Posted on 11/14/24
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Nov. 14, 2024 - A new settlement agreement in an American With Disabilities Act, ADA, lawsuit promises to significantly improve pedestrian conditions in the City of Baltimore.
This agreement, signed by the Mayor Brandon M. Scott administration, includes a $44 million investment will focus on improvements in sidewalks and curb ramps. The agreement also includes the creation of a Department of Transportation program dedicated exclusively to accessibility, which will manage this latest infrastructure investment.
As is the case in many historic East Coast cities, the challenge posed by our City’s sidewalks and curbs long predates the Americans with Disabilities Act and adequately changing our infrastructure poses a monumental task,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “However, under my Administration, we are committed to taking every action necessary to set the City on track to come into compliance with the ADA, and ensure Baltimore is more accessible to our disabled community than ever before. As with every deeply-entrenched problem, achieving this goal will not happen overnight, and it will ultimately cost far more than $44 million included in this settlement. But today, we join with all of our neighbors to announce the largest move in this City’s history to make our sidewalks accessible to everyone.”
The city will invest a total of $44 million in pedestrian infrastructure over the course of the next four years, $8 million for FY 25 and $12 million for each of FY26, 27, and 28.
The Scott administration will also appoint an ADA coordinator that will focus solely on maintaining pedestrian rights of way, implement a pedestrian inspection program, which will monitor accessibility on a 10-year basis, and institute a maintenance schedule to clear clutter and vegetation on an annual basis.
The administration also vowed to keep an active line of communication with Baltimore City residents on the importance of accessibility and pedestrian rights of way.
The parties involved in the agreement will renegotiate the terms and discuss further investment in four years.
The settlement is waiting on approval by the City's Board of Estimates, who will consider the agreement on Nov. 20.