Pace, the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority, is holding public hearings for the proposed Title VI Policy and Program Update to make sure residents aren’t adversely impacted by updated program policies and guidelines.

Kane County’s public hearing is set for 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, at the Kane County Government Center Auditorium, Ground Floor, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Geneva.

The Title VI Policy and Program Update includes:

• Major Service Change Policy
• Disparate Impact Policy
• Disproportionate Burden Policy
• Transit Service Delivery Guidelines

There are no changes to Pace service or fares contained in this proposal, according to the Pace news release.

Any person wishing to comment on the proposed Title VI Policy and Program Update may present views orally at the public hearings, by submitting written material at the address below on or before the last date of the hearings, which is the same day of the Kane County hearing (Friday, Feb. 26, 2016), or online by accessing the “Public Hearing Comments Form” at www.pacebus.com.

The proposed policy is available on Pace’s website at www.pacebus.com. Copies of the proposed Policy and Program Update are available for public inspection at Pace headquarters, 550 West Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005-4412.

Individuals who require translation into a language other than English in order to participate in these hearings are requested to contact Pace at (847) 364-7223 option 3 (voice) or 708-339-4062 (TTY) five (5) days prior to the scheduled meeting.

Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend these hearings and who require certain accommodations other than transportation in order to allow them to observe and/or participate in these meetings are requested to contact Pace at (847) 364-7223 option 3 (voice) or 708-339-4062 (TTY) five (5) days prior to the scheduled meeting.

Pace Suburban Bus is committed to providing non-discriminatory service and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin. To notify us of any perceived discrimination, please contact the Customer Relations Department at (847) 364-PACE (7223), option 3.

About Title VI

Title VI refers to the section of the federal Civil Rights Act governing public transportation along with other public services that receive federal funds. Every U.S. public transit agency is required to maintain a Title VI policy program outlining a compliance plan to mitigate negative impacts of service changes and fares on certain groups of people. The program must be reviewed and updated (as necessary) every three years and resubmitted to the Federal Transit Administration. When programs are modified, transit agencies are required to hold public hearings to present the changes to riders and other stakeholders before they’re finalized.

As a result of some updates and clarification of definitions within its program, Pace is running a series of nine public hearings to present the changes and receive feedback. The first of the nine hearings was held Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Fares and service levels are not impacted by the proposed changes. As with all Pace public meetings, attendees are welcome to ask questions or provide feedback about any topic related to Pace as staff will be available to address them, however, testimony for the public hearing record must be related to the Title VI program revisions.

“Because these hearings are a matter of compliance, there is no direct impact on our customers,” said Pace Chairman of the Board Richard Kwasneski. “However, we encourage people to use this as an opportunity to engage with us to ask questions or let us know if they have suggestions that can improve their experience on our service.”

What Are the Policy Updates?

The updates to Pace’s policies include specifying the definition of a major service change as one in which either the extension or elimination of service would impact more than 25 percent of the route’s riders, which mirrors the policy Pace already has in place to dictate whether a service change requires a public hearing.

Additionally, definitions for the terms “disparate impact” and “disproportionate burden” were not previously specified, but will be included in the new program. A disparate impact is proposed to be defined as occurring when a proposed fare or major service change requires a minority population to bear adverse effects by 25 percent or more than the adverse effects borne by the non-minority population.

A disproportionate burden is proposed to be defined as occurring if a proposed fare or major service change requires a low income population to bear adverse effects by 25 percent or more than the adverse effects borne by the non-low income population. Other changes include updates to Pace’s classification of service types and service standards.

Those unable to attend the public hearings can submit commentary online in the Public Hearing Comment Form at PaceBus.com or via post to Pace External Relations, 550 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.

Schedule of Pace Title VI Public Hearings

• South Cook County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16 , Homewood Village Hall Board Room, 2020 Chestnut Rd., Homewood, IL 60430
• Will County Title VI Public Hearing — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.Wednesday, Feb. 17, Will County Building Meeting Rm. B, 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432
• McHenry County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18, Crystal Lake Municipal Complex, 100 W. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake, IL 60014
• Southwest Cook County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, Oak Lawn Village Hall Board Room, 9446 S. Raymond Ave., Oak Lawn, IL 60453
• DuPage County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 22, DuPage County Govt. Center Room 1500B, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
• Lake County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, Waukegan Public Library Bradbury Room, 128 N. County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085
• North Cook County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 24, Pace Headquarters Board Room, 550 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
• West Cook County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, Howard Mohr Community Center, 7640 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park, IL 60130
• Kane County Title VI Public Hearing — 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, Kane County Govt. Center Auditorium, 719 S. Batavia Ave, Geneva, IL 60134

More information regarding this press release.

Providing Input

There are several ways to communicate with Pace:

In Writing

Remarks on the subjects of public forums, meetings and hearings can also be made in writing and sent to:

Pace, Attention External Relations
550 West Algonquin Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005

By Phone

Opinions on a service or issue can be given to Pace’s Customer Relations Department by calling (847) 364-7223.

Online

Comments may also be submitted on-line by completing the Public Hearing Comments Form or sending a message to our Customer Relations staff.

SOURCES: Pace news release and website