Court Decision Forces Seattle to Improve Sidewalk Infrastructure

Ryan Packer reports that the city of Seattle settled a class action lawsuit in U.S. District court alleging that the city is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, "based on the current number of intersections that are lacking proper curb ramps and the fact that many intersections have curb cuts that are substandard."

"Under the settlement, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be required to build 1,250 curb ramps every single year, adding up to a commitment to install 22,500 over the next 18 years," reports Packer. That pace will double the city's total number of curb cuts by the year 2035.

The article digs much deeper into the subject of curb cuts, their costs, and the lack of political will to construct the important feature of complete streets infrastructure (shown to benefit broad cross sections of the public). The court decision will also impact the spending allotments made from the Move Seattle levy, as approved by voters in November 2015 and planned in the draft Pedestrian Master Plan released in March 2017.