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Yarmouth disability commission urges MassDOT to keep 1341 Route 28 accessible, explores portable'lift option
Summary
The Yarmouth Commission on Disability warned that a MassDOT Route 28 widening could eliminate an accessible entrance at 1341 Route 28 and asked MassDOT to provide alternative accommodation options. The commission will research a private "flex step" lift (101 Mobility) and monitor a Feb. 24 MassDOT meeting.
The Yarmouth Commission on Disability pressed MassDOT to provide alternative accessibility measures after town staff described plans for a Route 28 widening that would raise the roadway and alter door thresholds at 1341 Route 28, potentially eliminating an accessible entrance.
"It is not the position of Yarmouth Commission on Disability to support creating a situation which prevents accessibility to a business and our community," Chair Gail Sharet said, summarizing the commission's concern and requesting that MassDOT consider portable ramps, handrails or other accommodations if the project proceeds.
Commission members reported they learned the roadway elevation at the site would be raised three inches and that two doorway thresholds at the northeast corner of 1341 Route 28 were proposed to be lowered by seven inches, which could result in a new step at an entry that is currently accessible. The commission said a change of that sort can remove an accessible entrance unless alternative approaches are provided.
As a practical follow-up, Sharet said she had contacted a vendor, identified in the meeting as 101 Mobility, to ask whether a commercial "flex step" lift could preserve customer access during or after construction. "The equipment is called flex step and lift and in a single solution converts to a platform for persons in wheelchairs or cannot climb stairs with a push of a button," a commission member explained while showing members a photo of the device.
Commissioners agreed to gather additional technical information, to share it with MassDOT as part of the commission's formal comment, and to encourage members to attend a MassDOT meeting about the Route 28 variance scheduled for Feb. 24 (meeting to be held on Zoom). The commission also said it would consult John Mitchell and other members with architectural expertise before finalizing recommendations.
The commission did not vote on an official position beyond requesting MassDOT provide "alternative methods of accessibility," but members described the outreach and research steps as the next actions.
What happens next: Commission staff will solicit technical details from 101 Mobility and circulate findings to members; the commission intends to submit comments to MassDOT and attend the Feb. 24 public meeting.
