Nantucket Accessibility Survey

Sponsor: Nantucket Planning Office NPO Pic
Sponsor  Liaison: Mike Burns
Student Team: LilyAnne Lewis, Connor McGuirk, Paige Tencati
Abstract: The goal of our project was to provide recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office (NPO) on ways to improve the accessibility of the sidewalks in Downtown Nantucket and the bus stops along four main bus routes, while preserving its historic character.  We surveyed the sidewalks, crosswalks, and curb ramps in Downtown Nantucket as well as the bus stops and added our collected data into GIS.  We recommend that the NPO and Nantucket Regional Transit Authority (NRTA) create guidelines for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of future bus stops and sidewalks.  We also recommend that a map or list is created of the best accessible routes in and around Downtown Nantucket and the four main bus routes.
Link:

NPO Final Report

Final Presentation

Executive Summary

In every US community, accessibility has been a major focus since the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The ADA put a major emphasis on improving the accessibility of public passageways such as sidewalks and bus stops. To provide accessibility, many communities have been required to allocate time, effort, and money into constructing features to comply with ADA standards. This poses many problems especially in historic communities due to the cost of preserving and accommodating historical features. One community that struggles to comply with these standards is Nantucket, MA.

The overall goal of this project was to provide recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office (NPO) on ways to improve the accessibility of the sidewalks and bus stops of Nantucket while still preserving its historic and aesthetic character. To accomplish this goal we established five project objectives:

  • Objective 1: A review of the current and best standards in the design of sidewalks and bus stops in historic areas.
  • Objective 2: An inventory and assessment of the sidewalks of the Core Parking District of the Old Historic District of Nantucket.
  • Objective 3: An inventory and assessment of the bus stops along the Madaket, Miacomet, Mid Island, and Sconset (via Old South) bus routes.
  • Objective 4: Interviews to gauge the opinions of key stakeholders and decisions makers about the current conditions and future plans of the sidewalks.
  • Objective 5: An Evaluation of design options to make recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office.

To accomplish the project goal, we began by researching other historic communities that have updated the accessibility of their sidewalks and bus stops to meet current federal and state standards.  We then created checklists for assessing the sidewalks and bus stops by creating, pretesting, and implementing a survey and protocols to gather consistent data.  We also attempted to traverse our study area using a wheelchair.

We conducted one-on-one interviews with selected stakeholders and attended pertinent committee meetings to collect opinions on the current accessibility of the sidewalks and bus stops.  We also asked for opinions on design recommendations for future construction.  We then uploaded all of our findings into a database compatible with the GIS software used by the Town of Nantucket.  Based on our findings, we developed short and long term recommendations to the Nantucket Planning Office for future construction in the Old Historic District and along the bus routes.

 

Sidewalk and Crosswalk Findings:

After analyzing 101 sections of sidewalk and 37 intersections, our results showed that most sidewalks and crosswalks do not comply with ADA regulations.  During our investigation, we rated each section of the surveyed sidewalks on a scale of 1 – 5, where a rating of 1 describes a section that is in very good condition and compliant with ADA standards, a rating of 4 describes a section that is in poor condition and in need of improvement to meet ADA regulations; a rating of 5 refers to a section that does not contain a sidewalk.

We found that 74% of the sidewalks sections surveyed in our study area were either in very good (‘1’) or good (‘2’) condition, while 11% were either in poor (‘4’) or very poor (‘5’) condition.  The average rating of all sidewalk sections was 2.21.  In our wheelchair investigation we found that it is easy to travel on a sidewalk with a rating of 1.  However, any sidewalk with a rating of 2 or higher would require outside assistance to traverse.

One ADA required feature, which is absent from every curb ramp in our study area, is a detectable warning panel, such as the typical truncated dome pad seen in many other urban areas. The color and texture of these panels contrasts with the sidewalk and is used to signal the beginning or end of an intersection to those who are visually impaired. Using a set of photographs, we solicited the opinions of key stakeholders regarding the appropriateness of different panel designs for downtown Nantucket.

 

Bus Stop Findings:

We found that the majority of bus stops (123/144 or 85.4%) lack crucial requirements for accessibility required by the ADA. We rated these bus stops on a scale of 1 – 5.  The best rating of 1 meant that the bus stop contained a blue marker, an ADA approved boarding area, and is accessible from a sidewalk of pedestrian passageway.  The worst rating of 5 describes a bus stop that is not accessible, contains no boarding area, and is neither accessible by sidewalks nor features a pedestrian passageway.   We found that 52 (or 36.1%) of the bus stops in the study area were in very good (‘1’) or good condition (‘2’) while 34 (or 23.6%) of the bus stops in the study area were in poor (‘4’) or very poor (‘5’) condition. The average rating of all the bus stops was 2.76.

 

Conclusion 1: Maintenance of Sidewalks and Crosswalks

The majority of the sidewalks in the Core Parking District are in reasonable condition, but many still require substantial improvement to bring them into compliance with ADA and Massachusetts standards.  Many crosswalks and curbs are missing, and many do not meet ADA guidelines, making it difficult for the disabled and mobility impaired to navigate safely.  According to ADA guidelines, there must be an accessible path to all main buildings in any location, even historic communities.  However, bringing them up to standard will be difficult given the cost and need to maintain aesthetic and historic character.

Recommendation 1.1:  We recommend that the NPO develop a strategic plan for the Old Historic District that lays out priorities, a budget, and milestones for upgrading existing sidewalks, crosswalks, and curb ramps to meet ADA regulations each year.

Recommendation 1.2:  We recommend that the NPO develop a similar strategic plan for the Old Historic District that lays out priorities, a budget, and milestones for adding new sidewalks, crosswalks, and curb ramps to meet ADA regulations each year.

Recommendation 1.3: We recommend that the NPO, the Historic District Commission (HDC), and the Commission on Disability (COD) develop design, construction, and maintenance guidelines for handicap infrastructure in the Old Historic District and elsewhere on the island, including crosswalks and curb ramps, to maintain aesthetic character.

Recommendation 1.4: As a short term solution, we recommend that the NPO develop materials/guidebooks regarding the current accessible buildings, features, and routes, and update the Nantucket Island Guide.

Conclusion 2: Maintenance of Bus Stops

The majority of the bus stops along the Madaket, Mid Island, Miacomet, and Sconset (via Old South) are in reasonable condition, but many still require considerable improvement to bring them into compliance with ADA and Massachusetts standards.  Many do not contain proper boarding areas, and many do not meet ADA guidelines, making it difficult for the disabled and mobility impaired to safely board the bus.

Recommendation 2.1:  We recommend that the NRTA also develop a strategic plan for the bus stops and bus routes that lays out a budget and milestones for upgrading existing bus stops to meet ADA regulations, prioritizing stops that are used most frequently.  We recognize that bringing these up to standard will be difficult given the costs, since the service is seasonal, many stops are infrequently used, and the ADA requirement for large paved pads seems inappropriate in the rural and aesthetic landscape of Nantucket.  This is why we recommend a phased approach.

Recommendation 2.2: We recommend that the NRTA, the HDC, and the COD develop design, construction, and maintenance guidelines for accessible features located at each bus stop, including boarding areas, sitting areas, and pull offs.

Recommendation 2.3: We recommend that the NRTA, in the short term, develop informational material and a web page regarding current accessible bus stops and bus routes, and update the Nantucket Island Guide.