The Problem:

What are the standards and guidelines needed to create an
ADA compliant Temporary Pedestrian Access Routes (TPAR)?

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First let’s identify the need: people with disabilities need a safe option

If pedestrians are permitted to access or pass the work zone, cities and municipalities must realize that young, elderly, and persons with disabilities (such as mobility, visual, or hearing impaired) will be part of this group…and all of these people need and deserve a clear and safe walkway to travel through.

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What a person with a disability experiences

A person with a disability, (deaf, blind, deaf-blind, people with a cane, people in a wheelchair and monopolized carts) who currently approaches a blocked or closed sidewalk are confronted with a bunch of different problems when trying to walk around a temporary work zone.

People who are blind or deaf-blind and are walking by themselves or accompanied by a service animal usually follow the same routes. But what happens when the route is temporarily altered, closed or changed? The disabled person must make sure:

• That there is a safe way to proceed
• If they should go back to find another way around
• That their service dog can maneuver the changes
• If a cane will provide them with a safe way to continue
• If they should attempt to go on the other side of the street
• If the walkway a is one-way or aa two-way detour
• If there is someone nearby to help them

A person who uses a wheelchair or motorized cart must figure out if there is enough space in the detour to drive their cart or chair through. Also, some of these people in wheelchairs have a service animal, which further complicates the situation.

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Remember that pedestrian accessibility must
be provided during construction for all people of all
ages, including those with different types of disabilities.

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The problem for contractors

State and federal regulations now require all temporary pedestrian routes to be accessible to people of the disabled community. Managing and following the existing specifications and guidelines can be challenging when setting up an ADA compliant temporary pedestrian access route because the sidewalk is closed or blocked due to construction.

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Cities, Municipalities and the contractors need to better understand
and manage/engineer safe temporary pedestrian access routes
as they relate to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines.

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Creating a solution

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Manufacturers like Safety Signs, and TPAR.com are diligently working together to provide uniform standards, which are reasonable and consistent for setting up a TPAR compliant work zone. For details on that solution, click here.