Dutchess County Public Transit is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participating in, or denied the benefits of, its services or programs on the basis of race, color, age, disability, national origin, gender, or income status as afforded under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, the Americans with Disabilities Act and all related rules and statutes, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not. Dutchess County Public Transit, as a federal grant recipient, is required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to conform to these acts and their amendments.
Transportation Council Obligated Projects Report (.pdf)
How do I file a Title VI Complaint?
How do I file an ADA Complaint?
Dutchess County Public Transit DBE Policy Statement Objectives and Policy Statement
If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination under Title VI, you may file a written complaint with Dutchess County Public Transit.
Mail:
Dutchess County Public Transit
Attn: Title VI Coordinator
14 Commerce Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Call: 845-473-8424
Fax: 845-473-8662
Email: publictransit@dutchessny.gov with subject line “Title VI Complaint.”
Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance.
Dutchess County Public Transit is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participating in, or denied the benefits of, its services or programs on the basis of race, color or national origin as afforded under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination under Title VI, you may file a complaint.
Every Dutchess County Public Transit vehicle is accessible to anyone
Title VI Non-Discrimination Policy Statement (.pdf)
Dutchess County Title VI Program (.pdf) - 2021 to 2024
Poughkeepsie July 1, 2017 Service Change Equity Analysis - March 2017 (.pdf)
You must file a signed, written complaint within 180 days of the last date of alleged discrimination.
Download the Complaint Form (.pdf)
The complaint should include the following information:
Your name, address, and how to contact you (i.e., telephone number, email address, etc.)
How, when, where, and why you believe you were discriminated against. Include the location, names and contact information of any witnesses.
Attn: Title VI Coordinator
14 Commerce Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Complainants may also use the following to initiate the filing of a complaint:
The Title VI Coordinator will assist with writing a complaint if the complainant is unable to do so upon request.
All complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color or national origin in a service or benefit provided by Dutchess County Public Transit will be recorded in the Title VI Database and assigned an ID number by the Title VI Coordinator.
The Dutchess County Public Transit Title VI Coordinator reviews all customer feedback and researches complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color or national origin in a service or benefit. Upon request, the Dutchess County Public Transit Title VI Coordinator will provide appropriate assistance to complainants, including people with disabilities, or who are limited in the ability to communicate in English in accordance with Limited English Proficiency Plan, page 36 of the Title VI Program.
In instances where additional information is needed for assessment or investigation of the complaint, the Dutchess County Public Transit Title VI Coordinator will contact the complainant in writing within 15 business days. Failure to provide the requested information by a certain date may result in the administrative closure of the complaint.
Dutchess County Public Transit Title VI Coordinator will investigate the complaint and prepare a draft written response subject to review by the Dutchess County Public Transit Administrator, Dutchess County Commissioner of Public Works, and Dutchess County Attorney.
Download Title VI Complaint Procedures (.pdf)
Dutchess County Public Transit will send a final written response to the complainant and advise the complainant of his or her right to file a complaint externally. Dutchess County Public Transit will use its best efforts to respond to Title VI complaints within 60 business days of its receipt of such complaints.
In addition to the complaint process at Dutchess County Public Transit , individuals and organizations may also file a complaint by completing a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Civil Rights complaint form (.pdf) and submitting directly to the FTA and/or New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Complaints should be signed and include contact information and should be sent to Dutchess County Public Transit and to:
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Civil Rights
Attention: Complaint Team
East Building, 5th Floor - TCR
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
TTY: 1-800-877-8339
Voice: 1-866-377-8642
FTA.ADAAssistance@dot.gov
and/or:
New York State Department of Transportation
Office of Civil Rights
Attention: Director
50 Wolf Road, Sixth Floor
Albany, NY 12232
Fax: 518-549-1273
OCR-TitleVI@dot.ny.gov
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) protects qualified individuals with a disability from discrimination on the basis of that disability in the services, programs, or activities of Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT). This notice is posted to inform the public of the provisions of Title II of the ADA and the requirements of the federal ADA regulations.
Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) does not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in its services, programs, or activities. Also, qualified individuals with a disability are not excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the DCPT.
The US DOT ADA Final Rule, effective July 13, 2015, revised the local complaint process requirements in 49 CFR Parts 27 and 37 to require that recipients sufficiently advertise the process for filing an ADA-related complaint and communicate a response promptly to any individual filing a complaint.
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) protects qualified individuals with a disability from discrimination on the basis of that disability in the services, programs, or activities of DCPT. This notice is posted to inform the public of the provisions of Title II of the ADA and the requirements of the federal ADA regulations.
The ADA Certification Manager, or his/her designee, shall be responsible for overseeing investigations and responses to complaints of discrimination based on disability for both fixed-route and paratransit services.
How to File a Complaint: Fill out an ADA Complaint Form or call Customer Service. Complaint Forms are available online at https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Public-Transit/ADAprocedures.htm, or by request at DCPT, 14 Commerce St., Poughkeepsie, NY, 12603.
Complaints can be filed orally or in writing and should contain:
Complaints may be submitted to DCPT as follows:
If you need assistance in filing or writing your complaint, the ADA Certification Manager or designee will, at your request, help you locate an impartial advocate or representative not associated with Capital District Transportation Authority. You must also specify any other reasonable accommodation or alternate format you may require to effectively communicate your complaint. Accessible formats are available upon request. The complaint form must be filled out completely and filed DCPT within 90 calendar days from the date of the alleged discriminatory action or practice.
Acknowledgment of Complaint Receipt: Within 10 business days after the receipt of the complaint, the complainant will be contacted by mail, email or phone. Information provided will include:
Investigation of Complaint: The Transit Administrator will investigate the complaint and respond in writing within 10 business days from receipt of the complaint. The response will set out a process for the resolution of the complaint. If no action is taken, the response will state the reasons for the decision. (DCPT employee and transit contractor’s personnel files are confidential; therefore, specific information on disciplinary actions resulting from complaints will not be divulged).
Information provided will include:
If DCPT is unable to resolve the complaint, you will be notified of this non-resolution within 10 business days.
The notification will include:
Appeals: The complainant can appeal the decision in instances where he or she is dissatisfied with the resolution. The request for appeal should be made within thirty (30) business days of receipt of the response to the complaint. An appeal may be made in writing, telephone or in-person. Appeal should be directed to DCPT Transit Administrator at 14 Commerce St., Poughkeepsie, NY, 12603, 845-473-8424.
Appeals Follow-Up (only if requested by the complainant): The Director of Transportation will review the appeal and respond in writing within 10 business days of the receipt of the decision. Information provided will include:
If requested by the complainant, a hearing will be scheduled on the matter, during which the customer will be permitted to present any materials or testimony relevant to the appeal. The Transit Administrator will review the information provided by the customer (or the customer's representative) and make a decision on whether to uphold the decision. This decision will be made within 10 business days.
File Retention: The ADA Certification Manager shall maintain the files and records relating to the complaints filed, for a minimum period of office (5) years. Copies of complaints may be requested from the ADA Certification Manager in accordance with the New York Public Records Act. Names and addresses of the complainants will be redacted to protect the individuals’ privacy rights if copies of complaints are produced.
Individuals may also file complaints with Federal Transit Administration Office at:
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh St. SW, Room 9102
Washington DC 20590
www.fta.dot.gov/ada
The right of a person to a prompt and equitable resolution of the complaint filed hereunder shall be impaired by the person’s pursuit of other remedies, such as the filing of an ADA complaint with the responsible state or federal department or agency. The use of this complaint procedure is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of remedies.
