Civil Rights Act

Title VI Civil Rights

The Ojai Trolley Service is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its services on the basis of race, color or national origin as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

• No person or group of persons will be discriminated against with regard to fares, routing, scheduling, or quality of transportation service that the Ojai Trolley Service furnishes, on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
• Frequency of service, age and quality of vehicles assigned to routes, quality of bus stops and location of routes will not be determined on the basis of race, color or national origin.

For additional information or to file a complaint, please contact:

The Ojai Trolley Service

408 S. Signal St.

Ojai, Ca. 93023

805-646-5581 ext. 207

Civiles Del Titulo VI

Ojai Trolley Service esta comprometido a asegurarse de que no se excluye la particion, ni negar a ninguna persona las ventajas de sus servicios a base de raza, color or su origen nacional segun Titulo VI del acto de las derechos civiles de 1964.

• No se discriminará a ninguna persona o grupo de personas con respect a precios, las rutas, la prevision, o las calidad del servicio del transporte que El Ojai Trolley Service suministra, en base de la raza, color, o del origen nacional.
• La frequencia, del servicio, calidad y anos de vehículos asignados a las rutas, claidad de las paradas de autobus y la localización de no serán determinadas en base de la raza, del color o del origen nacional.

Para mas informacion, escriba por favor a;

Ojai Trolley Service

408 S. Signal St

Ojai, CA  93023

Telephono 805-646-5581 ext.207

List of Locations Where Title VI Notice Is Posted

The Ojai Trolley Service posts Title VI Notice information at the following locations:

On our Trolleys, on our website at www.ojaitrolley.com , at our key trolley stops and shelters, in our Public Works Trolley office, and at Ojai City Hall.  

Title VI Complaint Form

Ojai Trolley Service

The Ojai Trolley service is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of its services on the basis of race, color or national origin, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.  Title VI complaints must be filed within 180 days from the date of the alleged discrimination.

The following information is necessary to assist us in processing your complaint. The completed form must be returned to:

The Ojai Trolley Service

408 S. Signal St.

Ojai, Ca, 93023

Your Name:

Address:

Phone:

Which of the following best describes the reason the alleged discrimination took place? (Circle all that apply)

Race      Color      National Origin (Limited English Proficiency)       Other

Date of Incident:

Please describe the alleged incident.  If possible provide all names of persons involved:

Complainant’s Signature:  ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_________________________________Date: __________________

Date received:____________________

TITULO VI POLITICA DE DERECHOS CIVILES FEDERALES

SERVICIO DE OJAI TROLLEY

El tránsito de Ojai Trolley está confiado a asegurarse de que no se excluye de la participación adentro, ni negó a ninguna persona las ventajas de sus servicios en base a raza, del color o del origen nacional según lo protegido por Título VI del acto federal del los derechos civiles de 1964, según la enmienda prevista.

La información siguiente es necesaria para poder asistir en el proceso de su queja.  Su forma completa debe mandarse a

The Ojai Trolley Service

408 S. Signal St.

Ojai, CA 93023.

Su nombre:

Dirección:

Teléfono:

Cuál de las siguientes mejor describe/identifica la razón alegada por la cual la discriminación tomo lugar?  (Circule las que apliquen)

Raza               Color              Origen Nacional       Otra

Por favor describa el incidente.  Si es posible incluya el nombre de las personas involucradas:

Firma del Reclamante: ____________________________   Fecha: ___________________

Fecha recibida: ______________________________

How to File a Complaint

Any person who believes that he or she has, individually, or as a member of any specific class of persons, been subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin may file a Title VI complaint with the Ojai Trolley Service. The complaint must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged discrimination. Written complaints may be sent to:

The Ojai Trolley Service

408 S. Signal Street

Ojai, CA 93023

The “Title VI Complaint Form” is available online at www.ojaitrolley.com and should be used to detail the complaint, but is not mandatory. Complaint forms may also be obtained by calling 805-646-5581 ext. 207. In addition to the Title VI complaint process at the City of Ojai, a complainant may file a Title VI complaint with the Federal Transit Administration, Office of Civil Rights, Region IX, 201 Mission Street, Suite 1650, San Francisco, California 94105-1839.

How the Ojai Trolley Service Processes Title VI Complaints

All complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color or national origin in a transit service or benefit provided by the City of Ojai will be recorded by the city of Ojai Transit Supervisor by updating the “List of Active Investigations, Lawsuits or Complaints: This list shall include the date of the investigation, lawsuit or complaint was filed; a summary of the allegation(s); the status of the investigation, lawsuit, or complaint. The list shall be made available to FTA upon request and with every City of Ojai Title VI Program update.

If additional information is needed for assessment or investigation of the complaint, City of Ojai staff will contact the complainant in writing within fifteen (15) working days of receiving the complaint. Failure of the complainant to provide the requested information by the requested date may result in the administrative closure of the complaint.

City of Ojai staff will investigate the complaint and prepare a draft written response. If appropriate, City of Ojai staff may administratively close the complaint.

City of Ojai staff will investigate a formal Title VI complaint within thirty (30) working day of receiving the complaint. Based upon all of the information received, City of Ojai staff will prepare a draft written response subject to review by the City Manager.

The City Manager will determine if the complaint may be administratively closed after the draft is written, or if a final written response is needed. If a final written response is needed, The City of Ojai will send the response to the complainant and advise the complainant of his/her right to file a complaint externally. The complainant also will be advised of his/her right to appeal the response to federal and state authorities as appropriate.

The City of Ojai will use its best efforts to respond to a Title VI complaint within sixty (60) working days of its receipt of such a complaint.

Procedimiento de Quejas del Título VI en la Ciudad de Ojai

Todas las quejas alegando discriminación por motivos de raza, color u origen nacional en un servicio de tránsito o beneficio proporcionado por la ciudad de Ojai serán registrados por el Supervisor de Tránsito de la ciudad Ojai mediante la actualización de la “Lista de investigaciones activas, demandas o quejas”. Esta lista incluirá la fecha de la investigación, demanda o denuncia que  fue presentada; un resumen de la acusación (s); el estado de la investigación, demanda o queja; y medidas adoptadas por el destinatario o beneficiario secundario en respuesta a la investigación, demanda o queja. La lista se pondrá a disposición del FTA a petición y con cada actualización del programa de Título VI por la Ciudad de Ojai.

Si se necesita información adicional para la evaluación o la investigación de la queja, representantes de la ciudad de Ojai se comunicarán con el denunciante por escrito dentro de los quince (15) días hábiles de recibir la queja. El fallo de la demandante para proporcionar la información solicitada por la fecha solicitada puede resultar en el cierre administrativo de la reclamación.

La ciudad de Ojai investigará la queja y preparará por escrito una respuesta. Si es apropiado, la ciudad de Ojai podrá cerrar la denuncia.

La ciudad de Ojai investigará una queja formal de Título VI dentro de los treinta (30) días hábiles de haber recibido la queja. Sobre la base de toda la información recibida, la ciudad de Ojai preparará una respuesta por escrito sujeta a revisión por la ciudad de Ojai.

La ciudad de Ojai determinará si la queja se puede cerrar administrativamente después de que la respuesta  está escrita, o si es necesaria una respuesta final por escrito. Si se necesita una respuesta final por escrito, la ciudad de Ojai enviará la respuesta al denunciante y aconsejar al demandante de su derecho a presentar una queja en el exterior. El denunciante también será informado de su derecho de apelar la respuesta a las autoridades federales y estatales, según proceda.

La ciudad de Ojai realizará sus mejores esfuerzos para responder a una queja del Título VI dentro de los sesenta (60) días hábiles.  Las quejas pueden ser enviados por correo a: City of Ojai, 401 S. Ventura St.  Ojai, Ca.  93023. Toda información sobre Título VI de la ciudad de Ojai se puede ver en la página web, www.ojaitrolley.com.

List of Transit Related Title VI Complaints, Investigations, and Lawsuits

The City of Ojai makes an ongoing effort to track and respond to complaints from the public related but not limited to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.   Written complaints may be sent to:

City of Ojai, attn. Transit Supervisor

401 S. Ventura St.

Ojai, Ca.  93023

The City of Ojai, (The Ojai Trolley Service) has not been involved in any transit related investigations, complaints, or lawsuits as shown in the Title VI activity logs below.

The Ojai Trolley Service

Public Participation Plan

And Public Participation Process

 Approach to Public Participation

The public participation process should be considered at the earliest stages of any Ojai Trolley Service project that may impact the surrounding community, its riders, and potential riders. As projects vary in time and size, the public participation process may vary for each, as well as the extent of public participation. The following outlines tools and strategies to ensure that public input is invited and all foreseeable impacts to the community are considered.

Minimum Outreach Requirements

Notice for public events may include posters, email blasts, media releases to local papers, local TV station, radio announcements if funding allows.

Any notices will be posted at least two weeks prior to the public event.

Notices may be posted at key locations in the community, on trolleys and at trolley shelters as is appropriate.

Information about public participation opportunities will also be posted on the Ojai Trolley website at least two weeks prior to the event.

Comments will be accepted via the Ojai Trolley website, at public outreach events, via email, by mail, and by phone to ensure that all populations have the opportunity to participate.

Outreach Methods to Engage Minority and Limited English Proficient Populations

Notices will be made bilingual or Spanish language notices will be developed and posted with English notices.

Spanish-language notices will be posted on the trolleys and at bus shelters.

Event information on Ojai Trolley’s website will be posted in English and Spanish.

Staff from the Ojai Trolley will distribute event information to community groups and agencies that work with LEP populations.

Although staff is limited, an attempt is made to provide language assistance for customers and callers that are non-English speaking.

Spanish interpretation or translation at any public meetings or workshop will be provided by Ojai Trolley Service staff as is possible.

Spanish is the only quantifiable language spoken within the Ojai Trolley’s service area that is limited English proficient.

Summary of Outreach Efforts Made Since 2014 

In preparation for the upcoming purchase of two replacement trolleys a public hearing was held in July of 2016. Notice of the hearing was printed in the local paper and in addition notices were posted at several major stops and onboard our trolleys. Beyond this no significant changes were considered or made to trolley system during this period.

The trolley service has continued to participate in annually reoccurring events that are communicated to the public.  For example, twice per year we offer free rides on our trolley system. These free ride days happen on Ojai Day, which occurs in October, and Earth Day, which occurs in April.  It is our way to participate in these events, and to thank our community for their support. All promotional materials for the events and public meetings are produced in both English and Spanish.

Unmet Transit Needs

Each year the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) conducts a formal hearing process that solicits information from the public about transit needs.  This allows VCTC to make a determination as to whether these unmet transit needs can be reasonably met.  The public is invited to attend, and is informed in the ways already discussed.  This process is advertised in both English and Spanish and translation services are available at hearings.

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan 

Four Factor Analysis

Title VI of the 1964 Civil Right Act prohibits federally-funded agencies from discriminating against individuals based on race, color, and national origin and includes meaningful access to LEP customers.

Regarding our LEP Plan, The Ojai Trolley Service strives to provide meaningful access for LEP customers. Information related to the Four Factor Analysis is largely anecdotal and through empirical observation.  The following comments are meant to give an overview of the demographics of our community, and by extension, our Trolley riders;

Number or Proportion LEP Person served

Besides English, Spanish is the only other language that is spoken by a significant number of those served by the trolley as defined by the Safe Harbor Provision. According to data from U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates in approximately 12% of individuals in the Trolley service area speak Spanish. Approximately 50% of Spanish speakers in the service area meet the criteria for limited English proficiency.

Frequency with which LEP persons come into contact with the program

Average is about 4 LEP persons a day for the program and this is rarely an issue. Only about 30% of our current staff of 14 part time trolley drivers speak Spanish. The others are however provided a reference guide of basic vocabulary in Spanish.  They are encouraged to improve their bilingual skills. If our staff of drivers cannot communicate with LEP persons to address their questions or concerns, these individuals are directed to call in to the trolley office for further assistance. This is rarely necessary though, with nearly a third of our drivers bilingual and a good percentage of the riders also being bilingual and willing to help, communications issues are typically worked out immediately.

The Nature and Importance of the Program to People’s Lives

The Trolley service is a very important resource for our riders, who are for the most part transit dependent. Many of our riders use the trolley service on a daily basis, many several times a day. These individuals use the service to travel to school, work, medical facilities and shopping centers. The trolley service provides all or most of their transportation needs.

Resources Available and Costs Associated With Outreach for LEP Persons

Our very small staff makes a concerted effort to provide information to the LEP community.  Information about our service is provided in Spanish on our website, on the trolley schedules which are available on the vehicles as well as distributed throughout the community in key location such as the Library, City Hall, and Chamber of Commerce.  There is also information in English and Spanish posted at our key route stops known as time points.  LEP persons can call our trolley office.  The trolley operations supervisor speaks some Spanish.  If needed, another City staff person can be used to communicate with Spanish speaking persons requiring assistance.

When changes are made to the Trolley Service our staff prepares notices explaining the proposed changes and conducts outreach meetings. All notices will be prepared and posted in both English and Spanish. Notices will be printed in the Ojai Valley Newspaper, shown on our local TV channel, and be posted at the locations listed above. We encourage all members of our community to participate in outreach meetings, Spanish translation is made available to insure LEP persons can participate fully.

Costs associated with outreach efforts are a part of the annual transit budget, and are relatively minimal.  Our local newspaper, the Ojai Valley News, has been very cooperative in publishing information related to outreach meetings and events.  The local TV station provides is a free media opportunity.  Most of the expense of our outreach efforts comes from the staff hours required to prepare materials and participate in outreach activities.

The Ojai Trolley Service strives to meet the Safe Harbor Provision by providing translation for pertinent written documents and information.  Also, as stated earlier in this plan, LEP persons are encouraged to contact the Operations Supervisor, and a focused attempt will be made to provide adequate communication to answer any questions or concerns.

Monitoring and Updating the LEP Plan

The City will update the LEP Plan as required by the U.S. DOT. At a minimum the plan will be reviewed and updated when new data from the U.S. Census is available, or when it is clear higher concentrations of LEP individuals are present in the City’s transit service area. Updates will include the following:

Racial Breakdown of Non-Elected Advisory Councils or Committees

The City of Ojai does not have any transit-related, non-elected committees or advisory councils that administer to the Ojai Trolley Service.

Ojai Trolley Service Standards

Vehicle Load:

Currently the City of Ojai owns and operates 5 Trolley style vehicles.  They have a seating capacity of 30, with room for 2 wheelchairs.  In addition there is room for 8 standees.  The load factor expressed in the ratio of passengers to number of seats is 1.26.  The Ojai Trolley Service will ensure that this vehicle load will not be exceeded.  The vehicles may reach full or near to full capacity during our peak hours, which are typically during school months, Monday through Friday from approximately 2:30-3:30 p.m.  During most other operating hours seating may average less than 50% capacity.

Service Frequency:

As a local transit service the Ojai Trolley Service will operate with headways that will no exceed 60 minutes. The goal of the Trolley service is to provide more frequent service in order to meet ridership demands during peak hours and coordinate convenient transfers to intercity transportation.

On Time performance:

The Ojai Trolley Service considers on time performance to be defined as departing no more than 1 minute early from stops, and departing no more than 5 minutes late from stops. The objective is to achieve 90% or better on time performance.  The on time performance continues to improve with the average In FY19-20 being 84% of system departures were on time.   In addition we occasionally update our schedule in an attempt to improve on time performance.

Service Availability:

The Ojai Trolley service attempts to offer conveniently located stops throughout our service area.  The objective is to have stops located no more than a ¼ mile walk for 75% of all residents in the service area. 

Ojai Trolley Service Policies

Vehicle Assignment policy: 

The City’s 5 trolleys are all in relatively good condition.  2 of the vehicles are currently approximately 2 years old, and 3 are approximately 9 years old, as of 2020.  These vehicles are rotated in and out of service based on maintenance and cleaning needs, however, the newer vehicles are generally given priority use based on their comfort, particularly during hot summer months because they have superior ac units.

Transit Amenities policy:

The goal of the Ojai Trolley Service is provide amenities at stops throughout our system that enhance the comfort and safety of our riders.  Installation of new transit amenities at Ojai trolley stops are prioritized based on stop utilization and demonstrable need.  Existing amenities include shelters, benches, trash receptacles, route maps and schedules as well as digital real-time arrival displays that were installed at four of our busiest stops in 2013.