NE Bend curb ramps questioned by neighbors

The city of Bend has put in patchwork curb ramps at the corner of Northeast Lynda Lane and Purcell Boulevard, and some nearby residents say they are not properly accessible and are an eyesore.

Kate Haarberg, who lives in the neighborhood, said Thursday it looks like the city didn’t put in the sidewalks properly, and now they are trying to fix their mistake.

She said this is not the right solution to the problem.

“I’m upset — I’m just, you know, it’s October, November, everyone is paying their property taxes, we just saw a big chunk of change go to the city, and this is how they are doing it?” Haarberg said.

Haarberg added that she hopes this is just a temporary solution to the problem.

Ryan Oster, a city of Bend engineer, said the city is always working to make sure that the curb ramps are up to Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

“That is the solution indefinitely, until we have some other reason to come through,” Oster said. “If Purcell were to get repaved or Lynda Lane were to get repaved, and there was a lot more work going on there, then we would look at redoing the whole roadway.”

Brian Douglass with Advocates for Disabled Americans paid a visit Thursday to take a look at the curb ramps.

Douglass said the way they are constructed now could cause problems for a person using the ramps.

Douglass said the idea is right, but the execution is poor, adding the curb ramps were not put in properly, as they are not flush to the road and are rough, when they should be smooth.