Memphis needs curb ramps

Curb ramps are important to transportation

By Allison Donald

During the monthly MATA board meeting Gary Rosenfeld informed the board that MATA had been awarded $222,000 grant to repair and install new curb ramps. More community access is a significant development for people with disabilities who would like to ride the fixed route instead of using the expensive paratransit service.  MATA has not set a timetable for the start or completion of the curb-ramp project.
“Why is MATA responsible for paying for curb ramps?” Charles Vergos board chair asked. “I thought it was the responsibility of the city to fix those things.”  

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that state and local governments must provide curb ramps at pedestrian crossings and at public transportation stops where walkways intersect a curb. Each curb ramp must meet specific ADA standards for width, slope, cross slope, placement and other features.  Curb ramps are a small but important part of making sidewalks, street crossings, and the other pedestrian routes that make up the public right-of-way accessible to people with disabilities.

Curb ramps have a specific relationship to paratransit. If a Memphis resident does not have an accessible route to their nearest bus stop, or there is not a curb ramp to make an accessible path to their destination, they cannot use the bus system like other Memphis citizens. The more expensive to operate paratransit system, MATAplus, is designed to provide “curb-to-curb” service where the fixed-route is not accessible. People with disabilities are only eligible for paratransit where they are functionally unable to use the fixed-route because of a disability. 

While MATA is not responsible for curb-ramps in Memphis, the grant for curb-ramps can be a big savings for the transportation provider. If accessible routes can help just 50 people regularly ride the fixed-route instead of paratransit, we estimate that over a year, the curb ramps would pay for themselves. 

A paratransit ride costs nearly $30, but MATA only recovers $3.50 per trip. The fixed-route is much less and we conservatively estimate that each paratransit trip costs about $20 more. Over the course of a year, about 220 trips, MATA would save $4,400 per rider. In a single year, 50 riders who forgo paratransit would be a savings equal to the grant for curb ramps.  

Curb ramps are essential to enable people with mobility impairments to go to work, to access government buildings, to participate in recreational activities, to shop, and generally to allow individuals to travel freely through their communities. A correctly designed and constructed ADA curb ramp will enable a person with a disability to safely cross a street and to board and exit public transportation.  People who use wheelchairs are not the only beneficiaries of curb ramps.  Anyone for whom ambulation is difficult or painful, such as arthritis, also benefit from curb ramps as well as bikes, strollers and hand carts. 

Curb ramps also provide a safe pathway for people with disabilities to travel without being in the direct line of traffic. If the sidewalk on either side of the street ends without a curb ramp, it is often difficult or impossible for an individual using a wheelchair, scooter, walker or other mobility device to cross the street. This is a dangerous situation where the person may have to travel alongside cars and other vehicles in the streets putting their personal safety at risk.

If you would like to attend the next MATA board meeting it will be Thursday July 26, 2018 at 3:30pm at 1370 Levee Road.

Accessible Scavenger Hunt PART 2

MCIL Accessible Scavenger Hunt at Laurelwood Shopping.

The MCIL accessible scavenger hunt visited the Laurelwood Shopping Center on Poplar this Friday. This time our goal was simplified to: Please find examples of accessibility and community inclusion.

We all met at the Panera Bread just off of Grove Park on the West side of Laurelwood. From there we split into three teams to search the area. The Laurelwood collection of stores does not have a central walking route, but it is a connected parking lots north of Poplar between Perkins Extended and Grove Park.

The first team headed directly north from the Panera Bread and examined the stores along Grove Park. They noted the wide doors that were easy to open at Talbots. They also seemed to have well-kept ramps at more than one location around the store. Inside, Talbots was spacious and had and an accessible dressing room.

The first team also noted the welcoming storefront of Frost Bakery. It had a double door, with no center post that can make maneuvering a wheelchair difficult. The team noted that the bakery smell was also very inviting.

The second team headed east. They were most impressed by Ulta Beauty. The store had an accessible counter that was not too high and made the team feel at ease. They had an accessible bathroom and Braille signs.

At LA Fitness the second team was astonished to find many accessible features. They had a unisex restroom and accessible equipment. The staff was welcoming and friendly and showed the team the accessible pool lift and accessible shower.

What the third team found most welcoming was the personal attitude at Hot Yoga. The individual in the store personally welcomed the team and introduced them to the owner. They expressed their belief that Yoga did not leave anyone out and invited the team for a free hot class.

Team three also noted the welcoming and accessible ramps. Many were wide and provided access for the general foot traffic as well as being welcoming to a person with a mobility impairment. The route from the bus stop was clear and accessible. Most notably was the raised concrete accessible routes from the accessible parking spaces. It was clear that the parking at Nordstroms made people with disabilities feel that they were to be included at the store.

Many of the participants noted that it was a lot easier to look for what is wrong. Even as we all looked for examples of accessibility, it was often easy to see what did not meet our expectations. We did not record barriers we found as an exercise in trying to find what works and what we all find welcoming and inclusive. Everyone also made mental notes however, of what places did not seem to have access and the spots that did not seem to be inclusive.