Curb ramps, also known as wheelchair ramps, are critical to providing access between the sidewalk and the street, but they’re not just intended to help people in wheelchairs. Everyone benefits when curb ramps are installed whether you are pushing a stroller, riding a bike, or simply walking around your neighborhood.
Curb ramps are required at each intersection by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 so it is our job to ensure that ramps are present at every one of our 10,000+ intersections. And we’re ramping up our efforts to do just that.
SDOT’s ADA Program will construct over 1000 new curb ramps throughout the city over the next two years and our capital improvement program will construct nearly 1000 ramps as well. Our primary focus is to construct ramps at locations where no ramps exist but we also retrofit hundreds of curb ramps each year to ensure compliance with federal standards.
We’re making considerable progress towards equipping all of our intersections with curb ramps, and in the process, eliminating mobility barriers and improving our pedestrian system.