A ‘best practices’ manual guides accessibility on streets and sidewalks, but remains legally unenforceable.

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark law that protects the civil rights of people with disabilities in many areas, “the ADA fails to address accessibility in areas known as the “public right-of-way,” which includes sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps, public transit stops, and more.”
The guidelines used since 2011 for the accessibility in the right-of-way, meanwhile, is not enforceable. As Marissa Bell explains in Streetsblog USA, the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) “was adopted by the U.S. Access Board [last year], but it still needs adoption by the departments of Justice and Transportation before it can truly make a life-changing impact for everyone who gets around in the public domain.”
Bell describes some of the most common accessibility features used in public ROW, and how they sometimes go wrong, pointing out that accessibility benefits more groups than just people with mobility impairments. “Ramps and other accessible infrastructure make life easier for everyone; it is vital that they are designed correctly or even designed at all.”
FULL STORY: PROWAG Can Make Cities More Accessible — So Here’s What You Need to Know

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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