Transportation Resource Sites |
DisclaimerThe Governor's Council on Disability does not officially endorse any of the following agencies. We want to provide you with as much disability-related information as possible. Further, The Governor's Council on Disability, in no way, is intentionally excluding an agency that should be on this list. If you would like to be included, please contact our office. High-tech Segway Provides Low-cost Method to Determine Sidewalk ADA Compliance The City of Bellevue, Wash. is using a one-of-a-kind Segway Human Transporter as part of a pilot project to collect data on Bellevu's sidewalks. Bellevue will use a customized, high-tech Segway electric scooter for free under an agreement with the Office of Pavement Technology, part of the Federal Highway Administration, which developed the device at a cost of approximately $120,000. Data collected by the Segway will be used in a "transition plan" that evaluates Bellevue's sidewalks and ramps for problems that could prevent a wheelchair from being used. Such transition plans are required by the ADA, but to date few cities have complied due to the high cost and complexity of conducting a survey. If successful, the pilot project could save Bellevue hundreds of thousands of dollars it would otherwise pay for an evaluation. Cities nationwide also could benefit by having a relatively low-cost method for surveying sidewalks, helping them to complete their transition plans. The scooter is equipped with a laser, accelerometer and optical trigger to measure changes in sidewalk level and slope. The data can be used to find potential obstacles such as misplaced signs and poles, and buckled and uneven sidewalks. The Segway has a video camera that films the sidewalk from the viewpoint of a person in a wheelchair, a laptop to record the data and a global positioning system to match the data with a location. Read the full story at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003787288_segway13e.html DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, offers technical assistance on the ADA provisions applying to public transportation; they also provide information on how to file ADA complaints. 888-446-4511 (V) use relay service for TTY http://www.fta.dot.gov AIR CARRIER ACCESS ACT, for questions pertaining to air transportation. 202-366-2220 (V) 202-755-7687 (TTY) http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer - Hotline information for Travelers with Disabilities |
