Title VI Program Update
The City of Simi Valley gets funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Because of this, the City must follow federal civil rights laws.
The City has updated its Title VI Program for the next three years, through 2028.
Your Rights Under Title VI
Title VI is a federal law. It protects people from unfair treatment.
This means:
• You cannot be treated unfairly because of your race
• You cannot be treated unfairly because of your skin color
• You cannot be treated unfairly because of where you come from
You have the right to:
• Take part in programs and services
• Receive the same benefits as others
• Be treated fairly in any program that gets federal funding
Per FTA’s guidance, the City’s Title VI Program should include the following:
- A signed Title VI assurance and governing body approval of the overall Title VI Program
- A copy of the agency’s public notice with a list of where the notice is posted
- Instructions for how to file a complaint with a copy of the complaint form
- A list of any Title VI investigations, complaints or lawsuits and how such complaints were addressed and resolved
- A Public Participation Plan and list of outreach activities conducted since the last submission
- A Language Assistance Plan for providing language assistance
- System-wide standards and policies
- Demographic and service profile maps and charts
- Description of how the primary recipient of FTA funding monitors for compliance
Purpose
The purpose of the Simi Valley Transit Title VI Program is as follows:
- Ensure that the level and quality of public transportation service is provided in a nondiscriminatory manner;
- Promote the full and fair participation in public transportation decision-making without regard to race, color, or national origin; and
- Ensure the meaningful access to transit-related programs and activities by persons with limited English proficiency.
To learn more about the program, access Simi Valley Transit's Title VI Program (PDF).
Program Requirements
Simi Valley Transit follows rules from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
These rules come from a document called FTA Circular 4702.1B.
Simi Valley Transit must follow:
• General program rules
• Service standards (how service is provided)
• Service policies (rules for how service works)
Some rules do not apply.
This is because:
• Simi Valley Transit runs fewer than 50 buses at one time
• The city’s population is under 200,000
For more information about Simi Valley Transit's Title VI program, view the Title VI Notice to the Public (PDF), or contact the Title VI Officer/Risk Manager at (805) 583-6739.
Complaints
The City of Simi Valley/Simi Valley Transit 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 routing, scheduling, or quality of transportation service that Simi Valley Transit furnishes, on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
- Frequency of service, age, and quality of Simi Valley Transit 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.
File a Title VI Complaint
You can file a complaint if you think you were treated unfairly because of:
• Race
• Color
• National origin (where you come from)
You can file for yourself or for a group of people.
When to File
• File your complaint as soon as possible
• You must file within 180 days of the event
How to File
• You can use the Title VI Complaint Form, but you do not have to
• To get a form, call (805) 583-6739
• Help is available if you do not speak English well
Complete a Title VI Complaint Form view the Title VI Notice to the Public (PDF) to share details about your complaint.
Written complaints may be sent to:
City of Simi Valley
Attn: Title VI Officer/Risk Manager
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063
In addition to the Title VI complaint process at the City of Simi Valley, 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 Complaints are Processed
The City of Simi Valley reviews all complaints about unfair treatment based on:
• Race
• Color
• National origin (where you come from)
What Happens Next
• The City will send you a letter within 10 business days to confirm they received your complaint
• The City will review and investigate your complaint
• The review is usually finished within 90 days
If the City needs more information, they will ask you. This may make the process take longer.
Decision Letters
After the review, you will get one of these letters:
Closure Letter
- Says there was no violation
- The case is closed
Letter of Finding (LOF)
- Explains what happened
- Shares the results of the review
- Lists any actions taken, such as staff training or other steps
Appeal a Decision
If you do not agree with the decision:
• You can file an appeal
• You must do this within 10 business days of the date on your letter
