[Federal Register: November 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 225)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 70734]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23no05-11]
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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD
36 CFR Parts 1190 and 1191
[Docket No. 02-1]
RIN 3014-AA26
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines
for Buildings and Facilities; Architectural Barriers Act (ABA)
Accessibility Guidelines; Public Rights-of-Way
AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft guidelines.
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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
(Access Board) has placed in the docket and on its Web site for public
review draft guidelines which address accessibility in the public
right-of-way. The draft guidelines are under consideration by the
Board. The purpose of placing the draft guidelines in the docket is to
facilitate gathering of additional information for the regulatory
assessment and the preparation of technical assistance materials to
accompany a future rule. The Board is not seeking comments on the draft
guidelines. The Board will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking at a
future date and will solicit comments at that time, prior to issuing a
final rule.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Windley, Office of Technical and
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-
1111. Telephone number (202) 272-0025 (voice); (202) 272-0082 (TTY).
Electronic mail address: windley@access-board.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1999, the Architectural and
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) established the
Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee (Committee) to make
recommendations on accessibility guidelines for newly constructed and
altered public rights-of-way covered by the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. The Committee
was comprised of representatives from disability organizations, public
works departments, transportation and traffic engineering groups,
design professionals and civil engineers, pedestrian and bicycle
organizations, Federal agencies, and standard-setting bodies. The
Committee met on five occasions between December 1999 and January 2001.
On January 10, 2001, the Committee presented its recommendations on
accessible public rights-of-way in a report entitled ``Building a True
Community.'' The Committee's report provided recommendations on access
to sidewalks, street crossings, and other related pedestrian facilities
and addressed various issues and design constraints specific to public
rights-of-way. The report is available on the Access Board's Web site
at http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/commrept/index.htm or can be
ordered by calling the Access Board at (202) 272-0080. Persons using a
TTY should call (202) 272-0082. The report is available in alternate
formats upon request. Persons who want a copy in an alternate format
should specify the type of format (cassette tape, braille, large print,
or ASCII disk).
The Access Board convened an ad hoc committee of Board members to
review the Committee's recommendations. After reviewing the report in
detail, the Board's ad hoc committee prepared recommendations for
guidelines addressing accessibility in the public right-of-way. On June
17, 2002, the Board made the recommendations of the ad hoc committee
available for public comment and review by notice in the Federal
Register (67 FR 41206).
Over 1,400 comments were received from the public in response to
the publication of the draft. Of this total, almost 900 comments were
from persons with disabilities and groups representing them; the great
preponderance of comments in this category came from people who
indicated that they were blind or had low vision. Respondents from the
transportation industry, including design engineers and consultants,
submitted slightly over 200 comments. Another 100 were received from
State and local government administrative agencies. Comments are posted
on the Board's Web site at http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/comments/index.htm.
Further discussion of the comments received is available in
the supplementary information accompanying the draft guidelines.
The members of the Board's ad hoc committee subsequently reviewed
and considered the comments received in response to the 2002 Federal
Register notice. The draft guidelines made available today on the
Board's Web site are the result of those deliberations. The Access
Board is making the draft guidelines available in order to facilitate
the gathering of additional information for a regulatory assessment
prior to publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking and to assist in
the development of technical assistance materials. The Board is not
soliciting comments on the draft guidelines. The Board will solicit
comments when a proposed rule is issued in conjunction with the
regulatory assessment. The draft guidelines along with supplementary
information have been placed in the rulemaking docket (Docket No. 02-1)
for public review. The draft guidelines and supplementary information
are also available on the Access Board's Web site at http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/draft.htm.
You may also obtain a copy of the draft
guidelines and supplementary information by contacting the Access Board
at (202) 272-0080. Persons using a TTY should call (202) 272-0082. The
documents are available in alternate formats upon request. Persons who
want a copy in an alternate format should specify the type of format
(cassette tape, braille, large print, or ASCII disk).
Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 05-23161 Filed 11-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8150-01-P