Seattle to build 22,500 curb ramps to settle lawsuit

SEATTLE (AP) – The city of Seattle has agreed to install or fix 22,500 curb ramps throughout the next 18 years as part of a preliminary agreement to settle a federal lawsuit filed by three men with disabilities.
 
The Seattle Times reports (http://bit.ly/2u4C4jz ) the city agreed on Monday to build the ramps. The men sued Seattle in 2015, saying it was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act because many sidewalks lack curb ramps.
 
A city-commissioned study from 2016 estimated the cost of each curb ramp at nearly $13,100, which would put the total estimated cost to the city at more than $294 million. Contractors, however, frequently quote prices far below the city’s estimated per-ramp price. Two recent quote prices for ramps in Seattle ranged between $2,100 and $3,250 without sidewalk removal.