Transportation Commission recommends updated ADA transition plan to Common Council

The Madison Transportation Commission on Oct. 8 voted to recommend approval to the Common Council of an updated ADA transition plan that includes a detailed public right-of-way (PROW) schedule, commitments to comply with the 2024 PROWAG standards for new and altered work, and follow-up reviews prompted by public comment.

The plan, presented by Rebecca Hoyt, the city’s disability rights and services specialist and designated ADA coordinator, sets priorities and timelines for removing access barriers citywide and identifies a multi-decade schedule for facilities and curb-ramp work. Hoyt said the update responds to changes in compliance requirements and city growth since the original plan in the 1990s and was developed with input from Access to Independence and other community stakeholders.

Why it matters: The plan directs how the city will bring sidewalks, bus stops, intersections and city-owned public facilities into compliance with current federal accessibility standards and establishes a measurable program and timeline for improvements that affect people with disabilities’ day-to-day mobility.

Commission staff told members the public right-of-way section aligns with the 2024 Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) and applies to any new or altered elements installed or repaired after the rules take effect. Hoyt highlighted several near-term items: accessibility fixes at 10 bus stops lacking compliant bus pads (scheduled by November), data collection on roughly 206 pedestrian-network sites lacking curb ramps (verification by December 2027), and an addendum process for sites requiring more detailed engineering evaluation.

Commissioners and staff discussed priorities and implementation. Commissioners asked about timelines for bringing city-owned facilities into full compliance; Hoyt said the city completed a facility-by-facility inventory and set far-out target dates for remediation of all identified barriers because the work requires substantial resources and phased investments. Commissioners praised incorporation of construction-zone accessibility and winter (snow/ice) access as additional action items in the plan.

Public and stakeholder feedback informed revisions. Hoyt said public comments favored fixing missing curb ramps, adopting perpendicular curb-ramp layouts where feasible, reviewing standard drawings for contracted sidewalk work to ensure PROWAG compliance, and prioritizing resident requests for accessible pedestrian signals (APS). Staff said APS upgrades are installed when signal heads are replaced or when new construction occurs, but added that predicting year-to-year APS replacement needs is difficult because some signals require only simple upgrades while others require extensive work below pavement.

Action and outcome: Alder Bill Bremer moved and Alder Denise Jess seconded a motion to recommend approval of the ADA transition plan to the Common Council. The chair called for objections and, finding none, declared the motion carried unanimously by unanimous consent. The Commission’s recommendation is advisory to the Common Council, which referred the plan to the Commission on Sept. 16.

Commission directions and next steps: Commissioners asked staff to continue annual PROWAG updates to the Commission and to incorporate construction detour practices, winter maintenance outreach, and a review of APS technologies that may better serve people who are deaf-blind. Hoyt and staff said they will verify the 206 curb-ramp candidate sites and determine the appropriate funding program for remediation by December 2027, and will add completed analyses as addenda to the transition plan.

The Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Common Council for final action.