However, restricting the pedestrian zone to 36 inches prevents passing and does not allow for 2-way travel. The 36 inch width is the minimum width required to provide sufficient space for a person who uses mobility aids to travel within the restricted space. The clear width is the width of section of the walkway that is completely free of obstacles, vertical obstructions and protruding objects. This clear width minimum is the minimum width for passage and not a sidewalk width recommendation. Updated and revised in 2004, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities state that walking surfaces should have a clear width minimum of 36 inches. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 mandates the establishment of minimum walkway clearance widths and there are variety of organizations that offer sidewalk width recommendations. Safe sidewalk surfaces are firm, stable, and slip-resistant. Pavers may also pose a problem to pedestrians in wheelchairs if the bricks settle or become lifted. Although brick pavers may appeal to some designers, they can require more maintenance and create a tripping condition. In more rural areas, a “side path” made of a material other than concrete may be suitable and be a better fit with a rural environment.Ĭoncrete is more expensive than asphalt to install, but it lasts longer and requires less maintenance, which may make it a better value in the long run. While urban, suburban and heavily used sidewalks are typically made of concrete, less expensive walkways may be constructed of asphalt, crushed stone, or other materials if they are properly maintained and accessible. Sidewalks can be surfaced with a variety of materials to accommodate varying budgets and contexts. While concrete is the most common sidewalk material, other construction materials may be acceptable, but may require more maintenance. A sidewalk on only one side forces pedestrians to either walk in the street or cross the street twice to get to the side with a sidewalk and back again. Where feasible, sidewalks should be provided on both sides of the street. Streets that do not have sidewalks, particularly those on routes where children walk or bicycle to school, should be identified and assessed to determine if retrofitting these streets with sidewalks is appropriate. Sidewalks should be part of all new and renovated development. According to a study by the UNC Highway Safety Research Center conducted for the Federal Highway Administration, the likelihood of a site with a paved sidewalk being a crash site is 88.2 percent lower than a site without a sidewalk after accounting for traffic volume and speed limits. A study of the California SRTS program has shown that providing sidewalks is one of the most effective engineering measures in encouraging children to walk to school. Many roads around schools are not equipped with sidewalks and can be unsafe for walking. Many parents are not willing to allow their children to walk to school if there is no place for them to walk.
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