General ADA Complaint Procedures

General ADA Complaint Procedures

The US DOT issued a Final Rule under the American Disability Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and can be found at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-13/pdf/2015-05646.pdf.  Per this final rule, the City of Clinton, Municipal Transit Administration(MTA) is required to have complaint procedures and make this process available on the website. The MTA comment/complaint process is listed below.

1. File a Complaint: A customer may contact the MTA by phone (563-242-3721) or via email (MTA@cityofclintoniowa.gov) to file an official complaint. MTA administration/dispatcher/staff answering the phone or email will document the compliant.
2. Forward to Management: The complaint report is then forwarded to the Operations Coordinator/Transit Director for review and investigation. If the complainant made reference to their disability as a barrier to ride the MTA transit services or access its programs, this comment/compliant would be immediately forwarded to MTA Transit Director to record the complaint or in the case of a reasonable modification request determine if a request has been made and if it should be granted.
3. Due Process: If the complainant leaves their personal contact information (either phone or email), the Transit Director will contact them promptly, generally within three(3) business days, for more information about the incident or to acknowledge receipt of their comment/complaint. The investigation into the complaint shall take no more than twenty-one (21) days for determination.
4. Video Assistance: MTA has surveillance equipment on-board vehicles. Therefore, if the comment is regarding an incident that occurred on the bus, video maybe available and downloaded to obtain additional details about the passenger’s experience. 
5. Complaint Determination: Comments are documented under the following categories: S
   1. Service                   
   2. Safety           
   3. Vehicle          
   4. Facilities                    
   5. Title VI                    
   6. Driver           
   7. Validity          
   8. Other
6. Further Investigation: If necessary, the comment/complaint may also be forwarded to another City management employee for further review or investigation. For instance, if the comment is related to service requests (route changes, additional frequency of service, additional hours of service, etc.), those requests are forwarded to the Transit Director to compile for discussions about service improvements. Additionally, if a formal request for a reasonable accommodation or modification (or similar wording) was made through a general comment or complaint by an individual with a disability, this request would be noted in the comment section form and would be immediately forwarded to the MTA Transit Director. 

The following information is necessary to assist us in processing your complaint. If you require any assistance in completing this form, please call 563-242-3721. The completed form must be sent to the Transit Director, MTA, City of Clinton, 1320 South Second Street, Clinton, Iowa 52732.