Sidewalk Assessment Process

Sidewalks provide pedestrians with critical transportation routes to public areas and services such as schools, businesses, and recreation facilities. Unfortunately, many sidewalks do not adequately meet the needs of people with disabilities, who make up nearly one-fifth of the American population. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits public entities from designing new facilities or altering existing facilities, including sidewalks, which are not accessible to people with disabilities. At present, there is no standard method to assess the accessibility of sidewalks and other public rights-of-way. This research project will develop a reliable sidewalk assessment process (SWAP) to help transportation agencies and departments of public works meet the goals of the ADA and also increase the accessibility of their sidewalk networks. Phase I will evaluate, refine and develop a sidewalk assessment process, including measurement protocols, a database format, a draft manual for training, tool kit, and prototype GIS reporting systems. Phase I will also develop a distribution plan identifying pilot cities for testing of SWAP. Phase II will refine the tools and process, refine training materials, and conduct training for SWAP testing and evaluation