The Waco MPO values and appreciates public input regarding its plans or activities at any time. Please complete and submit the form below to share your thoughts and vision for consideration. Occasionally, the MPO conducts official public comment periods regarding specific actions under consideration by its Policy Board. Should comment periods be currently available, information and public comment opportunities can be found on the Meetings page or accessed directly by clicking on the below links.
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A Limited English Proficiency Plan has been prepared to address the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) responsibilities as a recipient of federal financial assistance as they relate to the needs of individuals with limited English proficiency language skills. The plan has been prepared in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 USC 2000d, et seq., and its implementing regulations, which state that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.
The Waco MPO has developed this plan to help identify reasonable steps for providing language assistance to persons with limited English proficiency (LEP) who wish to participate within the transportation planning process. As defined within Executive Order 13166, LEP persons are those who do not speak English as their primary language and have limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English. This plan outlines how to identify a person who may need language assistance, the ways in which assistance may be provided, staff training that may be required and how to notify LEP persons that assistance is available.
The Waco MPO Public Participation Plan (PPP) describes the efforts the MPO will undertake to solicit stakeholder and other interested party's involvement in the development of the MPO's plans and programs. In addition, the PPP also describes the opportunities the public will have to participate in the transportation planning process.
Revisions
Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is a Federal law passed by Congress that prohibits recipients of Federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin in their programs or activities. The term “Title VI” refers to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and to all subsequent federal nondiscrimination laws, regulations, and executive orders.
Because the Waco MPO was created to facilitate the federal planning process in urbanized area of McLennan County and receives federal funds to do so, all federally funded plans, programs, and activities conducted by the MPO must comply with Title VI.
Waco MPO Title VI Notice to the Public
The Waco MPO operates its programs and activities without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and its implementing regulations. Any person who believes she or he has been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization.
How to File a Title VI Complaint
Any person who believes they have been subjected to any type of discrimination prohibited under Title VI may file a complaint in accordance with the Waco MPO Title VI External Discrimination Complaint Process.
To file a complaint of discrimination, complainants should complete the Waco MPO’s Title VI Complaint Form. Complaints must be filed in writing within 180 days from the last date of the alleged discrimination. Reasonable efforts will be made to assist persons with disabilities, non-English speakers, and others unable to file a complaint.
For assistance in filing a complaint, contact the MPO’s Agency’s Title VI Coordinator at (254) 750-5651 or mpo@wacotx.gov.
Title VI Discrimination Complaint Form
Waco MPO's Title VI Compliance Program
As a subrecipient of federal financial assistance, the Waco MPO must assure that all of its programs and activities will be operated in a nondiscriminatory manner. This means the Waco MPO promotes fair and meaningful participation in regional transportation decision-making without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, and its transportation planning process is open, accessible, transparent, inclusive, and responsive.
- Voluntarily comply with Title VI.
- Submit a signed assurance that programs, activities, and facilities will be operated in a nondiscriminatory manner.
- Maintain a policy statement that indicates commitment to nondiscrimination in MPO programs and activities to the effect that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, age, and disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination or retaliation under any program or activity administered by the MPO or its contractors whether it is federally assisted or not. The policy statement must be signed by the head of the organization.
- Appoint a Title VI/Nondiscrimination Coordinator.
- Develop Title VI/nondiscrimination–related procedures and mechanisms to ensure nondiscrimination in all programs, activities, and services. These include procedures for involving the public, including people with limited English proficiency and other protected groups, and for processing external discrimination complaints.
- Disseminate Title VI information to MPO beneficiaries and stakeholders (for example, members of the general public, employees, and any subcontractors).
- Ensure that Title VI provisions are in all contracts and in those extended to subcontractors.
- Extend subcontracting opportunities to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
- Keep complete and accurate records that clearly show Title VI compliance.
- Develop a Title VI/Nondiscrimination Annual Work Plan and Accomplishment Report.
What happens after a complaint if filed?
Upon receipt of a Title VI related complaint, the Title VI Coordinator will notify TxDOT’s Waco District Public Transportation Coordinator within 10 working days and assign an internal investigator. Title VI complaints must be investigated within sixty days. Investigating a complaint includes interviewing all parties involved and key witnesses. The Title VI Coordinator will assign an investigator. The investigator may request relevant information such as books, records, electronic information, and other sources of information from all involved parties. You may specify if there is a particular individual or individuals that you feel should not investigate your complaint due to conflict of interest or other reasons.
After the investigator reviews the complaint, she or he will issue one of two letters to the complainant: a closure letter or a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states there was not a Title VI violation and the case will be closed. An LOF summarizes the allegations and the interviews regarding the alleged incident, and explains whether any disciplinary action, additional training of staff members or other actions will occur. If warranted, the MPO will make any appropriate changes to policy or procedures. Title VI complaints may also be filed directly with TxDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ).
The Waco MPO planning process is also informed by several work groups. The work groups provide ongoing, informal stakeholder input into the transportation planning process, but do not make formal statements or recommendations. Work groups help track and evaluate progress on long-term planning efforts; provide in-depth discussion and analysis for specific areas of practice; and provide continuous engagement for regular planning efforts such as the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Active Transportation Plan, and other studies. Results of the work groups are presented to the Technical Committee and Policy Board for review and consideration.
Bicycle & Pedestrian Work Group
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Work Group includes MPO staff; city staff representing public works, planning, public health, and parks and recreation interests; and representatives of pedestrian and bicycle advocacy groups.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Work Group meets each February, May, August and November on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Citizen's Participation Work Group
The purpose of the Citizen's Participation Work Group is to consider demographic changes in McLennan County, its effect on participatory planning and environmental justice, and make recommendations on how to enhance participation in the development of the MPO's future long range transportation plans, referred to as Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTP).
Next Scheduled Meeting: TBD
Meeting Location: TBD
Connected & Automated Vehicles Work Group
The purpose of the Connected & Automated Vehicles (CAV) Work Group is to consider the potential impacts of connected and automated vehicles on transportation planning. The CAV Work Group is exploring questions such as: How do connected and automated vehicles affect travel behavior? How does travel behavior affects land use & development patterns? How do land use and development patterns affect congestion, mode share, parking demand, etc? The results of the CAV Work Group will help to inform and guide development of the Waco Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).
The CAV Work Group meets each January, April, July and October on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Mobility, Land Use & Transportation Work Group
The purpose of the Mobility, Land Use and Transportation Work Group is to consider land use-transportation connections, its effect on mobility needs of the population, and make recommendations on how to accommodate the future mobility needs of the Waco region in the MPO's long range transportation plan, referred to as the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).
Next Scheduled Meeting: TBD
Meeting Location: TBD
The Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization (Waco MPO) serves as the federally designated MPO for the urbanized area of McLennan County in Central Texas. This designation means the Waco MPO is responsible for coordinating transportation planning activities in the county and for providing a forum for local input into how federal highway and transit dollars are spent. It also means the Waco MPO is responsible for ensuring any impacts that transportation related decisions may have on “disadvantaged populations” are addressed through an inclusive and nondiscriminatory planning process.
The Waco MPO reaches out and encourages the involvement of everyone in McLennan County, including protected populations, to ensure their participation in the transportation planning and decision-making process. The Waco MPO Public Participation Plan(PDF, 3MB) specifies these efforts and information regarding the MPO's Title VI obligations can be found in the Title VI Program and Implementation Plan(PDF, 15MB).
“Environmental Justice” refers to an executive order to ensure that federally funded programs, policies or activities, including those related to transportation, having the potential to adversely or negatively affect human health or the environment explicitly consider the effects on minority populations and low-income populations (Executive Order 12898). “Environmental Justice” is advocated based on Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The Waco MPO is committed to ensuring the transportation needs of all people in McLennan County are met and that no one population group must endure a disproportional share of the burdens in meeting those needs. The MPO periodically performs an analysis of its plans and programs in order to assess the mobility of traditionally underrepresented groups and to provide an assessment of the impacts of proposed projects upon these groups. The analysis may be found in section 4.3 of the Waco MPO Metropolitan Transportation Plan.