My hometown will receive money to help make the sidewalks more accessible. According to WWLP, Greenfield will receive $199,064 from the Massachusetts Office on Disability to renovate sidewalks and make them more ADA-compliant.
The money will be used to repair sidewalks along Beacon Street and to install ADA-compliant detectable warning plates at two locations in the city: two curb ramps on Beacon Street at North Street and eight curb ramps on Beacon Street near High Street. The city hopes to begin work this summer.
“Rehabilitating sidewalks is an important step in ensuring that Greenfield is accessible for all,” Greenfield Mayor Ginny Desorgher said. “I am grateful for the MOD grant and the positive impact it will have on a well-traveled area in our community.”
Cities nationwide have been sued due to the inaccessibility of the sidewalks. According to city data, only 1.3% of curb ramps in Baltimore met or exceeded federal criteria in 2021. In Oregon, approximately 9% of the corners managed by the state transportation agency were compliant. San Jose, California, identified 27,621 corners with damaged or nonexistent curb ramps. Boston estimated that less than half of its curb ramps were compliant.
Philadelphia was sued in 2019 for the condition of its sidewalks. Chicago was sued the same year for failing to install audible pedestrian signals, more than a decade after settling a case over curb ramps. In 2018, Atlanta faced a lawsuit.
According to a survey, just 20% of Atlanta’s sidewalks were in good enough condition to be utilized by people using wheelchairs or motorized scooters, while only 30% had curb ramps. Seattle settled a class-action lawsuit in 2017. San Francisco and Long Beach, California, were sued in 2014 for making their sidewalks more accessible to wheelchair users.
Beacon Street and High Street have been designated as “priority routes” under the city’s ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plan. Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Beacon Field, Blessed Trinity Parish, Beacon House Recovery Center, and a number of other local businesses also run along the route.
Accessibility is the law. It is past time to put an end to inaccessibility when it comes to public areas. This is a major step forward. Making Greenfield’s sidewalks more accessible is important, but there is still a long way to go.
Sources:
DeGray, Nick. “Greenfield Receives Grant to Make Sidewalks ADA-Compliant.” WWLP, Nexstar Media Group, 16 Feb. 2024, http://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/greenfield-receives-grant-to-make-sidewalks-ada-compliant/amp/.
O’Hagan, Maureen. “U.S. Cities Are Being Sued over Sidewalk Accessibility.” Time, Meredith Corporation, 12 Oct. 2021, time.com/6105909/sidewalk-accessibility-lawsuits/.