Board Receives Over 1400 Comments on Rights-of-Way Guidelines December 18, 2002

Last June, the Board released draft guidelines on accessible public rights-of-way and made them available for public comment. The guidelines address access to public streets and sidewalks for persons with disabilities, including crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, parking, and other components of public rights-of-way. In response to the draft, the Board received more than 1400 comments from interested persons and organizations, including disability groups, civil engineers, transportation specialists, public works departments, and others. Comments were submitted by e-mail, mail, fax, and in testimony during an information meeting the Board held in Portland, Oregon. The deadline for comments was October 28, 2002.

The vast majority of comments (82%) came from individuals and organizations representing people with disabilities. Most of these comments addressed provisions in the guidelines concerning access for people with vision impairments at street crossings. The draft guidelines included new specifications for detectable warnings, a distinctive surface pattern of domes that are intended to provide a tactile warning of entry into streets where curb faces are absent, such as at curb ramps and blended transitions. The guidelines also included requirements for audible and tactile indicators where walk signals are provided at intersections. People with vision impairments and organizations representing them were strongly divided on these provisions. Many opposed audible pedestrian signals and, to a lesser extent, detectable warnings as unnecessary and costly burdens. Some argued that proper training and the availability of other cues, such as the sound of passing vehicle traffic, obviate the need for such requirements. On the other hand, many others strongly endorsed the draft requirements as essential for equal access and safety at street crossings for people with vision impairments. Tactile warnings and audible signals, they argued, provide the same degree of information afforded sighted pedestrians.

Civil engineers, public works departments, state highway divisions and transportation departments, and leading industry organizations, such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), also provided detailed input on the guidelines. Concerns and recommendations addressed provisions for traffic roundabouts, criteria for crosswalks, construction tolerances, the cost impact of various requirements, the application of requirements in alterations and public improvement projects, and differences between defined terms and industry terminology.

The Board will revise the guidelines based on its review of the feedback it has received and will provide another opportunity for public comment. Once finalized, the document will be incorporated into the Board’s Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), which cover access to a wide range of facilities in the public and private sectors. It will also be made part of guidelines the Board maintains under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), which requires access to certain federally funded facilities.