The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) released this week a new Accessible Design Guide that aims to steer county agencies in the right direction when developing plans to ensure accessible streets, sidewalks, crosswalks and public spaces.
For the more than 91,000 county residents with one or more disabilities, the county hopes the guide will be a “one-stop resource” and lead to future improvements to accessibility design, MCDOT Director Chris Conklin said in a press release.
“While the primary audience for the guide is anyone who is involved in the planning, design and construction of the County’s public right-of-way, it is also intended to help County residents understand accessibility requirements and best practices,” Conklin said.
In the release, MCDOT Project Manager Matt Johnson noted more than one in 12 county residents have a disability. “Nearly all of us will experience a short- or long-term disability at some point in our lifetime,” Johnson said. “By building for accessibility, we can ensure that we are meeting the needs of all residents.”
The guide builds on the department’s accessibility toolkit, which was developed in 2021 for the vision impaired, according to the release. “Both guides are a first of their kind and will serve as a national model for inclusive design,” the release said.
The new guide covers a variety of accessibility design options including tactile walking surface indicators, shared use paths, crosswalks, curb ramps, bus stops, parking and electric vehicle charging stations.
In addition to incorporating national and international best-practice research, the guide was created using feedback from county residents with disabilities, caregivers and service providers, the release said. Collection of the feedback focused on residents with a variety of disabilities including ambulatory, vision, hearing, intellectual and developmental. From that input, the department identified that enhancing safety and reducing travel times were two major areas that needed improvement.
Top issue: Crossing the street
The department also surveyed residents with disabilities about the challenges they face as pedestrians traveling in the county. The survey was conducted from March 4 to 24, 2023, and collected responses from 247 people, according to the guide.
Survey results included in the guide showed that 66% of respondents said crossing the street was a top accessibility challenge. The second most common challenge, selected by 49% of respondents, is traveling on sidewalks. The third, chosen by 47% of respondents, is navigating temporary pedestrian routes during construction.
The survey also covered the reasons why people with disabilities “can’t do things or go places.” Sixty-six percent of respondents said the top reason is because “getting there and back doesn’t feel safe.” The second highest response was because “getting there and back takes too much time.”
“Many respondents also indicated that the accessibility challenges they noted had effects on their families, such as reliance on family members to drive them places when they might otherwise be able to travel by themselves or driving themselves places when other travel options might be more appropriate,” the guide said.
“We want to do as much as possible to comply with accessibility requirements and to help our contractors and others understand the requirements and best practices,” County Executive Marc Elrich said in the release.
Elrich noted the county hopes the guide will make it easier for planners, contractors and county agencies to provide necessary accessibility features.
“Ensuring that spaces are accessible to people with disabilities fosters inclusion, enabling increased participation in community life,” Elrich said.
