ADA Compliance Delayed in Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is finding compliance with a 2015 Americans with Disabilities Act settlement agreement to be costlier and more time-consuming than expected, reports B.A. Morelli:

The single biggest line item in a four-year settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to make city of Cedar Rapids public facilities accessible for all has been installing or replacing 3,800 curb ramps to meet federal standards. Minor deviations from the specifications can torpedo a project.

When the curb ramp replacements started, only 65 percent met the required standards. The city started training contractors and inspectors, and city officials say now 90 percent of the ramps are compliant.

Still, just over half of the curb ramps have been replaced, with 1,850 remaining. The agreement required the work be completed by next year, but the city plans to request another two years to finish it. In addition, the cost is expected to increase from an initial estimate of $15 million to $30 million.