THE CITY OF MIAMI MUST FIX ADA VIOLATIONS

CONSTRUCTION THAT CREATES BARRIERS DESTROYS INDEPENDENCE AND DIGNITY FOR THOSE WHO USE ASSSTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES

The triumph and failure of cities can be evaluated in the way they accommodate the vulnerable pedestrian population. 

In the case of Miami, its inhumanity shows abject failure.

This is the gateway between two of Miami’s biggest icons — the waterfront skyscraper Brickell district and culturally vibrant historic Little Havana.

Yet it blocks people with disabilities and is a tripping hazard to all with bumpy crappy asphalt.

This is an Americans with Disabilities Act violation.

Barriers created by construction then neglected for ages strip all independence and dignitiy for those who uses wheelchairs for mobility.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

BUTTIGIEG: 

We have to work on the steps that we know have the potential to unlock a better life for so many. 

We must [create an environment where people with disabilities can] reach their fullest potential.

Steve Wright is a Miami-based writer, planner, and educator.

He frequently lectures nationally — including at APA 2022 in San Diego — and globally on the subject, and works with teams on inclusive urban planning projects.

He also tweets and blogs daily about diversity, disability, and the wealth of cities.

 

 

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

BUTTIGIEG: 

All of us have a stake in it. 

The state must support a society that allows everybody to thrive. 

That is really what is so urgent about this, because there are many problems that society or America hasn't solved — like, we are trying to figure out nuclear fusion.

But unlike particle physics, a lot of questions about accessibility have been addressed.

We've figured out how to do things from curb cuts to safe transportation of people who use wheelchairs for mobility. 

And yet, it's not happening everywhere.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

WRIGHT: Too many elected and appointed officials act like accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities is some kind of charity or favor. 

How are you addressing this?

BUTTIGIEG: The cost of inaccessibility comes down hardest on the people who are directly affected by it. 

But it really comes down on everybody and anybody who might benefit from an invention, an innovation, that comes from a well-employed person meeting their full potential, regardless of disability.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

WRIGHT: A buckled, broken, or missing sidewalk on the way to the most accessible commuter train ever could still make that transit off limits for someone who uses mobility aids. 

How is the DOT working to create a seamless accessible transportation network?

BUTTIGIEG: This is where it really comes down to the influence we can have with state and local leaders, and it's considerable what we fund under our control. 

We are doing as much in partnership with states and cities that we can. We advance accessibility through our grant making. 

When we do something like Safe Streets and Roads for All, which is a new program funding [projects in many] communities, we truly are envisioning safer roads and streets for people with disabilities. 

Creating safe wheelchair accessibility at all intersections is a good example of what they ought to be thinking about when they design for pedestrians.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

BUTTIGIEG: 

The biggest obstacle has been funding. 

Many transit agency leaders who very sincerely want to do the right thing have been forced into impossible decisions with their backs against the wall financially because of that lack of funding. 

Frankly, the $1.75 billion won't be enough on its own to resolve [the lack of wheelchair access] at every station, but it's a major investment in progress.

It's going to mean that many more commuters are able to benefit and, again, be able to contribute where maybe they couldn't have before.

It even changes where people have the option to live. 

If you [have accessible rail stations connecting your home to work and necessities], it changes all of your possibilities in life.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

BUTTIGIEG: 

New York is a good example. 

It should be a transit planner's dream in the sense that even people with access to a luxury vehicle might choose to take the subway because it's just more efficient and convenient, right? So it could be the gold standard — but not everybody has access.

There are two layers of what we've got to do. 

The first is the threshold condition of just making sure that everybody has access. 

We need to also pay attention to whether it's convenient and comfortable for everyone. 

And that's another level that we need to build towards.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

WRIGHT: Let's talk about legacy public transit systems. 

Take New York City, for example. All buses are wheelchair accessible, but only a fraction of subway lines are, while elevators at stations, which are already rare, are often broken.

BUTTIGIEG: Largely thanks to the leadership of Senator Tammy Duckworth, an important provision in the infrastructure package is $1.75 billion dollars for making transit stations and rail stations accessible.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

BUTTIGIEG: 

That's not always true for Americans with disabilities — and that's particularly something we see for wheelchair users.

For the great number of different Americans experiencing disabilities, if we fail to provide the right kind of transportation connectivity, that means not only that they miss out on opportunity, but that our country and our communities miss out on what they have to contribute.

One thing that I saw early and often in my time as mayor was the importance of setting up our community so that everybody could contribute and participate.

That could be a question of whether a sidewalk was designed so that it was navigable by wheelchair, or whether you had the right kind of paratransit services to get people to work.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

WRIGHT: Accessible travel options can be the difference between making it to employment, health care, and daily needs — or not. 

What are your overall thoughts on the USDOT's role in removing barriers and creating inclusion for people with disabilities?

BUTTIGIEG: One of the most basic things you need in order to thrive is the ability to get to where you need to be. 

That is everything from educational opportunity to health care to a job. 

There are gaps for everybody in our transportation system, but most people can more or less assume that there's at least one way to get to where they need to go.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

In 2020, $27 million from the USDOT was dedicated to four projects that will incorporate innovative business partnerships, technologies, and practices to promote independent mobility.

Steve Wright, Planning's expert on universal design and planning for people with disabilities, recently caught up with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to learn more about what the USDOT is doing to create more accessible transportation networks. 

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

According to New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, only 24 percent of New York City's train stations are considered accessible by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — and that's not an isolated statistic. 

With these legacy train systems concentrated in dense urban areas like New York and Chicago, millions of people across the country lack accessible public transportation.

As secretary, Pete Buttigieg has led the U.S. Department of Transportation with powerful positive language about mobility justice and designing for people with disabilities.

Recently, that's also been backed by bipartisan funding. 

The $1.75 billion All Stations Accessibility (ASAP) was created by the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act in 2020 to increase transportation access for people with disabilities by retrofitting transit stations with elevators and better accessibility.

PETE BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO MAKE TRANSIT ACCESSIBLE — AND PAY FOR IT, TOO

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TALKS MOBILITY JUSTICE, MISSING SIDEWALKS AND ELEVATORS, AND BILLIONS IN FEDERAL GRANTS CURRENTLY UP FOR GRABS

Planners know that mobility impacts our jobs, education, recreation, healthcare, shopping — virtually everything we do. 

But for many, transportation creates barriers to those opportunities, not access.

One in four U.S. adults have a disability that affects major life activities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. 

Yet transportation networks, from missing stretches of sidewalk to legacy train systems built long before the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, often lack features like elevators that are necessary for people who use wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids.

DISABILITY VISABILITY

IT’S A THING

Multiple U.S.  federal agencies have documented that one in four persons in America has some type of disability.

Never have so many tens of millions been so invisible.

“I never see anybody in those accessible parking spaces”

“We shouldn’t do away with steps into a building for a special interest.”

“Why should we make our restaurant/shop accessible to a tiny fraction of people?”

I’ve heard these and far worse 10,000 times and counting.

All are wrong headed and mean spirited.

First off, people with disabilities and their families represent one of the biggest buying power blocs in the nation.

Second, why are people who would NEVER dismiss the rights and validation of people of a race/religion/gender/orientation different from their own – be so willing to be totally dismissive of people with disabilities and trample their rights?

I don’t know the answer, but I think its’ because for some common character flaw in the non-disabled, people with disabilities are all but invisible.

That why, this year I’m going to publish lots of images of people with disabilities immersed in everyday city life.

It will prove the need for wheelchair access for subways, parks, restaurants, offices, universities, buses, sidewalks and everything else everyday people immerse themselves in.

MOBILITY MATTERS: MISTAKES YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE

PROUD TO FOCUS ON MICROMOBILITY FOR THIS PRESENTATION AT THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022 IN SAN DIEGO

Creating an inclusive and accessible environment requires more than adhering to basic ADA requirements, avoiding ableist terminology, or providing closed captioning for city meetings.

These actions are important, but local governments must be dedicated to widespread accessibility and mobility.

Otherwise, micromobility for some — like scooters — creates outright travel hazards for more vulnerable pathway users.

Examine these and other common mistakes in planning for accessibility and learn how local governments can adopt a more comprehensive approach to accessible transportation and mobility for people with disabilities.

NO PERSON LEFT BEHIND: TRULY INCLUSIVE DESIGN

PROUD TO ANCHOR THIS PRESENTATION AT THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022 IN SAN DIEGO

People with limited abilities are often "designed out" of places, events, and activities.

Three decades after adoption of the ADA, the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need for planning for inclusion and equitable access and accepting the challenges of safely separating users and uses.

COVID’s silver lining may be renewed emphasis on safer pedestrian travel, transit, and more open outdoor-recreation spaces.

Mobility remains a sometimes-insurmountable challenge for people with disabilities.

Scooters, bikes, and utilities often block wheelchair users and trip blind people.

Transit access depends on compliant sidewalks with clear paths to accessible stops.

Ride-share, mobility, and other first mile/last mile “solutions” are not accessible to wheelchair users and many other disabled folks.

There are always challenges to providing elegant designs that retrofit existing and historic buildings and sites.

Often, the only (inequitable) solutions offered put accessibility features in the back.

After thirty years of halfway accessibility solutions, it is time for planners to address equity and inclusion challenges.

IN PRAISE OF THE HUMBLE SIDEWALK

THE SINGLE MOST CRITICAL PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Fabian De La Espriella, AICP, principal of Miami-based Urbe Studio, has nearly two decades of experience in transportation planning — and is a big fan of what sidewalks provide, particularly when it comes to equity.

"Sidewalks are the single most critical piece of infrastructure when it comes to reducing disparities between communities, especially those that are currently underserved, which coincidently are also suffering from disproportionate pedestrian death rates," says De La Espriella, vice chair of APA Florida's Gold Coast chapter.

"This equity approach applies to sidewalks being of vital importance for people with disabilities, no-car households, children, and the elderly. 

Sidewalks in some communities are key to getting access to transit, food, parks, or schools."

Every planning agency, local jurisdiction, and government official should prioritize safe sidewalks, he says.

"Having safe, healthy streets is part of increasing a city's competitiveness.

A key component to achieving this outcome is having safe sidewalks, which increase access and create a higher value place," he says. 

"It is time that we acknowledge the responsibility of transportation investments in increasing equity in our communities, especially when it comes to sidewalks."

IN PRAISE OF THE HUMBLE SIDEWALK

 FIRST AND LAST MILE MVP

"You can build a premium bus stop with shelters and amenities, but if you can't get to it, the transit fails," says David Haight, FAICP, a planner and senior project manager with planning, design, and engineering firm Atkins.

"Without accessible sidewalks, transit doesn't work."

Apart from being wide enough to accommodate pedestrians with mobility aids like wheelchairs, accessible sidewalks should include pathways that don't flood, have crosswalks, and help people navigate from bus stops through parking lots to retail.

 Designers should work to understand and match users' expectations, too.

"People walk in a straight line. 

They will try to cross — without the protection of a painted crosswalk or `walk' sign — rather than cross two additional lanes of busy traffic to get to the official crosswalk," he explains. 

And at four-lane roads, a median should be large enough to serve as a haven for those who can make it only halfway to the other side of the street. 

Otherwise, people — some with kids, some using assistive mobility devices — are stuck on a tiny piece of ground with huge trucks and speeding cars rushing by them.

IN PRAISE OF THE HUMBLE SIDEWALK

 A CONNECTOR FOR PEOPLE (AND ROBOTS?)

Amin Gharebaghi, co-founder and CEO of GeoMate, is preparing sidewalks for an increase in traffic. 

His firm works with multiple cities across North America to analyze key features impacting urban accessibility like curb ramps, slope, width, and surface quality.

"Sidewalks act as a main connector in municipalities, bringing residents closer to their communities and local economies," he says. 

And it's a critical time to ensure that those connections work at the human level first.

"As cities become increasingly dense and new mobility technologies [like delivery robots] begin to operate on sidewalks, enhancing sidewalk safety and accessibility is becoming more important now than ever," he explains.

IN PRAISE OF THE HUMBLE SIDEWALK

A TOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

                                                            (Clematis Street West Palm Beach, FLA -- by Dover Kohl Partners)

The founder and president of nonprofit Strong Towns, which focuses on pedestrian-friendly development, believes sidewalks and streets play an important role in environmental justice.

"Sidewalks are often treated as afterthoughts in urban transportation projects," says Charles Marohn, P.E. 

"This is backwards. The function of an urban street is to serve as a platform for building wealth. 

On a street, we're attempting to grow the complex ecosystem that produces community wealth."

One big way that can be accomplished is through proper maintenance. 

Marohn advocates for city plowing of sidewalks, instead of making snow and ice clearance the responsibility of thousands of individual property owners. 

He says it's equally or even more important than street plowing — which often creates impediments to pedestrians.

"In most of our poorest neighborhoods, the public sector is neglecting their maintenance responsibilities, and this contributes to a vicious cycle of decline," says Marohn, author of Confessions of a Recovering Engineer.

"When the streets have more potholes, the parks have more weeds, and the sidewalks have more cracks and gaps than the ones in our affluent neighborhoods, the signal being sent is that decline is going to continue, regardless of what the property owners do."