[Colorado-Talk] U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines

[Curtis Chong]

Link to original source:
https://www.access-board.gov/news/2023/08/08/u-s-access-board-issues-final-r
ule-on-public-right-of-way-accessibility-guidelines/

 

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U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility
Guidelines


August 08, 2023

Pedestrians with disabilities throughout the United States continue to face
major challenges in travel because many sidewalks, crosswalks, and other
pedestrian facilities are inaccessible. Today, the U.S. Access Board
addressed this inequity by issuing a final rule on accessibility guidelines
for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way
<https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/> .  These guidelines inform federal,
state, and local government agencies on how to make their pedestrian
facilities, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, shared use paths, and on-street
parking, accessible to people with disabilities. 

"The Access Board is proud to issue these guidelines as a critical step
toward equal access to the public right-of-way for people with disabilities
in America," remarked Executive Director Sachin Pavithran. "Equal access to
pedestrian facilities is crucial because pedestrian travel is the principal
means of independent transportation for many people with disabilities." 

The guidelines cover the minimum scoping and technical requirements for
various spaces and elements in the public right-of-way, such as pedestrian
access routes, which ensure the accessibility of sidewalks, including
alternate access routes when the main route is closed for maintenance or
construction. Other highlights in the requirements include accessible
pedestrian signals, curb ramps and blended transitions, detectable warning
surfaces, crosswalks at roundabouts, on-street parking, transit stops, and
street furniture. In addition, the guidelines address shared use paths,
which are designed primarily for use by bicyclists, pedestrians and other
authorized motorized and non-motorized users for transportation purposes and
recreation purposes. 

The public right-of-way accessibility guidelines apply to alterations and
additions to existing pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way as
well as newly constructed pedestrian facilities covered under Title II of
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
<https://www.access-board.gov/law/ada.html>  the Architectural Barriers Act
(ABA), <https://www.access-board.gov/law/aba.html>  and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act. Title II of the ADA applies to state and local
government facilities, and the ABA requires that buildings or facilities
that were designed, built, or altered with federal dollars or leased by
federal agencies after August 12, 1968 be accessible. Section 504 covers any
program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, including those
that require compliance with federal regulations established by Department
of Housing and Urban Development, the United States Postal Service, and
other agencies. 

The guidelines will be mandatory after they are adopted for enforcement by
the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation under Title
II of the ADA. They will be mandatory for federal rights-of-way once adopted
by the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Postal Service
under the ABA, which requires that facilities built or leased by the Federal
government be accessible to people with disabilities. 

The Access Board provides free technical assistance on accessibility
guidelines and standards through its helpline at 1-202-272-0080, extension
3, and by email at ta at access-board.gov <mailto:ta at access-board.gov>  from
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET) weekdays. For technical assistance specifically
on accessibility of public right-of-way, including sidewalks, street
crossings, and other pedestrian used features, email row at access-board.gov
<mailto:row at access-board.gov> .

 

 

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Best wishes,

 

Curtis Chong

 

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