68-18 Approving Update to ADA Transition Plan of 2013 and Title VI Plan: Non Discrimination in City Services, Programs & Activities under the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Home Browse Search

CITY OF SOUTH BEND UPDATE TO AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT(ADA)TRANSITION PLAN OF 2013 AND PLAN FOR NON-DISCRIMINATION UNDER TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, INCLUDING A LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PLAN INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW The Original ADA Transition Plan On January 28,2013,the South Bend Common Council approved South Bend's"Transition Plan: Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right of Way." This Transition Plan was preceded by an inventory and self-evaluation of all City street intersections to learn if pedestrian sidewalks, curbs, and curb ramps within the City are accessible to persons with disabilities as prescribed by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1963, and other laws. That preliminary inventory and self-evaluation was updated in 2015 by a more comprehensive inspection of City sidewalks, curbs, and curb ramps. Barriers to accessibility were identified and the City's intersections were categorized by points and by letter grade of A through E, with A being the most accessible and E being the least accessible. Each intersection was also identified by numbers 1, 2 or 3 signifying location priority as follows: 1. Intersections serving government facilities, 2. Intersections serving commercial and employment centers; and 3. Intersections serving other areas. Using the above priority indicators, the Transition Plan of 2013, included a Schedule for improvements to South Bend intersections and a pledge that for any intersection improvement project or new construction project the City will rebuild all affected curb ramps, sidewalks, and crosswalks to ADA design guidelines, wherever feasible and reasonable. (Transition Plan 2013, page 5). Since 2013, substantial improvement to the City's main arteries has occurred. Western Avenue and Lincolnway West, two major western corridors through South Bend,the downtown South Bend area, and the East Bank area of South Bend have all enjoyed major streetscape Page 13