City Council meeting 8/18/09 Public Comments

Hi,

I was listening to your Council Meeting this evening and heard about presenters during the "Public Comment Period" of your agenda that was interesting.
First, I thought it interesting regarding the 14th and Broadway crossing and the signals. As I understand it, this intersection was pointed out as one of concern regarding "Safety" from a study I partially participated in last year.

It was explained to me by a Caltrans Engineer that the signal for crossing the street was set appropriately for pedestrian crossing. When I explained to the engineer that the caution lights flashed prior to me crossing, it was explained that was the way it was supposed to work. This just meant if you were in the crosswalk you needed to get across. It was also explained that it was not right to begin crossing when the caution lights flash.

As an individual using a manual wheelchair, this intersection is one of the most difficult to cross. The crown is steep, three of the curb-cuts are very narrow and the fourth is set back from the road creating further distance to travel. This does not consider the water that sits at the curb-cuts during rain and the roughness of the route that chairs must take, let alone an older individual that is not exactly quick crossing Broadway.

But, I also realize you know this and I have the understanding that Caltrans plans to address this as further development of Broadway is being planned and changed.

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The other item that caught my attention was the group from Tri-County Independent Living. This group was just recently formed and has some interesting views. I pretty much agree with most of the thoughts regarding access to various businesses and City facilities that are not accessible (I also understand much can not be done without funding.). But what disturbs me the most are instances such as I presented to the City's Planning Commission a couple of weeks ago (below):

"I realize you may not have anything to do with the new houses built at the very end of 7th Street, particularly the house at 1653 7th Street with a Disabled Parking Space in front of it.

Remembering I am in a wheelchair and when I went past the newly finished homes I noticed the Disabled Parking Space in front of a two story family unit.

I understand that the inside design of these newly finished units are very nice. They have three bedrooms, a master bathroom and a smaller bathroom upstairs, while downstairs there is a small water closet with a toilet, a kitchen, dining and living rooms. Of course, a staircase to get to the second floor is included. (This description comes from a neighbor of the new units.)

I was wondering how an individual confined to a wheelchair would get upstairs. Did they build a ramp? Provide a heavy duty lift? Or did they provide an elevator?

And again, I could be very wrong about the design and layout of the unit built.

I also ask, is the Disabled Parking Space for guests? Or it could be this unit is designed for only ambulatory individuals with disabilities? Of course, this could not be true, because it would be definitely discrimination, yes?

I hope you are smiling and take this with the humor I found in the concern I have for the newly finished units. I know that this could bite the City if you had an individual with a disability wishing to live there because they saw that parking space and discovered it was not designed for a wheelchair.

I also noticed that there is a gate and path from the upper units that provides pedestrian access to 6th Street. The gate and path are not accessible to wheelchairs or many seniors. The gate's handle is too high and the path is made of large cement pads with big gaps in between them sunk in redwood compost, I believe.

Remembering when I first met the planner working on the General Plan, I shared with them how folks built things that supposedly are usable by individuals with disabilities, but in truth were not functional for every day living. This housing project is an example of this. If it is funded with public funds, they should look for advice from individuals like myself or other groups representing people with disabilities. This, I believe could be included in the housing element of the City's General Plan, "Get advice from the user or their community representative."

I admit, I could be wrong in my assumption of the design of the unit I mentioned, but I am very sure of the access provided at the gate.

To correct these kinds of situations from happening, I hope the City looks for more advice from the community of individuals with disabilities. What I described above, I hope is a misunderstanding, but if it isn't, if planners and builders looked for advice from users of accessible needs, much can be saved in the future, yes?