Section 9: ADA Accessibility Audit

As noted in the Section 4 references to “complete the streets” policies, public thoroughfares need to serve the diverse needs of a total population and not just those of motoring public. The US Department of Transportation and its Federal Highway Administration in its publication FHWA-SA-93-019 identifies part of the pedestrian public as having a variety of abilities in agility, balance, cognition, coordination, endurance, flexibility, hearing, problem solving, strength, vision, and walking speed. Accordingly, sidewalk design is important to all pedestrians but particularly important to those with disabilities who have limited travel choices and who rely most on the pedestrian environment.

The US Department of Transportation Guide on Accessible Sidewalks goes on to explain the legal framework and the nature of the resources available to integrate pedestrian travel into the transportation system and to protect the civil rights of persons with disabilities in that system.

The most familiar protective legislation to most Americans is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. This act was part of a progression of several laws and regulations being developed mandating accessible environments and programs that have been passed or adopted since the American National Standards Institute was adopted in 1961 to address building accessibility.

The year after the ADA was adopted the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was passed with specific attention being given to pedestrian transportation. This act was expanded in 1998 with the passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA-21) which increased funding available for pedestrian facilities. This source of funding has been utilized for the renewal of the pedestrian infrastructure on High Street in recent years.

Recommendation - The utilization of the recommended standards presented in Section 4 of this Pedestrian Safety Plan will improve pedestrian access in all parts of the City. Conducting an ADA access audit would further assist the City in prioritizing construction projects for implementation and allow the City to bring more areas into compliance with ADA standards. The Board recommends that such an audit be undertaken as a timely, inclusive step in the development of a walkable community. This audit should include creating a geo-referenced spatial inventory of pedestrian infrastructure.