June 2018
In This Issue
People with disabilities sue Atlanta for ADA violations
Job opening: Community Engagement Coordinator
Regional Safety Action Plan
City of Atlanta faces class-action lawsuit for ADA violations
In May wheelchair users sued the City of Atlanta for its systemic failure to maintain sidewalks that are equally accessible to people with disabilities. 

The city's violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act are flagrant, and the lawsuit has been a long time coming.

PEDS is not a plaintiff. Yet we're grateful to those with disabilities whose passion and grit will move Atlanta toward a future  where sidewalks and curb ramps receive  some long-overdue attention.  

The likely outcomes will benefit  everyone, not only people 
with disabilities.
Wheelchair user navigating broken sidewalk
For James Curtis and other plaintiffs, broken sidewalks make traveling difficult and dangerous.

The lawsuit doesn't seek compensation for plaintiffs. Instead, it aims to force Atlanta to modify its practices, install curb ramps and fix broken sidewalks.  That's the kind of concrete action steps we need.

The lawsuit also seeks to compel Atlanta to comply with ADA requirements for safe pedestrian access in construction zones.

Increasingly, courts have become the primary venue for forcing cities to make sidewalks accessible to all users
  • Los Angeles settled an ADA class-action lawsuit in 2015 by agreeing to invest $1.4 billion over 30 years to build curb ramps and fix dilapidated sidewalks. 
  • A decade earlier, Sacramento settled an ADA lawsuit by assigning 20 percent of all transportation spending to improving sidewalks, crosswalks and curb ramps for the next 30 years
  • During 2017 and 2018, Portland and Seattle reached settlements for $113 million and $194 million respectively.
  • New York City currently faces a similar lawsuit.
Broken sidewalk
The backlog of broken sidewalks and missing curb ramps  in Atlant a is enormous. Fixing it will be expensive.  The Department of Public Works estimates the cost at over $1 billion .

A settlement may take years of negotiation. Yet we're optimistic the outcome will resolve what might otherwise remain an intractable problem.
Job opening: Community Engagement Coordinator
PEDS seeks a Community Engagement Coordinator, who will build relationships with communities in the Atlanta region that increase the capacity, diversity, and effectiveness of
grassroots advocacy on issues surrounding walkability. The Coordinator will also help plan 
Job Opportunity
and implement training workshops and community events.

If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please read the description of qualifications and responsibilities At least one year of experience in community or volunteer engagement or grassroots activism is required.

Please spread the word.  This is a great opportunity to help grow the movement and make our communities great places to walk.
ARC completes outstanding regional safety action plan
Safe Streets for Walking & Bicycling, the Atlanta Regional Commission's new regional ARC safety action plan - cover photo safety action plan, aims to reduce pedestrian and bicycle fatalities in the region to zero by 2030.  Getting to zero will be difficult - but the aggressive target confirms that ARC is serious about saving lives.

Sally Flocks and Kemberli Sargent both served on the technical advisory committee and are thrilled with quality of the plan.

The plan recognizes the importance of road design and the need for systemic improvements. Rather than chase "hot spots" - specific locations where crashes occurred previously, ARC will focus on "systemic" changes. These include installing lighting, changing signal timing to give pedestrians a head start over people driving cars, and installing median refuge islands.

ARC will also prioritize projects that include effective safety improvements when it selects which projects to fund. The plan also recognizes equity issues and calls on ARC planners to provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions.

Bravo!
Please update your address book: We moved!
Talk about convenience! Our office is now in Harris Tower, just above the Peachtree Center MARTA station and next door to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

PEDS
233 Peachtree Street NE
Harris Tower, Suite 1220
Atlanta, GA 30303

Walkscore.com calls this a Walker's Paradise. What more could we ask for?

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Link to donate page

Make our streets and communities great places to walk!