CCRPC updates TAC on Title VI, public participation and racial equity actions

Bryan Davis, senior transportation planner at the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, updated the Transportation Advisory Committee on CCRPC Title VI and public participation work.

Why it matters: The CCRPC is formalizing procedures to ensure federal Title VI civil-rights protections and is committing staff resources toward racial-equity actions that affect outreach and project design.

Davis said the CCRPC signed the Community Declaration of Racism as a Public Health Emergency and is developing a new webpage that will host the commission's commitment and a centralized list of municipal racial-equity activities, including training, policy changes and other resources. Staff completed development of an FTA Title VI Program that includes a Title VI Policy Statement and a formal complaint process for alleged discrimination in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Davis and Charlie Baker said the Public Participation Plan is being revised to reflect the expanded use of virtual meetings and to explicitly acknowledge and promote racial equity and social justice. The FTA Title VI Program will be submitted with county demographic data and examples of outreach to diverse populations; the CCRPC will continue to compile an annual Title VI report for FHWA and VTrans that documents efforts to involve limited-English-proficiency populations, low-income residents and people with disabilities.

Next steps: CCRPC staff will post the new webpage and continue to update outreach materials and the Public Participation Plan as implementation proceeds.