Nantucket Accessibility Survey

LilyAnne Lewis, Connor McGuirk, Paige Tencati

Liason: Mike Burns

Problem

Federal and State Laws• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)• Massachusetts Architectural Access Board

Accessibility vs. Historical Character

Nantucket’s sidewalks and bus stops are not accessible

Goal

Provide recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office

for the improvement of accessibility while preserving historic

and aesthetic character.

Main Objectives

● Review the current standards and best practices

● Conduct an inventory and assessment of sidewalk and crosswalks

● Conduct an inventory and assessment of the bus stops

● Gauge the opinions of key stakeholders and decision makers

● Evaluate design options and make recommendations for improvements

Sidewalk Study Area

(Town of Nantucket GIS Coordinator, 2014)

Bus Stop Study Area

(Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission, 2015)

Sidewalk Findings

ADA• Minimum Width of 36”

• 91%• Maximum cross slope of 2%

• 21%• Maximum running slope of 5%

• 71%• Passing Zone of 5’ X 5’ every 200’

• 72%• Minimum of 32” of passing room around every obstruction

• 88%

101 Sidewalk Sections

(City of North Miami Beach, FL, 2015)

Sidewalk Ratings

Average Rating2.21

41

Sidewalk Rating Map

Crosswalk and Curb Ramp Findings

ADA• Curb ramp maximum slope of 8.33%

• 56%• Curb ramp minimum width of 36”

• 99%• Crosswalk minimum width of 72”

• 48%

(Architectural Access Board: 521CMR, 2006)

37 Intersections:Required: 125 Crosswalks and 250 Curb RampsFound: 67 Crosswalks and 167 Curb Ramps

Detectable Warning Panels?

Detectable Warning Panel Survey

Wheelchair Experiment

Bus Stop Findings

ADA• Boarding area minimum size of 60” X 96”

• 57%• Slope of boarding area must be equal to that of the adjacent road

• 65%• Must be connected by accessible routes

• 58% • Each stop must be marked

• 97%

United States Department of Justice, 2015

144 Bus Stops

(NRTA, 2015)

Bus Stop Ratings

1

5Average Rating2.67

Conclusion

• Majority of sidewalks and bus stops are in reasonable condition

• Many still do not meet ADA compliance

(United States Department of Justice, 2015)(Nation of Change, 2015)

Short Term

• NPO and NRTA develop guides regarding current accessible buildings and routes

• Update the Nantucket Island Guide

Long Term

• Develop design, construction, and maintenance guidelines.

• Create a strategic plan to lay out priorities, a budget, and milestones for adding/upgrading sidewalks and bus stops.

Summary

• Many sidewalks and bus stops of Nantucket fail to meet state and federal accessibility guidelines.

• Provide recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office to improve the accessibility of the sidewalks and bus stops while still preserving its aesthetic character.

• No set guidelines for the design and construction of sidewalks.