Friday, December 08, 2006

ADA improvements, but who can use it?

I got a note today saying the due to a tenant improvement project, the City of Sunnyvale was required ADA city ode related modifications for access to the front of the building. Due to this work some parking lot spaces at the front of the building will be shut down.

So now access to the front of the building will be improved. However, getting to the building is still a problem. There are no sidewalks in front of the building. There are sidewalks across the street - but no crosswalks or even pedestrian ramps to cross the street.

However, the city has been unwilling to require sidewalks. The rather week sidewalk ordinance has plenty of exceptions (see http://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/199912/rtcs/99-512.asp)
A berm or a tree in the way, or is a justifiable excuse. And sidewalk requirements don't even come in to the picture for remodels.

How hard would it be to put a sidewalk in place? Most buildings that have a 'berm' or trees by the street have a parking lot right behind the trees or berm. A few parkings spaces can be removed, and some travel patterns changed to create a sidewalk. But, alas, the minimum parking requirement always trumps the sidewalk requirement.