FHWA launches website with State DOT ADA Transition Plans and Inventories
Image credit: FHWA
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in partnership with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), has launched a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan and Inventory interactive website and accompanying background and tutorial to help State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), including planners and policymakers, understand and prioritize the elimination of inaccessible infrastructure when making transportation investments.
FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt announced the development of this new resource in a Dear Colleague Letter to State DOTs in July 2023 celebrating the 33rd anniversary of the ADA.
ADA Transition Plans are an agency’s commitment to removing barriers and making their programs, services, and facilities accessible to all users. They help agencies plan and budget over time and allow members of the public, including individuals with disabilities, to provide input on areas of need, anticipate when facilities will be improved, and track the improvements.
FHWA’s new interactive website and accompanying background and tutorial improve the public’s access to and use of data that State DOTs publish on their progress and plans to improve accessibility in public-rights-of-way and transportation facilities. Users can easily find the ADA Transition Plan for each State DOT, when it was last updated, and the associated inventory of barriers, if available.
Public-rights-of-way include sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, parking, and transit stops while transportation facilities include public buildings, rest stops, and transit stations.
This work helps to advance USDOT’s Disability Policy Priorities, including actions to enable multimodal accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Source: USDOT
