 |
Curb Ramps:
Curb ramps (wheelchair ramps) provide access between the sidewalk and roadway
for people using wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, crutches, handcarts, bicycles,
and also for pedestrians with mobility impairments who have trouble stepping
up and down high curbs. Curb ramps must be installed at all intersections and
midblock locations where pedestrian crossings exist, as mandated by federal
legislation (1973 Rehabilitation Act). Wheelchair ramps must have a slope of
no more than 1:12 (must not exceed 25.4 mm/0.3 m (1 in/ft) or a maximum grade
of 8.33 percent), with a maximum side slope of 1:10, and must be designed in
accordance with the ADA guidelines.
Where feasible, separate curb ramps for each crosswalk at an intersection should
be provided rather than having a single ramp at a corner for both crosswalks.
This provides improved orientation for visually impaired pedestrians. Similarly,
tactile warnings will alert pedestrians to the sidewalk/street edge. All newly
constructed and altered roadway projects must include curb ramps. In addition,
all agencies should upgrade existing facilities. They can begin by conducting
audits of their pedestrian facilities to make sure transit services, schools,
public buildings, and parks, etc. are accessible to pedestrians who use wheelchairs.
While curb ramps are needed for use on all types of streets, priority locations
are in downtown areas and on streets near transit stops, schools, parks, medical
facilities, shopping areas, and near residences with people who use wheelchairs.
For more information about curb ramp design, see Designing Sidewalks and Trails
for Access, Part I, by the Federal Highway Administration, and Accessible Rights-of-Way:
A Design Guide, by the U.S. Access Board and the Federal Highway Administration.
The Access Board’s right-of-way report can be found at www.access-board.gov.
 |
 |
|
|
|
• Follow Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design guidelines.
• Texture patterns must be detectable to blind pedestrians. |
| top
of page |
| The cost is approximately $800 to $1,500 per curb ramp (new or retrofitted). |
| top
of page |
|
|
