U.S. Access Board Webinar: Accessible Sidewalks, Shared Use Paths, and Street Crossings
Ensuring access to public streets and sidewalks can be a challenge since new guidelines for accessible public rights-of-way have yet to finalized. This webinar will review resources that can be consulted in the interim, namely the guidelines that the Access Board previously proposed for public rights-of-way and shared use paths. Presenters will discuss common access issues and solutions and review proposed requirements for sidewalks and street crossings, curb ramps and blended transitions, detectable warnings, pedestrian signals, on-street parking, street furniture, transit stops and other components of public rights-of-way and shared use paths.
The webinar will review the scoping and technical requirement found in both the PROWAG and 2013 SNPRM which address access requirement for sidewalks, shared use paths, and pedestrian street crossings. The webinar will also discuss requirements for other pedestrian facilities and elements found in the right-of-way such as accessible pedestrian signals, curb ramps, and transit stops.
Speakers:
Juliet Shoultz Transportation Engineer, Office of Technical and Information Services
Scott Windley Accessibility Specialist, Office of Technical and Information Services
Questions for presenters:
- Discussion of MEF being applicable to new intersection accessibility designs on steep, hilly sites. Also, for sites where the surrounding road grades do not comply with traditional accessibility requirements, how does that affect accessible intersection design (meaning all roads leading to an intersection do not meet typical accessibility requirements)?
- It seems that accessible sidewalks in NYC are increasingly in a terrible state, and becoming worse. I am from Disabled in Action, a disability advocacy group in NYC. Should we notify the department of traffic about this issue? Is the sad state of affairs all about money?
- In what way do the guidelines address the prevalence of dock-less scooters and bikes? These are motorized scooters and bikes that individuals can use through a mobile app. After a person rides one and reaches their destination they leave it on the sidewalk, frequently obstructing the walkway.
- Is a pedestrian pathway required if there is a driveway and people use the driveway to walk up to the building from the street? In this case, there is no sidewalk but everyone uses the driveway to walk up to the building if they are on foot. It is very steep, hard for a wheelchair. Seems like it's a shared use path and should be accessible but they argue its a driveway and not covered/required. What is the distinction if everyone is using it like it is a sidewalk/pedestrian path?
- Could you please discuss the cross slope of ADA ramps if the street is greater than 2%? Also the differences in cross slope percentages for a controlled and uncontrolled intersection with ramps.
- Is the DOT/DOJ joint statement that resurfacing is considered an alteration that would require curb ramps to be installed where none currently exist, applicable to current projects if PROWAG has not been adopted?
- Will you please discuss the current requirements for diagonal curb ramps in 406.6. There are curb ramps that are not quite at the 45 as shown the figure, nor are they 90 degree directional curb ramps: do you need to still provide the additional 24 inches within the markings for these curb ramps?
- It seems that accessible sidewalks in NYC are increasingly in a terrible state, and becoming worse. I am from Disabled in Action, a disability advocacy group in NYC. Should we notify the department of traffic about this issue? Is the sad state of affairs all about money?
- Does the entire area between the face of curb to the building have to meet accessible requirements if it is paved as sidewalk? If, in an urban setting, multiple utility vault covers exist in the pedestrian zone, do those vault covers need to be raised, placed in “non-pedestrian” planting beds, or guards proposed around them? Is there a distinction in the pedestrian zone between circulation paths and accessible routes, similar to plaza scenarios? Mostly, I’m curious what options do designers have when dealing with large expanses of sidewalk, if those sidewalks must comply with the maximum cross slope requirement of 1:48?
- R207.1 of the 2011 PROWAG states that curb ramps or blended transitions "shall be contained wholly within the width of the crossing served." A large blended transition, like the one depicted in figure R304.4.1 of the same document, may serve two crossings at an intersection. Does that mean that both crosswalks would have to encompass the entire width of the blended transition? Such a requirement would necessitate unusually wide crosswalks as both crosswalks as they would each have to encompass the entire width of the curb radius. On a related note, under PROWAG as currently written, would it be possible to delineate only a portion of the blended transition in figure R304.4.1 to each crossing separately? If so, how would the portion of the blended transition serving each crossing be delineated? (This gets at the requirement in R207.1 to have separate ramps for each crossing in new work vs. a single curb ramp serving both where existing physical constraints prevent two in alterations.)
- Can you discuss how to measure a curb and gutter to objectively determine whether it complies with the 1:20 interface requirement. I have heard where both sides are measured and if the slopes add up >X then it doesn't comply.
- If sidewalks are created, could you include getting the street paved as well?
- Can you discuss how to measure a curb ramp and gutter to objectively determine whether it complies with the 1:20 counter slope (406.2) requirement. I have heard where both sides are measured and if the slopes add up >X then it doesn't comply. Will FDOT provide more guidance on curb and gutter styles?
- Under what circumstances, if any, is a shoulder considered a pedestrian access route and thus subject to ADA requirements for pedestrian access routes? Would it require the presence of some kind of signage designating the shoulder is for exclusive pedestrian use, like "Ped Only" pavement markings or the MUTCD's sign W11-2 paired with a no-parking sign? I feel fairly certain that I don't have to worry about meeting accessible cross-slopes for a shoulder on a rural mountain road with significant super-elevations, but in suburban areas, the lines between sidewalks and shoulders can get blurred at times, so any advice you can offer is appreciated.
- Please address typical challenges when a shared use path crosses at a signalized intersection. PROWAG conditions for Shared Use Paths include providing a curb ramp for each crosswalk direction [R207.1] where each curb ramp is 10-feet wide [R304.5.1.2], and obstructions in the PAR are not allowed (signal poles, bollards) [R302.3.2]. Is it okay to put signal pushbuttons in the sidewalk? Where the path is not buffered from a road by 10'+, the curb ramp will cut into the path width. Is that okay? Alternatively, if a diagonal curb ramp is used [ADAAG 406.5], a 2-foot segment of raised curb on each side of the flare is required. When the curb ramp is 10-feet wide, this doesn't fit in the crosswalk markings. Okay to omit the 2-foot straight curb?
- Do existing non-compliant driveways have to be replaced when sidewalks next to it are replaced or new sidewalks installed? When sidewalks are replaced or installed, and curb ramps are incorporated onto the design of the driveways, do these curb ramps serving unsignalized and signalized driveways require detectable warning tiles?
- Can you provide an update on PROWAG rulemaking and any new information related to the formal adoption of these guidelines? A lot of dates have come and gone. Is there anything you can share about why this rulemaking has been so difficult to finalize?
- R309.2.1 discusses wide sidewalks and parallel parking. This seems to be a point of consternation between cities providing on-street parking on their ROW vs. Owner's sidewalk. 1) Are cities currently installing the 1 per 200 on-street parking spaces (since PROWAG isn't adopted). 2) Please explain how the Advisory R309.2.1 is to be implemented as to how people park. The condition I see is the 11' sidewalk and the 8' parallel space.
- At a stop-controlled T-intersection crossing with no striped crosswalks (stop-control on the minor leg only), must ramps be provided to allow for each potential pedestrian crossing (i.e. ramps provided to allow crossing on the stop-controlled leg, as well as ramps provided to cross legs with free-flow traffic)?
- Can you expound upon the Uber driver impact for pick-up/drop off ride services and the need for accessible loading/unloading zones. Buildings are creating interior secure Uber Lounges to wait. Does this require an accessible drop off/loading zone? OR can an accessible parallel parking space be used?