Title VI analysis shows no disparate impact from pandemic service cuts

Snohomish County, Wash. - When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Community Transit, like transit agencies throughout the country, reduced its bus service in response to a dramatic reduction in ridership. This emergency action was taken without a typical public comment process.

After consulting with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) staff, Community Transit is now establishing September 2020 service levels as a new baseline and will evaluate any changes made after that time as it would normally in compliance with all federal regulations.

Part of that evaluation includes a Title VI analysis to determine if a service change has any disparate or disproportionate impact to ethnic minorities or low-income populations.

A new Title VI analysis provides an equity evaluation of service changes implemented in March 2021 and planned for October 2021 and March 2022. Changes to the 800-series bus routes planned for October 2021 were evaluated for Title VI separately and that analysis was reviewed by the Board of Directors in their November 2020 approval of the Northgate Station Service Plan.

For overall service changes made since September 2020, staff have concluded that there is no disparate impact to Title VI routes, as identified in Community Transit’s Title VI Program document.

This Title VI analysis is available for public review at www.communitytransit.org/newservice. The public is invited to comment on this report at a public hearing before the Community Transit Board of Directors at 3 p.m. Oct. 7. Comments may also be submitted in advance of that meeting:

• Riders@commtrans.org Subject “Title VI”
• (425) 353-7433
• Community Transit, 7100 Hardeson Rd, Everett, WA 98203
• Community Transit’s Facebook page or @MyCommTrans on Twitter