Agenda - Public Works Committee - 08/21/2018

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represented by committee members. The report follows a "toolbox" approach to the establishment of guidelines designed to facilitate implementation and to promote an understanding of the needs of all users of public rights -of -ways. The report comprehensively covers the various components of public streets and sidewalks and provides criteria for sidewalks, street fixtures and furnishings, street crossings, vehicular ways, parking, and other components of public rights -of -way. In addition, the report includes advisory notes, figures, and discussion of issues that merit further study or special attention in the Board's rulemaking. June 17, 2002 Release of Draft Guidelines An ad hoc group of Board members reviewed the committee's report in depth and crafted a set of draft guidelines based on the committee's recommendations. Because the draft guidelines departed from the advisory committee's report in several areas, the Board made an advance draft of the guidelines available for comment by the public. The notice of availability of the draft guidelines was published in the Federal Register on June 17, 2002. The Board requested information and feedback on the draft guidelines, including usability and cost data. In addition to seeking written comment, the Board held a public hearing in Portland, Oregon. Over 1,400 comments were received from the public in response to the publication of the draft. Of this total, almost 900 comments were tabulated from persons with disabilities and groups representing them; the great preponderance of comments in this category came from people who indicated that they were blind or had low vision. Slightly over 200 comments were submitted by respondents from the transportation industry: design engineers and consultants, State and local government departments of transportation, and the organizations and groups that represent them. Another 100 were received from State and local government administrative agencies. Comments are posted on the Board's website at http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/comments/index.htm. Almost all of the commenters from the two major blindness organizations, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), and persons who were not affiliated with either organization addressed only the use of detectable warnings and/or accessible pedestrian signals (APS) and virtually all of them supported the requirement for these features in at least some locations (detectable warnings at islands and medians and at all low - slope sidewalk connections to the street; APS at complex intersections, irregular intersections, intersections with compound turning movements, and intersections with leading pedestrian intervals). Some commenters misunderstood the effect of the scoping provisions for these features, believing that all intersections would have to be retrofitted at tremendous cost. In fact, only future new projects would be subject to these guidelines. With respect to APS in particular, only pedestrian crossings that provide pedestrian signals would be required to include APS. Some commenters, expressing concerns about the noise output of APS, were apparently unfamiliar with the quiet, pedbutton-integrated devices now available in the United States (these devices are installed at the departure curb, near the listening user, rather than overhead). Ten key issues from comment were identified for detailed analysis: crosswalk width; on -street parking; walking speed and pedestrian signal phase timing; elevators at pedestrian overpasses and underpasses; same -side alternate circulation routes; cross slope in crosswalks; detectable warnings; accessible pedestrian signals; roundabouts and roundabout signalization; and 3