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INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIESFOR ADA
ACCESS COMPLIANCE
CivicCivicCenterCenterPlazaPlaza
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New Technology Solutions to Inventory & Scope ADA Barrier Mitigation within Sidewalk Programs
101101
BroadwayBroadway
Fillmore St
Fillmore St
Sally Swanson Architects, Inc
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ADA Access Requirements
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all public entities to identify physical barriers that preclude access to a City’s programs, services and activities.
Most ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plans typically included programs housed in buildings and parks, but not many included a detailed inventory of their sidewalks.
Chapter 28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 35.150 (d) requires the inclusion of a schedule for providing curb ramps, where the entity has jurisdiction over the sidewalks in the rights-of-way.
But it took several lawsuits to actually provide the impetus to include the sidewalk program into most Entities’ Transition Plans.*
* Kinney v. Yerusalim - 3rd Circuit Court decision: simultaneous accessibility improvements required within project scope; Barden v. Sacramento - 9th Circuit Court decision: continuously maintained sidewalks are required
What is the goal?
e goal of taking an inventory of sidewalks, required by law, is to create a prioritized list of improvement projects. A list takes the guesswork out of scoping and budgeting for ADA improvements, part of major Capital Improvement or Street Resurfacing projects.
With such a plan in hand, it is easy for everyone to see the steps needed to transition towards accessibility. is legally defensible ‘Transition Plan’ includes a prioritized list of barriers to accessibility, and an annual budget for getting rid of the barriers.
Is it easy to take an inventory of sidewalks for the Transition Plan?
Not that easy. Sidewalk measuring is a labor-intensive task. One person walks down the sidewalk, placing a level at a prescribed distance, usually every two to four feet. Rather than do all sidewalks, a sampling is taken. But this leaves out many possible sidewalk hazards...
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Pro�lers and GIS Tools
Sidewalk pro�ling devices enable the capture of highly accurate location-speci�c data about barriers and hazards that can make a sidewalk di�cult to navigate. Innovative software mounted on the pro�lers allow for the data to be exported to a city’s asset management database or integrated into a geodatabase.
Unlike survey data collected at a curb ramp, which is located at one point in an intersection, data along a mid-block section of a sidewalk could be spread over anywhere between a ¼ mile to several miles. Using GIS technology to pinpoint these multiple locations along the length of a section of sidewalk is the most feasible way for a contractor to go out and repair sections of sidewalk.
Prioritize Barriers
To prioritize barriers, layers of information are created and laid on top of each other. A variety of location characteristics, such as socio-economic data, transit routes and stops, arterial classi�cations, housing and employment density and others, are integrated into GIS. Heavily used pedestrian facilities are assigned a higher activity score, which would determine their priority for upgrades.
User-friendly interfaces also allow you to adjust weights based on stakeholder input and try dierent scenarios to validate the scoring strategy, based on the severity of each individual barrier. Knowing the prioritization scores, you can now scope the work to �t your annual budget.
GIS Viewers
Using Surface Pro�lers with Geographical Information System (GIS) is a cost-eective solution to inventory and map ADA barriers within your pedestrian infrastructure. For those who do not have access to GIS software, a browser-based GIS viewer is also accessible from a dedicated webpage. Just like Google maps, the GIS viewer allows panning can pan across or zoom into a jurisdiction’s map, turn on and o layers to identify barrier types for dierent pedestrian features, and view collected data and analysis on a dedicated web page from any computer.
e ability to have documents updated regularly with real-time information on compliance facilitates barrier removal, and easy access from a website improves data input as projects are programmed and funding is secured, allowing regular measuring of progress.
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Generating Reports
�e sidewalk inventory data is used to generate reports at the push of a button:
• �e reports can be generated by street, with scope and cost summaries.• Alternatively work orders can be generated to identify a particular type of barrier across the entire inventory.• Annual update reports provide governing bodies with a dashboard on the utilization of public funds.• Reports identify barriers within the limits of work of a Capital Improvement Project ensuring inclusion in the nal scope and budget.
Updating
As projects are completed, or new ones appear in the eld, they can be added or annotated in the eld through handheld devices. ADA codes and guidelines are automatically incorporated and analyzed, and are updated as they change.
Advantages
A detailed inventory of your pedestrian infrastructure meets the basic requirement of the law and also provides other advantages:
• Identify severe hazards• Manage risk and legal exposure• Track your progress• Document good-faith eort
�e large database of non-compliant conditions with proposed mitigation solutions meets the basic requirement of the law and allows you to:
• Scope barrier removal as part of larger Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) projects • ‘Encourage’ property owners to improve adjacent sidewalks as a condition of their permit approval• Develop a recurring maintenance program
With the right planning tools, local public agencies can be proactive in addressing trip and fall hazards or prioritizing barrier-removal within their pedestrian infrastructure.
220 Sansome Street, Suite 1100San Francisco CA 94104T: 415-445-3045F: 415-445-3055E: [email protected]
Swanarch.com
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