ODOT update shows it has 27,334 curb ramps to fix
Oregonians with disabilities will benefit from more accessible routes along the state’s highway system in coming years, thanks to the identification of more curb ramps that need to be brought up to American with Disabilities standards, the Oregon Department of Transportation said Tuesday.
Updating the inventory released in December 2017, ODOT now says an additional 4 percent of curb ramps on or along the state highway system will require some modification. The total curb ramps the agency will address now stands at 27,334.
Why the change? After the initial inventory, ODOT said its staff applied a rigorous quality control process, which revealed more out of compliance curb ramps under the agreement. ODOT has committed to bringing all curb ramps into compliance by 2032.
Teams of ODOT staff and contractors went throughout the state collecting more than 30 data points on each and every curb ramp, plus six data points for each related pedestrian signal. Scrubbing this data was an enormous task. Additional processing revealed curb ramps that were missed in the original collection process.
“We remain fully committed to providing an accessible highway system to all our users,” said ODOT Director Matthew Garrett. “This update complies with the terms of the legal settlement and provides us a clear path to meeting the agreement’s requirements of updating curb ramps.”
The table below shows a breakdown of ramp conditions across the state:
Region 1
Region 2
Region 3
Region 4
Region 5
Transferred
Total
Functional Condition
Portland Metro
Willamette Valley
North Coast
Southern Oregon
South Coast
Central Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Good
248
237
91
55
112
22
765
Fair
4
12
6
6
3
0
31
Poor
7824
9281
3426
2221
3489
297
26538
*Missing
1164
1573
569
369
709
19
4403
Total
8076
9530
3523
2282
3604
319
27334
* Missing curb ramps are a subset of “Poor” and are included in count of “Poor” curb ramps.
In addition to an updated list of curb ramps that ODOT and its contractors will fix or replace, the department has made strides to meet other settlement agreement requirements. These include:
Hired an accessibility consultant with experience in national and federal accessibility standards and acceptable national practices. The consultant is now reviewing policies, practices, and procedures related to transportation system accessibility. Initiated curb ramp and pedestrian signal modifications from the list of prioritized locations provided to ODOT by the plaintiffs. Adopted and are using an audible pedestrian signal policy for requests ODOT receives from transportation system users. Created a policy to provide a uniform way for pedestrians to temporarily move around construction projects. Implemented the Settlement Agreement Comments, Questions, Concerns, and Requests process to consistently and accurately accept, track, report, and address transportation system issues brought to ODOT by system users. Developed curb ramp inspection training for ODOT staff, consultants, and contractors. To date, over 1,500 people have received training. Certification from the appropriate course is required for curb ramp inspectors and for contractors to construct curb ramps on ODOT projects. Developed curb ramp designer training for ODOT staff and consultants. To date, over 200 people have been trained. Read more about ODOT’s efforts to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act on our website, including the details of the updated list and the settlement agreement.
