gov/content/contact-us-fta-office-civil-rights
Or Title VI complaints may be filed with Federal Highway Administration, Office of Civil Rights, by calling 202-366-0693 or via email at FHWA.TitleVIcomplaints@dot.gov or by writing to 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.

Additional GTC-produced documents and analytical tools:

Citizen's Guide

Citizen's Guide to Transportation Planning in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region

Gu a a los Ciudadanos para la Planificacin del Transporte en la Regin Genesee-Finger Lakes

Regional Maps

Above Average Minority Population

Above Average Low-Income Population

Above Average Limited English Proficiency Population

Demographic Studies

Retaining Seniors to Revitalize our Region

Remaining Mobile: Our Burgeoning Senior Population

Expanding the Conversation: Race, Income, Ethnicity, Transportation