Ask not what your community can do for you...
05-03-12, 05:12 PM
#1
Commander, UFO Bike
Thread Starter
Ask not what your community can do for you...
Advocacy for the disabled can have benefits for cyclists. So, I propose that people take JFK's statement to heart...
Join an advocacy group, send emails, letters to the editor, get involved. Then take photos, and post them here.
That said, here's today's ADA related email that I sent to several agencies
Join an advocacy group, send emails, letters to the editor, get involved. Then take photos, and post them here.
That said, here's today's ADA related email that I sent to several agencies
Hi folks,
Last year, I reported (both with phone calls to the 24 hour maintenance hotline, and various avenues on campus) several storm drain grates on the PSU campus that are unsafe , and I've still yet to see any improvements. Besides affecting the disabled students here at PSU, it's also a risk to our visitors during events (say the Portland Farmers Market). Some have slots parallel to the dominant direction of travel and a nasty little drop, others are made of rotting concrete and rusting rebar. I'm sure that these are a violation of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG) https://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm#4.5
4.5.4 Gratings. If gratings are located in walking surfaces, then they shall have spaces no greater than 1/2 in (13 mm) wide in one direction (see Fig. 8(g)). If gratings have elongated openings, then they shall be placed so that the long dimension is perpendicular to the dominant direction of travel(see Fig. 8(h)).
Fig. 8(h)
Can we get these addressed before someone gets hurt or sues?
Replies Grately appreciated
Thanks
K'Tesh
SW Montgomery St. @ SW Park Ave. (Portland, Oregon)
SW Park Ave. @ SW Mill St. (Portland, Oregon)
SW Park Ave. @ SW Mill St. (Portland, Oregon)
SW Broadway Ave. @ SW Harrison St. (Portland, Oregon)
Last year, I reported (both with phone calls to the 24 hour maintenance hotline, and various avenues on campus) several storm drain grates on the PSU campus that are unsafe , and I've still yet to see any improvements. Besides affecting the disabled students here at PSU, it's also a risk to our visitors during events (say the Portland Farmers Market). Some have slots parallel to the dominant direction of travel and a nasty little drop, others are made of rotting concrete and rusting rebar. I'm sure that these are a violation of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG) https://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm#4.5
4.5.4 Gratings. If gratings are located in walking surfaces, then they shall have spaces no greater than 1/2 in (13 mm) wide in one direction (see Fig. 8(g)). If gratings have elongated openings, then they shall be placed so that the long dimension is perpendicular to the dominant direction of travel(see Fig. 8(h)).
Fig. 8(h)
Can we get these addressed before someone gets hurt or sues?
Replies Grately appreciated
Thanks
K'Tesh
SW Montgomery St. @ SW Park Ave. (Portland, Oregon)
SW Park Ave. @ SW Mill St. (Portland, Oregon)
SW Park Ave. @ SW Mill St. (Portland, Oregon)
SW Broadway Ave. @ SW Harrison St. (Portland, Oregon)
Last edited by K'Tesh; 05-03-12 at 10:05 PM.
05-03-12, 05:28 PM
#2
Commander, UFO Bike
Thread Starter
This photo
combined with several emails, and phone calls helped prevent this
issue from becoming real, by having these guys
come out and do this
See, things can get done with the suitable application of legal threats.
combined with several emails, and phone calls helped prevent this
issue from becoming real, by having these guys
come out and do this
See, things can get done with the suitable application of legal threats.
05-04-12, 02:14 PM
#3
Commander, UFO Bike
Thread Starter
Sent this today to the U.S. Access Board (the agency in charge of the ADAAG)
I'm involved in an attempt to get ADA compliant grates installed in and around the PSU campus in Portland Oregon (see attached emails below), and I noticed something in the ADAAG that I feel should be more clearly expressed.
My re-write of 4.5.4 would read:
4.5.4 Gratings. If gratings are located in walking surfaces (e.g. sidewalks, crosswalks), then they shall have spaces no greater than 1/2 in (13 mm) wide in one direction (see Fig. 8(g)). If gratings have elongated openings, then they shall be placed so that the long dimension is perpendicular to the dominant direction of pedestrian travel, but not be so long as to pose a hazard to crossing bicycle traffic(see Fig. 8(h)).
I've found a number of grates in and around PDX located in crosswalks... e.g.
that have seen recent additions of curb ramps, but the grates still do not comply with the spirit of ADAAG 4.5.4.
The more explicit language would remove any "wiggle room" for agencies to argue to allow these to persist. I also feel that it would motivate agencies to design crosswalks with the drainage located outside of the crossing area.
Thanks for your attention
K'Tesh
My re-write of 4.5.4 would read:
4.5.4 Gratings. If gratings are located in walking surfaces (e.g. sidewalks, crosswalks), then they shall have spaces no greater than 1/2 in (13 mm) wide in one direction (see Fig. 8(g)). If gratings have elongated openings, then they shall be placed so that the long dimension is perpendicular to the dominant direction of pedestrian travel, but not be so long as to pose a hazard to crossing bicycle traffic(see Fig. 8(h)).
I've found a number of grates in and around PDX located in crosswalks... e.g.
that have seen recent additions of curb ramps, but the grates still do not comply with the spirit of ADAAG 4.5.4.
The more explicit language would remove any "wiggle room" for agencies to argue to allow these to persist. I also feel that it would motivate agencies to design crosswalks with the drainage located outside of the crossing area.
Thanks for your attention
K'Tesh
Last edited by K'Tesh; 05-05-12 at 12:22 AM.
05-05-12, 01:52 PM
#4
LBKA (formerly punkncat)
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This is just one more small sign of the deteriorating infrastructure within most older towns and cities. Considering that much of what underlies the support for roads, bridges, structure to contain and move ground as well as waste water is decades beyond what it was initially built and designed for problems like this are just the tip of the iceburg.
There was a show that quickly got cancelled where fellow was going around looking at the support for many of the bridges along our aging highway system. If people really paid attention to the show it could very easily instill a deep sense of fear in a person crossing them.
There was a show that quickly got cancelled where fellow was going around looking at the support for many of the bridges along our aging highway system. If people really paid attention to the show it could very easily instill a deep sense of fear in a person crossing them.
05-07-12, 12:57 PM
#5
Commander, UFO Bike
Thread Starter
More photos can be found in my flickr set: Portland's ADAAG Violating Grates.
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Lascauxcaveman
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