Aurora council adopts Phase 1 ADA self-evaluation and transition plan for public right-of-way

The Aurora City Council on Sept. 8 unanimously approved Resolution 2025-103, adopting Phase 1 of the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) self-evaluation and transition plan. The phase addresses accessibility in the public right-of-way, including curb ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian signals.

Carlyn Shore, Aurora’s Title II ADA coordinator, presented the draft plan and summarized its purpose. “The ADA is a federal anti discrimination law, which mandates that state and local governments develop policies and procedures to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all of their programs, services, and activities,” Shore told the council. She said Phase 1 focuses on the public right-of-way and proposes policy and process changes to integrate ADA improvements into capital and street-maintenance programs.

Staff highlighted specific recommendations in the draft transition plan. One recommendation directs that when streets are resurfaced as part of Aurora’s annual maintenance program, adjacent noncompliant curb ramps be reconstructed, including adding detectable warning (dome) panels to ramps without warning surfaces. Another calls for development of an ADA layer in the city’s geospatial mapping system to track and prioritize ADA improvements across projects.

The city began the reevaluation process in 2022 and used surveys and focus groups to develop findings. Shore said the full draft plan is in the council meeting packet and that staff sought public comment during the hearing. No public speakers addressed the item and the council closed the hearing before voting.

The resolution passed unanimously.