ADA Compliance Delayed in Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is part of Project Civic Access, a federal initiative to make public facilities accessible. Making the changes necessary for compliance has been challenging for the city.

1 minute read

November 28, 2018, 11:00 AM PST

By Camille Fink


Wheelchair Curb Cut

firelizard5 / Flickr

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.

Saturday, November 24, 2018 in The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Urban sidewalk shaded by large mature trees

Cool Walkability Planning

Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

June 1, 2023 - Todd Litman

Traffic on the 405 interstate freeway through the Sepulveda Pass at Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California

Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.

The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.

May 30, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Two blue and white tents on a paved bike trail under an overpass in San Diego, California with palm tree and vegetation on one side

How San Diego Camping Ban Could Impact Neighborhoods

An ordinance supported by the city’s mayor would bar people from sleeping on the street near shelters or services, but critics say it will simply push people to other neighborhoods and put them farther away from the supportive services they need.

June 8 - Voice of San Diego

Small white one-story building with Maggie Hathaway Golf Course sign with American flag on flagpole and green lawn

Expanding Access to Golf in South Los Angeles

L.A. County’s Maggie Hathaway Golf Course getting up to $15 Million from U.S. Open Community Legacy Project to expand access to the sport in South L.A.

June 8 - Los Angeles Times

Wood-frame two-story housing under construction

Opinion: Failed Housing Bills Could Signal California-Style Housing Crisis in Texas

Legislators in a state that so often touts its policies as the opposite of California’s defeated several bills that would have made housing construction easier, leading to concerns that a constricted housing market may exacerbate the housing crisis.

June 8 - The Dallas Morning News

Principal Planner – Advanced Plans

Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department

Planning Officer

City of Bangor

Planning Director

Park City Municipal Corporation

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.