The issue of the curb cut for the Handicap parking spots has been raised again and again by the community. After the Open Streets night on June 24th, it was raised once again.
Once the Harrow Streetscape was finished, the first step was to get the handicap parking spot BACK… but there is still no curb cut!
A snippet from the following morning email regarding the lack of curb cut.
“I don’t have any clue if this has been brought to your attention or it has been looked into but I believe this is really appalling that if someone has an accessibility issue they would have to travel upwards of 140’ in the lane of traffic to reach a way to access the sidewalk. I really don’t understand how this would not have been altered during the Streetscape Construction.”
“Curb access requirements are according to AODA 4foot wide plus flaring which would in my mind equal out to a 6foot to be a sidewalk access. At really not a substantial cost with removal of existing material adding granular, rebar/mesh and meter of concrete, I would hope to have less then $5000 invested included man power. Not a huge impact on budget.” Shared with permission from the author.
The wait continues on something so important. I also asked if I could accompany the town and the contractors on the final walk through and I was not even told of the date.
Overall the Harrow Streetscape looks beautiful with a few deficiencies that still need addressing and this is definitely one. I hope that this becomes a priority for administration as accessibility in our brand new streetscape is a high priority to me and it should be equally important to our council. The lack of a curb cut is not only an inconvenience to those requiring its use but also places them in a potentially dangerous situation on the roadway. As I find out more, I will let you know.
