Nantucket Accessibility Survey LilyAnne Lewis, Connor McGuirk, Paige Tencati Liason: Mike Burns

Problem Federal and State Laws Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Massachusetts Architectural Access Board Accessibility vs. Historical Character Nantucket’s sidewalks and bus stops are not accessible

Main Objectives ● Review the current standards and best practices ● Conduct an inventory and assessment of sidewalk and crosswalks ● Conduct an inventory and assessment of the bus stops ● Gauge the opinions of key stakeholders and decision makers ● Evaluate design options and make recommendations for improvements

Sidewalk Study Area (Town of Nantucket GIS Coordinator, 2014)

Bus Stop Study Area (Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission, 2015)

Sidewalk Findings ADA Minimum Width of 36” 91% Maximum cross slope of 2% 21% Maximum running slope of 5% 71% Passing Zone of 5’ X 5’ every 200’ 72% Minimum of 32” of passing room around every obstruction 88% 101 Sidewalk Sections (City of North Miami Beach, FL, 2015)

Sidewalk Ratings Average Rating

Sidewalk Rating Map

Crosswalk and Curb Ramp Findings ADA Curb ramp maximum slope of 8.33% 56% Curb ramp minimum width of 36” 99% Crosswalk minimum width of 72” 48% (Architectural Access Board: 521CMR, 2006) 37 Intersections: Required: 125 Crosswalks and 250 Curb Ramps Found: 67 Crosswalks and 167 Curb Ramps Detectable Warning Panels?

Detectable Warning Panel Survey

Wheelchair Experiment

Bus Stop Findings ADA Boarding area minimum size of 60” X 96” 57% Slope of boarding area must be equal to that of the adjacent road 65% Must be connected by accessible routes 58% Each stop must be marked 97% United States Department of Justice, Bus Stops (NRTA, 2015)

Bus Stop Ratings 1 5 Average Rating 2.67

Conclusion Majority of sidewalks and bus stops are in reasonable condition Many still do not meet ADA compliance (United States Department of Justice, 2015) (Nation of Change, 2015)

Short Term NPO and NRTA develop guides regarding current accessible buildings and routes Update the Nantucket Island Guide

Long Term Develop design, construction, and maintenance guidelines. Create a strategic plan to lay out priorities, a budget, and milestones for adding/upgrading sidewalks and bus stops.

Summary Many sidewalks and bus stops of Nantucket fail to meet state and federal accessibility guidelines. Provide recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office to improve the accessibility of the sidewalks and bus stops while still preserving its aesthetic character. No set guidelines for the design and construction of sidewalks.