A lawsuit has forced New York City to invest significant funds and people power to making the public realm more accessible to people with disabilities.
"New York City plans to hire 500 workers and spend $1.55 billion over the next decade to make it easier for people with disabilities to traverse city streets," reports Dana Rubinstein.
The news comes after a federal judge approved a settlement "requiring New York City to dramatically overhaul its curb ramps, most of which do not meet federal accessibility requirements" earlier this week.
Rubintein provides more specifics on the work that will be enacted for the city's new "Pedestrian Ramp Unit":
The settlement approved Tuesday requires the city to survey every single corner in the five boroughs by October 31 using laser technology. The city is required to conduct two subsequent surveys in 2033 and 2046.
All but roughly 3,100 street corners in New York City have pedestrian ramps — themselves the product of prior litigation — but most of them are not up to code. Upgrades of most non-compliant pedestrian ramps will have to be completed by 2034.
James Weisman, the president and CEO of the United Spinal Association and a signatory to the settlement, calls the settlement "historic" in the article.
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