April 17, 2008

Re: FTA Complaint Number 08-0150

Dear [name withheld]:

This letter responds to your complaint against the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) alleging discrimination on the basis of disability.  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Civil Rights is responsible for civil rights compliance and monitoring, which includes ensuring that providers of public transportation properly implement Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Department of Transportation's (DOT) implementing regulations at 49 CFR Parts 27, 37, and 38.

Your complaint of February 12, 2008, alleged that CATS, specifically their Special Transportation Service (STS), had denied you paratransit eligibility based on your ability to use the CATS fixed route to travel to accessible locations.  You had requested conditional eligibility for travel to inaccessible locations, such as destinations which did not have sidewalks.  Per our recent contact with STS, we understand that you, and others who were previously denied for the same reasons, are now conditionally eligible for STS service.  Per this resolution, we are closing the file.

If you have any further questions, please contact Stephanie Sharer at (202) 366-0272 or at her e-mail address: stephanie.sharer@dot.gov.  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.
 

Sincerely,

David W. Knight
ADA Team Leader
Office of Civil Rights

cc:
 W. Peter Wallace, General Manager, STS, CATS
 Yvette G. Taylor, FTA Region IV Administrator
 Frank Billue, FTA Region IV Civil Rights Officer