Equal Employment Opportunity Circular

Federal Transit Administration

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is responsible for ensuring that grantees receiving FTA financial assistance carry out the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) provisions of Federal law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Urban Mass Transit Administration (UMTA), FTA’s predecessor agency last issued EEO guidance in 1988. The Collaborative assisted FTA in developing a revised EEO Circular, which incorporates changes in laws, regulations, and guidance.

The Collaborative also developed Microsoft Excel workbook templates for grantees to use in preparing required analyses of employee utilization as well as analyses of employment practices.

Program For Accessible Transportation Infrastructure

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

The Collaborative is part of a team supporting the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Program for Accessible Transportation Infrastructure (PATI) project, a multi-year data collection and prioritization effort to improve accessibility. The team is assessing nearly 8,000 bus stops and more than 250 rail stations throughout the Boston metropolitan area. The Collaborative’s ADA experts have guided development of the data collection phases, trained field assessors, and contributed to the quality assurance project, PATI is already informing the MBTA’s capital improvements program and will have increasing influence on the types and extent of future accessibility improvements throat the system.

Human Services Transportation Study

Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services

Human Service Transportation refers to agencies, jurisdictions and non-profit organizations working together to maximize transportation services for people with disabilities, low-income populations and older adults and the elimination of service gaps. Various state and federal funding streams have different administrative and eligibility requirements, which complicate the coordination of public and human service transportation.

The Collaborative was part of a team that worked with the Massachusetts HST Office analyzing brokerage management costs and operational data for cost savings and opportunities for interfaces with other transportation systems. They also met with the existing brokers to understand service challenges and opportunities for better and more cost-effective service.

ADA Rail Station Assessments

Federal Transit Administration

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is required to ensure that new, key, and renovated rail stations comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Since 2000, the Collaborative has assessed for FTA over 850 stations at more than 46 transit agencies throughout the country. Compliance assessments involve measuring and documenting curb ramps, elevators, and accessible routes, then analyzing the findings. In the process, the Collaborative has collected, organized, and analyzed data to produce practical, management-oriented documents.

ADA Bus and Paratransit Compliance Assessments

Federal Transit Administration

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is required to ensure that transit service providers (fixed route, demand responsive, and complementary paratransit) comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and conducts grantee reviews.

Since 2000, the Collaborative has been conducting bus and paratransit ADA compliance reviews, including over 100 reviews of fixed route stop announcements, fixed route lift reliability and maintenance, and complementary paratransit service. The reviews encompass background work, on-site activities, development of reports, and follow-up monitoring.

Americans with Disabilities Act Circular

Federal Transit Administration

The Collaborative served as prime contractor for the development of the Federal Transit Administration ADA Circular, published in November 2015. The Circular covers all aspects of the DOT ADA regulations applicable to FTA grantees, and includes chapters on facilities, vehicles, equivalent facilitation, fixed route service, demand responsive service, complementary paratransit, ferries, and other modes. The Circular also explains FTA’s oversight role, the complaint-resolution process, and how to effectively monitor for compliance. Included are examples of good practices transit agencies use to efficiently deliver compliant service.