Reductions in Transit Service or Increases in Fares: Civil Rights, ADA, Regulatory, and Environmental Justice Implications

State and local governments and other publicly supported agencies are increasingly reviewing their operations to accommodate budget shortfalls. In this context, transit agencies are reviewing staffing, programs, and the nature and extent of the services they provide. Often, the only option is to reduce services and/or staff. Such restrictions in service or fare increases are likely to adversely affect those who are most dependent on transit. Statutes, regulations, and a Presidential Executive Order demand that those cutbacks dont disproportionally adversely affect minority, disabled, and low-income populations. A previous TCRP Legal Research Digest identified and analyzed the applicable Title VI and other civil rights requirements when providing transit service. This digest also looks at the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and environmental justice when dealing with reductions in transit service or increases in fares. It considers transit agencies' compliance with constitutional requirements, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the ADA.