We’re almost to the 50th installment of this series, and our 49th entry comes from the Cedars neighborhood just south of downtown.
A resident who uses a wheelchair told us that the city finally updated the Cedars sidewalks on South Akard from Griffin to Corinth streets. Those updates included Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps that allow wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers access to a sidewalk or crosswalk.
“Granted … they installed the handi-lip at the south corner of Beaumont and Akard at such a sharp angle that it’s largely impassable in a wheelchair because the footplate gets stuck, but, seriously, such an improvement!” Melody Townsel said.
But there’s a problem. The same ramp Townsel mentioned was recently “asphalted into oblivion,” and construction blocks the sidewalk.
“Folks in chairs or with strollers are now blocked from using the sidewalk at Akard and Gano because the property owner developing this fenced plot has completely covered the public sidewalk with tarps and sandbags and fencing,” she said.
The federal government has specific requirements for ADA-compliant curb ramps and sidewalks. Since the U.S. Justice Department began enforcing ADA compliance in 1999, hundreds of cities have found themselves contending with lawsuits from people with disabilities who alleged they were not compliant with federal law.
Send your photo evidence of Dallas hating pedestrians to matt.goodman@dmagazine.com. For more in this series, go here.
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