News
City Updating Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan for Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act
ARCHIVED PRESS RELEASE: Published 2-26-2010
The City of Tulsa has initiated an update of its Americans with
Disabilities Act Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. This one-year
process includes a citywide inventory of public facilities,
programs and services to evaluate where modifications are needed
for ADA compliance. The City also will implement changes to remove
accessibility barriers identified through the evaluation.
The City of Tulsa completed its original ADA Self-Evaluation and
Transition Plan in 1992. Since then, the city has experienced
significant changes in population, physical size, streets,
sidewalks and curb cuts, as well as added city facilities and
programs. Under the leadership of Dr. Lana Turner-Addison, Director
of the City Human Rights Department, City staff has been working to
update the Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. In the Public Works
Department, Brent Stout of Engineering Services serves as project
manager, working with consultants Kimley-Horn & Associates and
Accessology, Inc.
"Through a partnership between the Human Rights Department and
the Public Works Department, we will successfully complete this
comprehensive process to improve the city of Tulsa through
increased accessibility," said Michael Smith, Compliance
Investigations Administrator for the Human Rights Department.
The City also has formed both a steering committee and advisory
committee to help guide this project to completion and
implementation. Committee members include professionals, concerned
citizen groups and disabled consumers who require access throughout
the City to maintain their independence.
A major part of ADA compliance involves sidewalks. The City of
Tulsa devotes a portion of every capital improvement funding
measure - general obligation bond issues and the third penny sales
tax - to sidewalk specific work. This includes repairs to eliminate
tripping hazards, adjustments made for ADA compliance, and
additions made for continuity of travel.
Whenever the City of Tulsa constructs or repairs a sidewalk, it
is brought into ADA compliance. Arterial street rehabilitation and
widening projects both include sidewalks and curb ramps. Every
arterial street widening project includes construction of ADA
compliant sidewalks on both sides. The City coordinates with
residents to include sidewalks with non-arterial street
rehabilitation near parks, schools and public areas.
The City maintains an inventory of citizen concerns regarding
existing and proposed sidewalks and curb ramp locations. The
locations are addressed by priority as funding allows.
The 2005 Bond Issue provided $600,000 for citywide sidewalk
work, most all of which has been spent. The 2006 Third Penny Sales
Tax included $500,000 for sidewalks on arterial streets and
$750,000 for sidewalks on non-arterial streets. The funds are made
available each July for five years. Two more annual distributions
remain in both July 2010 and July 2011: $100,000 for arterial
sidewalks and $150,000 for non-arterial sidewalks.
The 2008 Bond Issue for streets includes $400,000 for sidewalks
on arterial streets and $300,000 for sidewalks on non-arterial
streets. The 2008 Third Penny Sales Tax extension includes $1.6
million for sidewalks on arterial streets and $700,000 for
sidewalks on non-arterial streets.
More than $26 million of sidewalk projects have been identified
citywide. Also, starting this summer, the City will begin an
assessment of all sidewalks for 1,300 lane miles of arterial
streets and their intersections both with each other and with side
streets.
The City of Tulsa also has applied through INCOG for $23.8
million of transportation projects funded through the federal Jobs
for Main Street. Of that amount, $3.1 million would be for
sidewalks only. The arterial street rehabilitation projects in the
application also include sidewalk work.
