IN-HOUSE ACCESSIBILITY TREATMENTS Universal Design for Plazas, Bikeways and Shared Streets
NACTO Designing Cities 2017: Chicago
Background 1
nyc.gov/dot STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Before Goals: • Safety • Accessibility • Mobility for all users • Enhanced quality of life
After SIP
Allen-Pike Streets, Chinatown, Manhattan
100+ quick, in-house pedestrian, bike, & bus projects a year, small to large
3 nyc.gov/dot TEMPORARY SIDEWALK EXTENSIONS
Flexible delineators
Granite blocks “Truffle” colored paint or epoxied Planters with aggregate maintenance partner
Division St, Chinatown, Manhattan
Litter & snow removal required by maintenance partner or streetsweepers/snowplows Union Square, Manhattan 4 nyc.gov/dot ACCESSIBILITY OUTREACH
• NYC DOT approached by People for Accessible & Safe Streets, an advocacy group for low vision & blind pedestrians
• In-house painted/epoxied gravel spaces flush with roadway not detectable by cane users who usually rely on curb edge or detectable warning in pedestrian ramps
• In 2013, NYC DOT hired a consultant to develop accessibility treatment standards
• Five main design goals were developed to delineate the edge of the temporary spaces
Madison Square, Manhattan 5 nyc.gov/dot Temporary Sidewalk Extension Design Goals 2
nyc.gov/dot 1. DETECTABLE WARNING STRIP AT EDGE
Provide DWS for the full width of the crosswalk, parallel to the edge of sidewalk extension
Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
Early tests used standard size mats that didn’t provide information for the full width of the pedestrian space at the crosswalk
7 nyc.gov/dot Delancey St, Manhattan 2. DETECTABLE WARNING STRIP COLOR
Yellow might not stand out against “truffle” as it wears
Madison Square, MN Union Square, MN
Gray mats didn’t provide necessary contrast with color of surface
Red chosen – high contrast
8 nyc.gov/dot Coney Island, Brooklyn 3. DETECTABLE WARNING STRIP IN PEDESTRIAN RAMPS Bay St, Staten Island
Ensure there’s DWS on both sides of crosswalk
Remove existing DWS in pedestrian ramps leading to temporary sidewalk extensions Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn 9 nyc.gov/dot 4. GRANITE BLOCK AT CROSSWALK
Markings Concrete Layout
Install at edge of crosswalk to provide directional information
Madison Square, Manhattan
10 nyc.gov/dot 5. EDGE OBJECT SPACING
Delineators, granite blocks and planters
Provides information about where not to cross
3rd Ave and 138 St, The Bronx
3’ within 15’ of crosswalk
5’ remainder of edge Madison Square, Manhattan 11 nyc.gov/dot Considerations 3
nyc.gov/dot DETECTABLE WARNING STRIP MATERIAL
Union Square, MN
Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn User testing
Rubber mats epoxied & screwed to asphalt came loose quickly
Poured in place liquid DWS holds up & can be applied to all surfaces
13 nyc.gov/dot MAINTENANCE
Excessive delineators present purchasing and maintenance issues Brooklyn College
Delineators must be 11’ off curb for street sweeper/plow access if there isn’t a maintenance partner
3rd Ave and 138 St, The Bronx nyc.gov/dot CAPITAL BUILD OUT
After SIP
SIP projects go onto Capital pipeline list
5-10 year process, including funding prioritization, design and construction
After Capital
Allen-Pike Streets, Chinatown, MN
15 nyc.gov/dot New Treatments Under Investigation 4
nyc.gov/dot SHARED STREETS
Madison Square, Manhattan
Rigid plastic lozenge tiles
17 nyc.gov/dot AT-GRADE BIKE PATHS
Investigating material options
5310 grant application for dedicated research staff
East River Greenway, MN 18 nyc.gov/dot THANK YOU!
NYCDOT nyc_dot nyc_dot NYCDOT
nyc.gov/dot