Morristown Project will Meet ADA Standards
The Village of Morristown will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act following an award of federal funds for the Morristown Safe Multi-Modal Project.
Morristown’s sidewalk improvement project is funded through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, with additional support from the Carbon Reduction Program administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
As Barnesville Area News just reported, village administrator Brandon Taylor said the project will bring existing sidewalks and crossings closer into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a requirement when using federal transportation funding. Improvements include accessible crosswalk features and sidewalk upgrades intended to make public spaces easier to navigate for residents and visitors with mobility challenges.
Taylor said that if a community seeks federal money for paving projects, ADA sidewalks and crosswalks must be in place.
Taylor said the project will also upgrade to ADA standards the sidewalk and ramps at the post office, village hall and Underground Railroad Museum at the Black Horse Inn.
The post office currently has a winding ramp leading to the entrance. The project will remove the berm, add a gradual ADA-compliant ramp to improve access to the front of the building and make all parallel parking spaces in front of the post office ADA accessible.
“We have a lot of elderly people in town,” Taylor said. “I know of at least four, five people over the age of 90 that drive to the post office every day.”
The village hall’s improvements will include a gradual sidewalk incline to the side entrance of the building. The project will eliminate the 18-inch step at the entrance, making it ADA accessible. The village is also considering future plans to widen the door.
The sidewalk next to the village hall leading up to the side door entrance will become a gradual incline. ©Barnesville Area News Company Photo.
Gabe Hannahs, principal landscape architect with the Mannik & Smith Group and project lead noted that many people experience temporary or permanent disabilities, whether cognitive, physical, hearing or vision-related.
“I used to share statistics on ADA accessibility …,” he said. “So it’s, it’s always been important, because there’s always people that need that level playing field.”
Mayor Heather Stitt said accessibility should be a priority for every community.
“We want to make sure that we’re offering that to every citizen, every visitor, every member, member of society, because that’s what they deserve,” she said.
A document shows plans for infrastructure coming to the Village of Morristown. ©Barnesville Area News Company Photo.
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