The city will survey every one of its 37,000 street corners for compliance.
To settle a class-action lawsuit brought by disabled residents, the city of Portland has pledged to upgrade more than 16,000 sidewalk ramps citywide.
The city will also survey every street corner to ensure compliance with the American Disabilities Act, and begin including sidewalk ramps in new road construction, Gordon Friedman writes in Oregon Live. A technical adviser will be appointed to oversee the city's progress over the next 12 years.
The changes come in response to a lawsuit brought by wheelchair users and disability rights advocates, who charged the city with failing to comply with the ADA. Many cities have faced similar suits as they struggle to keep up with badly needed sidewalk repair–"but Portland is a particularly egregious offender," Friedman reports. In 2012, fewer than half of the city's street corners were outfitted with a ramp.
FULL STORY: Portland to settle with wheelchair users for $113 million in sidewalk fixes
Chicago Residents Sue City Over Inaccessible Sidewalks
The suit alleges the city has failed to create a “coordinated, proactive system” for complying with ADA and ensuring accessibility on the city’s sidewalks and crosswalks.
Portland Council Tentatively Approves Sidewalk Repair Plan
The proposal would address sidewalk needs in Portland’s District 1 and District 4.
Baltimore Ordered to Improve Sidewalk Accessibility
The city is one of many to face lawsuits for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association