From The Port

Zip Code Compliance!

Curb Ramp Bulb at Linnean and Raymond shows excellent design and execution. This configuration allows folks to come up onto the sidewalk, straight on, and without running into the fence. No parking is lost, as the bulb is not much wider than the cross walk. The bulb also serves as passive traffic calming. High quality concrete used here is smooth and attractive. The cross walks are clearly marked, and line up with the sidewalks.

Below, at Green and Hancock, Curb Ramps were repaired, but without the "bulb" design. You can see that when you come up the ramp, you
would run into the fence, as there is not enough room to turn easily. This corner has multiple code violations, such as slope and cross slope too steep, and no landing, or level landing. There is a huge "hump" between the two curb ramps, and the quality of the concrete is rough, and uneven, with a grey cast. Although this is a heavily traveled intersection, by both cars and pedestrians, no traffic calming is present. Another safety concern, is having the offset crosswalk/curb cut up the street from the intersection, on the street with a stop sign. A problem occurs when the car stops on the stop line, as the driver is too far up the street to see traffic coming along Green St. This results in the car making a rolling stop, across the cross walk, so he can see oncoming traffic, and blocks pedestrians trying to cross. Unlike the intersection at Linnean and Raymond St, the crosswalk that is marked does not have the cross hatch lines, and there is a missing crosswalk at the other curb cut. The cross walk does not line up with the sidewalk.

Curb Ramps and sidewalks are services that the City provides. Here is a question...does the City have a common standard for Curb Ramp design? Or does the standard change based on Zip Code?

posted by Kathy Podgers @ Sunday, April 02, 2006