U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Indiana Division
Over the past few years, the Federal Highway Administration-Indiana Division has concentrated on helping agencies develop their Americans with Disabilities (ADA) programs and services. The links provided offer our customers the resources useful to achieve ADA compliance. Links include:
Transition Plans:
A survey conducted in 2008 revealed that only 9 local public agencies (LPAs) in Indiana had ADA - Transition Plans. Today, nearly 300 communities report having completed their plans.
Through offering many training sessions across Indiana, the Division sought to provide some tools to make the potentially difficult task of developing transition plans easier. Through the help of the state's metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) over 20 training sessions have been held with over 400 people representing 200 local governments. INDOT currently requires sub-recipients to demonstrate that they have a transition plan prior to funding requests.
The transformation within Indiana has been impressive, however, we are still far from full compliance. There are still many local governments that need to fulfill their requirements for ADA transition planning within Indiana. Therefore the Indiana Division has posted resources we feel to be useful in guiding local governments through the development of transition plans.
Design and Construction:
The Public Rights of Way Accessibility Guideline (PROWAG) is recognized as the best practice for the design of ADA compliant pedestrian facilities. As such, the Division is working with the INDOT to fully adopt these guidelines as standards. The 2011 PROWAG builds upon and supplements the 2005 PROWAG. Utilization of the PROWAG requires a review of both the 2005 and 2011 editions. Additional design guidance is found in the Indiana Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (IMUTCD). Indiana Design Manual (IDM) – Chapter 51, and INDOT Standard Drawings E 604 series.
INDOT has also updated its guidance to field construction staff to better ensure that construction projects yield compliant results. Temporary Pedestrian Work Zone guidance is also being updated toward ensuring that people with disabilities can safely navigate around and through work sites.
We sincerely hope the materials are useful, and that those who use them find the many rewards associated with providing access to people with disabilities.
Pedestrian Accessible Route (PAR) and E-Scooters:
The Indiana Division has recently engaged with stakeholders with interest in the growing trend of deploying Electric-Scooters into the urban and college environments across the State. Initial discussions with cities, people with disabilities, and the e-scooter companies have been promising. There is a shared recognition that improvements must be made. A menu of solutions is emerging, with some hope that the state of practice will improve, as currently there are parked e-scooters that impinge on the PAR.
Should you have any questions regarding transition plans or legislation, you may call Mr. Kenneth Woodruff, Civil Rights Program Manager at (317) 226-0542 or email him at Kenneth.Woodruff@dot.gov. He will be pleased to discuss your questions and the materials with you.
Links:
