ADA transition plan for public rights-of-way

 This infographic was produced in 2021.

Textual description of above infographic

The above infographic depicts information and data relating to the City of Bloomington's draft plan to make roads, sidewalks and trails more accessible, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The top heading says, "ADA Right of Way Transition Plan: Providing access to all."

A block of text describes a Right of Way area as follows: "The area including pedestrian ramps with truncated domes and sidewalks which can be obstructed by power poles, hydrants, and street signs that are in, or next to, the sidewalk. The Transition Plan reviews and develops the City’s policies, practices, and programs involving upgrades to public rights-of-way"

An adjacent block of text asks, "Think this doesn't apply to you? Think again."  Beneath the text, a statistic; 70-80% of the population will experience a disability that restricts mobility at least once in their lifetime.  Additionally, a block text below described, “Ever broken a leg, had knee surgery or otherwise been hampered with your mobility? If so,  then this plan applies to you.”

A banner follows with the words, "City of Bloomington," followed by a graph stating "Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is an integrated device that communicates information about the WALK and DON’T WALK intervals at signalized intersections in non-visual formats. As of 2020 the City of Bloomington has 73 traffic signal locations
and 11 of them currently have APS (8 additional APS installed since 2015)"

A bar graph below shows the number of accessible pedestrian ramps improvements on the Y axis and the year on the X axis.  In 2015, 46 new ramps, and 181 to remove and replace; 2016, 36 new, 134 remove and replace; 2017, 12 new, 145 remove and replace; 2018, 20 new, 115 remove and replace; 2019, 15 new, 127 remove and replace; 2020, 5 new, 134 remove and replace.

The last graphic on the bottom is a map of the city showing the progress the Street Maintenance Department has on correcting the trip hazards in the city. With roughly 80% of the city complete since 2015.

The block of text at the very bottom says, “The City of Bloomington does not discriminate against or deny the benefits of its services, programs, or activities to a qualified person because of a disability. To make a request for a reasonable accommodation, ask for more information, or to file a complaint, contact the Community Outreach and Engagement Division, City of Bloomington, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN 55431-3027; 952-563-8733, MN Relay 711”

As part of the ADA Public Right of Way transition plan, the self-evaluation (inspection) of nearly 5,000 existing city-owned pedestrian ramps in Bloomington completed in 2022.  City staff continues to inspect pedestrian ramps for compliance as they are installed or replaced and completed inspections of nearly 260 pedestrian ramps in 2025.  Upgrades will continue to be made to pedestrian ramps that do not meet compliance as part of construction projects like the Pavement Management Program. There were a total of 33 new pedestrian ramps installed and 151 removed and replaced to ADA compliance in City right-of-way in 2025 as part of construction projects like the Pavement Management Program.  

Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are another component of the plan.  APS is a pedestrian pushbutton that communicates to the pedestrian information about push button location and WALK/DON’T WALK intervals in a non-visual manner.  The City currently operates and maintains 68 signal locations in the City with 12 of them having APS, 9 of which have been added since the inception of the ADA Public Right of Way Transition Plan.  The City uses a standardized APS prioritization tool to rank several factors at intersections when determining the need and feasibility of installing APS.     

The Bloomington ADA Public Right of Way Transition Plan was approved by City Council on November 7, 2016 and is a living document that will receive routine updates. Updates were made to the plan in early 2022 and the updated plan was approved by City Council on February 28, 2022. 

• Hennepin County's ADA sidewalk accessibility plan
• MnDOT ADA transition plan
• United States Access Board: About the Rulemaking on Public Rights-of-Way

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the City of Bloomington is conducting a self-evaluation to determine if the City’s services, policies and practices affecting the public rights-of-way comply with federal and state regulations. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 11.2% of Bloomington's total population is considered to have a disability, based on 2015-2019 estimates. This Transition Plan is both the process and the product of the Public Works Department’s self-evaluation.
The Transition Plan reviews and develops the City of Bloomington’s policies, practices and programs involving upgrades to public rights-of-way. Its purpose and intent are to:
1.    Assist Bloomington’s Department of Public Works in understanding its obligations under various state and federal guidelines to provide accessibility for individuals with disabilities to City programs, services and activities.
2.    Catalog the relevant federal and state accessibility laws and guidelines the City must adhere to while managing public rights-of-way.
3.    Develop a Transition Plan that catalogs existing barriers to accessibility within the City’s public rights-of-way as well as outlines a method and timeline for the removal of each barrier.
This document has been created to specifically cover accessibility within the public rights-of-way and does not include information on City programs, practices, or building facilities not related to public rights-of-way.
 

According to Section 35.150 (d) of 28 CFR 35, a public agency must prepare an ADA Transition Plan if any city facilities require physical or structural modifications to provide individuals with disabilities access to programs or services. This ADA Transition Plan catalogs existing barriers to accessibility in the public rights-of-way found through the self-evaluation, and prepares a removal schedule for each barrier.

The ADA Public Rights-of-Way Transition Plan is required to address the following aspects of accessibility:
1.    The ADA Transition Plan shall include a schedule for providing curb ramps or other sloped areas where pedestrian walks cross curbs, giving priority to walkways serving entities covered by the ADA, government offices and facilities, transportation, places of public accommodation, and employers, followed by walkways serving other areas;
2.    The ADA Transition Plan shall identify physical obstacles in the City’s public rights-of-ways facilities that limit the accessibility of its programs or activities to individuals with disabilities;
3.    The ADA Transition Plan shall describe the methods that will be used to make the public rights-of-ways facilities accessible; and
4.    The ADA Transition Plan shall specify the schedule for taking the steps necessary to achieve compliance with the ADA and, if the time period of the ADA Transition Plan is longer than one year, identify steps that will be taken during each year of the transition period.
 

Architectural Barriers Acts of 1968 (ABA): The ABA is a Federal law that requires facilities designed, built, altered or leased with Federal funds to be accessible. The Architectural Barriers Act marks one of the first efforts to ensure access to the built environment. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ABA):  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a Federal law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): 
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. The ADA works in tandem with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The ADA has five titles:
    Title I:        Employment
    Title II:       Public Services and Public Transportation
    Title III:      Public Accommodations
    Title IV:      Telecommunications
    Title V:       Miscellaneous Provisions

The focus of this Transition Plan is Title II: Public Services and Public Transportation

In the ADA the term disability is defined, with respect to an individual, as: 
1.    A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; 
2.    A record of such an impairment; or 
3.    Being regarded as having such an impairment. 

When addressing accessibility needs and requirements, it is important to note that ADA and Title II do not supersede or preempt state or local law, such as the Minnesota Human Rights Act 363A, that may offer equivalent or greater protections.

28 CFR 35: 28 CFR 35 refers to Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 35. This is the section of administrative law that interprets and defines Subtitle A of Title II of the ADA. These rules direct public entities to complete actions like designating an ADA liaison and performing a self-evaluation to determine if the entities programs, policies and practices are compliant with ADA regulations, as well as other actions to achieve ADA compliance.

Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG): The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) document contains scoping and technical requirements for accessibility to buildings and facilities by individuals with disabilities under the ADA. These scoping and technical requirements are to be applied during the design, construction, and alteration of buildings and facilities covered by Titles II and III of the ADA. The MN State Building Code Chapter 1341, Accessibility for Buildings and Facilities also applies.

The Access Board: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, known as the Access Board, is an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Access Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design.

Public Rights of Way Accessibility Guidelines: The Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), developed by the Access Board, are draft guidelines that address accessibility in the public rights-of-way. Sidewalks, street crossings, and other elements of the public rights-of-way present unique challenges to accessibility for which specific guidance is considered essential. Despite the fact that these newest guidelines are still in draft form, it is generally expected that PROWAG will eventually be approved and become the new national standard. The City of Bloomington’s Transition Plan primarily adheres to PROWAG standards.

Minnesota Department of Transportation Technical Memorandums: 
Technical Memorandum 15-02-TR-01 (formally known as 10-02-TR-01):
In 2015, Mn/DOT issued Technical Memorandum 15-02-TR-01 which extends the expiration date of Technical Memorandum 10-02-TR-01 Adoption of Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidance to Mn/DOT staff, cities, and counties. This memorandum makes PROWAG the primary guidance for accessible facility design on all Mn/DOT projects. Mn/DOT is beginning to integrate PROWAG into the Road Design Manual and other technical guidance.

Technical Memorandum 10-SA-01:
The purpose of Technical Memorandum 10-SA-01 is to clarify ADA requirements as they apply to local Federal-aid projects and State-aid projects. The memorandum states that Local Federal-aid projects must provide pedestrian curb ramps and detectable warnings systems on all new and existing ramps within the project limits even if the proposed work can be done
without disturbing the existing sidewalk or pedestrian ramps. Project plans that do not adhere to these requirements will not be approved by Mn/DOT. On the other hand, Mn/DOT will not review State-aid project plans for accessibility requirements, because the responsibility of enforcing ADA requirements on state-aid projects falls to the local agency.

In addition to technical memorandums, Mn/DOT is developing best practices and documenting “lessons learned” as they integrate PROWAG into their construction and reconstruction projects.

Technical Memorandum 15-01-T-01
The purpose of Technical Memorandum 15-01-T-01 is to provide guidance as it relates to pedestrian crossing facilitation. The memorandum includes a section on curb ramp installation and provides guidance for various sidewalk crossing configurations including those where sidewalks may only be on one side of the road or at crossings to areas of no sidewalk.

Technical Memorandum 18-04-OP-01 (replaces 08-13-TW-05)
The purpose of Technical Memorandum 18-04-OP-01 is to outline the requirements for curb cuts, sidewalks, APS for all MnDOT projects including all work within MnDOT rights-of-way conducted by others like cities and counties.

 

Under Title II, as explained in Section 35.105 of CFR, the City of Bloomington is required to carry out a self-evaluation to ensure City policies, practices and programs are compliant with ADA requirements. The City’s self-evaluation for both city buildings and park and recreation facilities are contained in a separate report. This report concentrates on the City’s public rights-of-way.
Activity in the public rights-of-way may be considered a program in two different ways:
1.    Streets, sidewalks and curb ramps may be part of a continuous path of travel between activities or programs, at various public and private facilities located on adjacent properties, such as public offices, schools, parks and recreational facilities, public service agencies, hospitals and health clinics, and police facilities.
2.    Streets, sidewalks and curb ramps may themselves represent a program of public pedestrian activities that are essential to the usage and enjoyment of the City’s built environment.
Evaluation of the physical facilities in the City of Bloomington’s Public Rights-of-Way The City of Bloomington will conduct a thorough inventory of the City’s physical infrastructure within its public rights-of-way. This includes curb ramps, intersection and street geometry, and pedestrian bridges and underpasses. City staff has already begun to catalog areas in the City that have the highest levels of pedestrian traffic. Data from approximately 95 percent of the City has been collected for the curb ramps as of 2021. (There are approximately 200 of nearly 4700 pedestrian ramps in the City that remain to be evaluated.) The City estimates a full inventory of Bloomington will be completed by 2022.
Summary
From 2012-2021, the City of Bloomington conducted an inventory of pedestrian facilities within its public rights-of-way consisting of the evaluation of the following facilities:
•    210 miles of sidewalks (23 miles are less than 5’ in width)
•    4683 curb ramps*
•    43 miles of trails (27 miles in City rights-of-way, 16 miles in City Parks)
•    73 traffic control signals

*The curb ramp inspections are nearly complete and will continue until they are all inspected which is projected to be in 2022.
A detailed evaluation on how these facilities relate to ADA standards is found in Appendix A and will be updated periodically.
 

Policies

The City of Bloomington’s goal is to continue to provide accessible pedestrian design features as part of the City’s capital improvement projects. The City has established ADA design standards and procedures. These standards and procedures will be kept up to date with national and local best management practices.

The City will consider and respond to all accessibility improvement requests. All accessibility improvements that have been deemed reasonable will be scheduled consistent with transportation priorities. The City will coordinate with external agencies to ensure that all new or altered pedestrian facilities within the City jurisdiction are ADA compliant to the maximum extent feasible.
Maintenance of pedestrian facilities within the public rights-of-way will continue to follow the policies set forth by the City. See the Maintenance section below for more specifics.

Procedure for the Installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals to Signalized Intersections DRAFT
An Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is a pedestrian pushbutton that communicates to a pedestrian information about push button location, and WALK/DON’T WALK intervals in a non-visual manner, using cues such as audible tones, speech messages, and vibrating surfaces.
Bloomington’s Draft Procedure for the Installation of APS outlines the guidelines and procedures used to determine the need for APS installation. The City uses a standardized APS prioritization tool to rank several factors at each intersection, such as potential demand for APS, personal requests from citizens with disabilities for APS, traffic volumes, and the complexity of traffic signal phasing and intersection geometry. There are instances where the City would not choose to install APS. Like Hennepin County, in situations where there is a 3-legged intersection or an intersection with heavy left-turn movements from certain approaches, APS may not be installed in all quadrants. Instead, APS, crosswalks, countdown timers, etc. are installed along the legs that experience the fewest number of conflicts based on turning movement counts. The APS procedure, and the APS prioritization tool, can be found in the Appendix C of this document.

Alternative Pedestrian Access Routes During Construction and Maintenance Projects 
Construction and temporary traffic control zones present special challenges for pedestrians with disabilities. According to PROWAG (R205), when an existing pedestrian access route is blocked by construction or maintenance, an ADA compliant alternative pedestrian access route shall be provided. Mn/DOT and the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices Chapter 6D offers technical guidance on this issue. MnDOT continues to update these guidelines as necessary, and the City of Bloomington monitors MnDOT’s evolving standards to stay in compliance. In the field, the City individually evaluates any temporary traffic control zone to ensure compliance with PROWAG. The responsibility for providing compliant alternative pedestrian routes falls to the project contractor, however Public Works staff facilitate compliance by using a Mn/DOT Draft Pedestrian Accessibility Checklist to evaluate each temporary site. The checklist can be found in the Appendix C of this document.

Maintenance
The Public Works Department is responsible for the seasonal maintenance of its facilities. Multiple maintenance policies affect the accessibility of the City’s facilities.

Snow Removal: Sidewalk Plow Routes:
The City Code implies that the snow removal from public sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent property owners in two different code sections. By Section 12.03(1) snow and ice is to be removed from public sidewalks within twelve (12) hours after the snow stops falling or it will be classified as a public nuisance and Section 8.02 allows for the assessment of the cost related to public nuisance snow removal. However, the City of Bloomington currently has a program in place for plowing snow on public sidewalks.

The City of Bloomington plows its sidewalks based on a three-tiered prioritization system. Priority one routes, sidewalks designated as school walking routes as well as known routes used by residents with disabilities, along with some higher pedestrian traffic areas, such as around the Mall of America, are plowed first. Priority two routes, sidewalks in areas with high pedestrian traffic and along main arterial roads, are plowed next. Finally, sidewalks in residential areas are plowed last. A City map labeled with priority one, two and three sidewalks is available upon request.

Boulevard Tree Trimming Policy:
The City of Bloomington annually inspects for any overgrown trees that may be obstructing the public rights-of-way. Each year, every snowplow operator inspects his or her assigned snow plow route for hazards. Lists of trees that need to be trimmed are turned in to the Street Maintenance Supervisor to be put on a master list. As time permits, crews are sent out to notify property owners with letters of the City’s intent to trim the boulevard trees adjacent to their property. Priority is given to ADA trimming requests. All trimming is done on a time available schedule.

Concrete Repair Fund:
The Maintenance Division manages a fund used for routine and emergency concrete maintenance. This fund is used to repair trip hazards aka “kicks” that also make a sidewalk non-compliant with ADA criteria. This money is also used to respond to specific resident requests for ADA upgrades. If the request is technically feasible, this fund allows the City to fulfill the request in a timely manner.
 

Practices

Since the adoption of the ADA, the City of Bloomington strives to provide accessible pedestrian features as part of the City’s capital improvement projects. As additional information was made available as to the methods of providing accessible pedestrian features, the City updated their procedures to accommodate these methods. This includes practices like when sidewalk snow plow drivers look at their routes to provide suggestions of where curb ramps are missing or fire hydrants, pole or other obstructions exist. This obstruction list is used to make modifications to the pedestrian facilities within the rights-of-way. 

Programs

Pavement Management Program (PMP)
The PMP is a street maintenance plan that implements the right maintenance at the right time in a road and trail’s lifecycle to reduce the overall cost of keeping the City’s streets and trails in good condition. There are four categories of projects under the PMP: reconstruction, mill and overlay, multi-modal trails and seal coating. The Public Works Department’s annual construction schedule is driven by data gathered through the PMP and budget. The reconstruction, overlay and multi-modal trail projects provide an excellent opportunity for the City to upgrade pedestrian facilities to meet current ADA standards. The data-driven nature of the PMP makes it an extremely useful vehicle for ADA compliance. With the PMP projects the City’s public rights-of-way would be fully compliant with PROWAG standards by 2031, assuming no significant modifications occur.

Capital Improvement Plan
In addition to the Pavement Management Program where most of the ADA improvements will occur, there are also opportunities to make ADA enhancements with the Capital Improvement Plan. New development and transit improvement projects like the Orange Line and D-Line provide other occasions to upgrade pedestrian facilities to meet current ADA standards.

Alternative Transportation Plan
The City of Bloomington will also ensure that corridors identified in its Alternative Transportation plan, Figure 3.2 ATP System and Figure 3.3: ATP System by Facility Type meet ADA regulations. This ATP System identifies a core multi-modal network through the City that connects the neighborhoods to destinations via Local Connections, Community Corridors and Regional Trails. (Figures 3.2 & 3.3 from the ATP Draft are included in the Appendix C.)

Safe Routes to School
The City of Bloomington is a participant of the national Safe Routes to School program intended to make pedestrian travel safer for children. Improvements made to a roadway or sidewalk with these projects are designed to accommodate all users and are constructed to meet ADA compliance. These improvements include, but are not limited to, installation of Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFB) enhanced crosswalks, additional sidewalk to eliminate gaps, and pedestrian curb ramps.

Priority Areas
The City of Bloomington has identified specific locations as priority areas for planned accessibility improvement projects. These areas have been selected due to their proximity to specific land uses such as schools, government offices and medical facilities, as well as from the receipt of public comments. The priority areas as identified in the self-evaluation are as follows:
•    Lyndale Avenue (City Limits)
•    France Avenue & Old Shakopee Road (France Avenue from 102nd Street to 108th Street and Old Shakopee Road from Beard Avenue to Kell Avenue)
•    South Loop District
•    Penn/American District

Further there are four census tracts within Bloomington that have a population of people with disabilities of 15% or greater. They are as follows and shown in dark blue on the City of Bloomington map shown below:
•    Census Tract 251(27053025100) – Coincides with the South Loop District slightly expanded
•    Census Tract 253.02 (27053025302) – Lyndale Ave east to Chicago Ave south of Old Shakopee Road
•    Census Tract 258.03 (27053025803) – Centers around France & Old Shakopee Road
•    Census Tract 258.05 (27053025805) – East of Normandale Blvd and south of 110th Street

External Agency Coordination
Many other agencies are responsible for pedestrian facilities within the jurisdiction of the City of Bloomington. These include agencies like Hennepin County, Three Rivers Parks, MnDOT, Metro Transit or DNR. The City will coordinate with those agencies to track and assist in the facilitation of the elimination of accessibility barriers along their routes and continue to work together on projects.

* Historically, through the Hennepin County permitting process, the City of Bloomington is required to provide ADA compliant curb ramps and other amenities when working within the Hennepin County right-of-way.  However, to date the City has not upgraded facilities for Hennepin County Mill and Overlay Projects.  The City believes that since it is a Hennepin County project on a Hennepin County roadway that they should be responsible for the upgrade.

**Private Utility companies such as Xcel Energy or Centerpoint Energy will be required to meet the same triggers for ADA updates as listed in the maintenance section above for work within Bloomington right-of-way.

Any public meeting, hearing, or comment period held by the City of Bloomington is accessible. The City provides qualified interpreters upon request and will provide documents in an accessible electronic format or other alternative formats, such as large print or Braille. All public notices shall contain contact information for accommodation requests.

Public meetings, trainings, programs and other events must be in an accessible location and indicated on the meeting notice. Project managers and other City staff are directed to use the Department of Justice Guide to Conducting Accessible Meetings to assist in planning public meetings.
 

TTY Communication: MN Relay 711
Website: The City strives to comply with the following accessibility standards for Web content:
•    Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended by Congress in 1998.
•    Conformance with WCAG 2.0 Level A success criteria.
Further details regarding website compliance can be found at https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/com/website-accessibility-statement
The City will provide documents in an accessible electronic format or other alternative formats, such as large print or Braille, if requested.
 

Section 35.107 (a) of 28 CFR 35 regulations requires public entities to designate an ADA Liaison to coordinate ADA compliance efforts. The liaison is also responsible for investigating complaints of alleged noncompliance. This plan also appoints two representatives from the Public Works Department to assist the ADA Liaison with the implementation of this Transition Plan. Contact information for the designees is listed below.

City of Bloomington ADA Liaison#1 
Name: Tracy Smith
Email: tsmith@BloomingtonMN.gov 
Phone: (952) 563-8733

City of Bloomington ADA Liaison #2
Name: Community Outreach and Engagement Manager 
Email: outreach@BloomingtonMN.gov
Phone: (952) 563-8733

Public Works Department ADA Representative #1 
Name: Bob Simons
Email: bsimons@BloomingtonMN.gov 
Phone: (952) 563-8758
 

Section 35.107 (b) of 28 CFR 35 regulations requires the City of Bloomington to adopt and publish grievance procedures citizens can use to formally bring complaints of alleged city ADA non-compliance to the attention of city officials. The City of Bloomington adopted a new reasonable accommodation and grievance process in 2021.

The City of Bloomington recognizes that public participation is an important component in the development of this document. Input from the community has been gathered and used to help define priority areas for improvements within the jurisdiction of Bloomington.

In 2015, a draft copy of the original transition plan was sent to known organizations that serve people with disabilities in the City of Bloomington. No comments were received.

The Transition Plan was approved at City Council on November 7, 2016, and is available to the public online at on the City’s webpage, www.BloomingtonMN.gov, keyword “ADA Transition Plan. Once approved, an update to the plan will be posted in the same location in early 2022.
 

A draft copy of the plan was presented to the Bloomington Human Rights Commission in 2015 and shared with others like the State Council on Disability and Hennepin County. Hennepin County did share some comments and are included in Appendix E.

A draft copy was shared with the public at the Minnesota River Valley Strategic Plan Community Open House #2 held on June 17, 2015. No specific written comments were received, but in general people were receptive to the plan.

A booth at the Bloomington’s Farmer’s Market was used on October 1, 2016 to solicit public input. A total of 48 people stopped by to inquire about the plan. There was only one comment regarding ADA compliance, however it was on private property and not the public rights-of-way.

A booth at the Bloomington’s Farmer’s Market was used on October 16, 2021 to give updated information on ADA related work that has been completed since plan inception in 2016. Approximately 15-20 people visited the booth to inquire about the work that has been done.

The Transition Plan, a list of interested persons consulted, and a description of any modifications made to any policies, practices and programs must be maintained on file and available to the public for at least three years following the completion of the self-evaluation.
 

Bloomington staff have participated in Mn/DOT ADA overview training in the past, including the most recent training in the winter of 2016 as well as the Mn/DOT Signal Certification and Concrete Field classes where ADA issues are discussed. The ADA unit of Mn/DOT has also visited Bloomington to train and answer questions in the field as necessary. This training continues with refresher courses for current staff as needed. The City of Bloomington’s ADA Liasion #1 has also completed the University of Missouri’s ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program (ACTCP). 

This plan is intended to be a living document that will receive routine updates. To facilitate the implementation of the transition plan, Public Works Department staff will prepare an annual report for the City Council that lists ADA upgrades within the public rights-of-way accomplished in the last year.

The appendices in this document will be updated periodically, while the main body of the document will be updated in five years with a future update schedule to be developed at that time. With each main body update, a public comment period will be established to continue the public outreach.

The main body of the document was updated in 2022 along with updates to appendices. A Let’s Talk Bloomington page was developed during the 2022 update to engage the public and a booth was also held at the Bloomington Farmer’s Market in October 2021. The main body of the document will continue to be updated every five years with periodic updates to the appendices.
 

Self-evaluation of pedestrian facilities continues and yields the following results:
•    91.5% of sidewalks met accessibility criteria (based on length)
•    11% of the sidewalk is less than 5’ wide and does not meet accessibility criteria (based on width) (23 of 210 miles)
•    45% of curb ramps met accessibility criteria (of those inspected to date)
•    72% of trails met accessibility criteria (19.51 miles of 27 miles)
•    15% of traffic control signals had APS (11 of 73)
The Self Evaluation is not complete for all rights-of-way attributes yet. It is expected to be completed in 2022.

The sidewalk inspection updated (late 2021) has yielded just under 9,500 locations that needed to be addressed for tripping hazards/non-compliance with ADA. On average 1,500 locations have been ground or replaced in any given year since 2014, with the exception of 2020. It is anticipated that the completion of the first run through the entire City for tripping hazard grinding will complete in 2023.

Detailed results are available upon request from the Engineering Division 952-563-4870.
 

Schedule
With the PMP & CIP projects the City’s public rights-of-way would be fully compliant with PROWAG standards by 2031 for pedestrian ramps, assuming no significant modifications to the standard criteria occur. Sidewalk width would be the last component of compliance and is expected to be compliant by 2037.

The PMP Trail Program has repaired approximately 8 miles of trails using Franchise Fee funds between 2016 and 2021. This provides another 30% of trails that meet the accessibility criteria for a total rate of 72%. The PMP Trail Program is expected to replace another 3.5 miles of trails using Franchise Fee funds in the next five years. This would provide another 12% of trails that would meet the accessibility criteria for a total rate of 84% by 2025. It is anticipated that the remaining 16% of trails would be updated to meet accessibility criteria by 2032.

The Maintenance program to grind or replace the sidewalk trip hazards will continue and is expected to be completed in 2023. At that time it is anticipated that the program will complete all the known hazards identified in the 2014 survey. However, given frost, root growth and other factors these hazards will reappear. The sidewalk is typically re-surveyed at one-third of the City every year, therefore each segment is surveyed once every three years to align with the survey of the existing street segments and new repairs will be scheduled accordingly based on those surveys.

Budget Information
Unit Prices
Construction costs for upgrading facilities can vary depending on each individual improvement and conditions of each site. Costs can also vary on the type and size of project the improvements are associated with. Listed below are representative 2021 costs for some typical accessibility improvements based on if the improvements are included as part of a retrofit type project, or as part of a larger comprehensive capital improvement project.

Intersection corner ADA improvement retrofit: +/- $4,500 per corner

Intersection corner ADA improvement as part of adjacent capital project: +/- $2,000 per corner 

Traffic control signal APS upgrade retrofit: +/-$ 45,000

Traffic control signal APS upgrade as part of full traffic control signal installation: +/- $30,000 

Sidewalk / Trail ADA improvement retrofit: +/- $12.00 per SF

Sidewalk / Trail ADA improvement as part of adjacent capital project: +/- $9.50 per SF 

Bus Stop ADA improvement retrofit: +/- $600 per stop

Bus Stop ADA improvement as part of adjacent capital project: +/- $450 per stop

 

Design Procedures

Intersection Corners
Curb ramps or blended transitions will attempt to be constructed or upgraded to achieve compliance within all capital improvement projects. There may be limitations which make it technically infeasible for an intersection corner to achieve full accessibility within the scope of any project. Those limitations will be noted and those intersection corners will remain on the transition plan. As future projects or opportunities arise, those intersection corners shall continue to be incorporated into future work. Regardless if full compliance can be achieved or not, each intersection corner shall be made as compliant as possible in accordance with the judgment of City and, if applicable, County staff.

Sidewalks / Trails
Sidewalks and trails will attempt to be constructed or upgraded to achieve compliance within all capital improvement projects. There may be limitations which make it technically infeasible for segments of sidewalks or trails to achieve full accessibility within the scope of any project.
Those limitations will be noted and those segments will remain on the transition plan. As future projects or opportunities arise, those segments shall continue to be incorporated into future work. Regardless if full compliance can be achieved or not, every sidewalk or trail shall be made as compliant as possible in accordance with the judgment of City staff.

Traffic Control Signals
Traffic control signals will attempt to be constructed or upgraded to achieve compliance within all capital improvement projects. There may be limitations which make it technically infeasible for individual traffic control signal locations to achieve full accessibility within the scope of any project. Those limitations will be noted and those locations will remain on the transition plan. As future projects or opportunities arise, those locations shall continue to be incorporated into future work. Regardless if full compliance can be achieved or not, each traffic signal control location shall be made as compliant as possible in accordance with the judgment of City and, if applicable, County staff.

Bus Stops
Bus stops will attempt to be constructed or upgraded to achieve compliance within all capital improvement projects. There may be limitations which make it technically infeasible for individual bus stop locations to achieve full accessibility within the scope of any project. Those limitations will be noted and those locations will remain on the transition plan. As future projects or opportunities arise, those locations shall continue to be incorporated into future work.
Regardless if full compliance can be achieved or not, each bus stop location shall be made as compliant as possible in accordance with the judgment of City and Metro Transit staff.

Other Transit Facilities
Additional transit facilities are present within the limits of Metro Transit. Those facilities fall under the jurisdiction of Metro Transit. Bloomington will work with Metro Transit to ensure that those facilities meet all appropriate accessibility standards.

Other policies, practices and programs
Policies, practices and programs not identified in this document will follow the applicable ADA standards.

Design Guidelines

Bloomington has PROWAG, as adopted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), as its design standard.

Pedestrian Access Routes 
Minimum Design Standards

• Width- 4' minimum exclusive of curb width (Note: this is the ADA requirement for clear accessible route and should not be confused with the minimum 6’ or 8’ sidewalk width required by the Bloomington City Code)
  • Additional maneuvering space should be provided at turns or changes of direction, transit stops, recesses and alcoves, building entrances, and along curved or angled routes, particularly where the grade exceeds 5% (Advisory R302.3).
• Passing Spaces- If the walkway is less than 5 feet wide, passing spaces 5 feet x 5 feet minimum must be provided at intervals of 200', except in existing cases where the walk is four feet wide and existing rights-of-way/easements do not allow for the minimum. (If this is less than minimum it will need to be documented for City records)
• Cross Slope- 2% maximum
• If the walkway is contained within the street, its grade shall not exceed the general grade established for the adjacent street or highway. (Most applicable for situations requiring a Temporary Pedestrian Access Route during construction.) The walkway must be on the roadway and marked or signed as a separate space for non-motorized travel.
• If the walkway is not contained within a street its grade shall not exceed 5%.
  • The grade of the walkway is measured parallel to the direction of pedestrian travel (Advisory R302.5)
• Surfaces – Firm, stable, slip resistant and chosen for easy ‘rollability’ (Advisory R302.7.1)
• Vertical Lips- ¼ inch -1/2 inch beveled 1:2 up to ½ inch maximum or treat as ramp
• A 4” maximum projection for post or wall mounted object. If an object extends further it needs to be protected by a 6” curb to direct people around it or place extenders down to 27” so a person can detect the object with a cane.
• Horizontal Gaps- 1/2" sphere cannot pass through opening
  • Elongated openings in gratings shall be placed perpendicular to path of travel
• Horizontal Gaps at Freight Tracks- 3 inch maximum
• Horizontal Gaps at Non-Freight Tracks- 2.5 inch maximum
• Pedestrian Refuge Islands: Clear width, 5’ minimum, 6’ preferred. If smaller than 6’ do not install truncated domes since it is not sized to provide refuge for two wheelchairs.
• Transit stops: Need a minimum of 8’ (4’ for the off loader on the bus and then a 4’ landing area)

R205 Alternate Pedestrian Access Routes. When a pedestrian circulation path is temporarily closed by construction, alterations, maintenance operations, or other conditions, an alternate pedestrian access route complying with sections 6D.01, 6D.02, and 6G.05 of the MUTCD (incorporated by reference, see R104.2) shall be provided. Where provided, pedestrian barricades and channelizing devices shall comply with sections 6F.63, 6F.68, and 6F.71 of the MUTCD (incorporated by reference, see R104.2). The Pedestrian Accessibility Considerations in Temporary Traffic Control Zone Check List that is currently in draft format should be completed (See MnMUTCD Part 6)

Curb Ramps / Blended Transitions 

Curb Ramps

• Width: 4ft minimum
• Turning Space: 4ft by 4ft minimum space provided at the top of the curb ramp, unless it is a parallel ramp where the turning space is located at the bottom of the curb ramp.
  • Turning space running slope: 2% maximum
• Running slope: 5% minimum, 8.3% maximum, but the ramp length shall not exceed 15ft.
• Clear Space: At the bottom curb face, 4' x 4' minimum within the width of the crosswalk and wholly outside the parallel vehicle travel lane
• Grade Breaks: Must be perpendicular to the direction of the ramp surface, but are not permitted on the surface of ramp runs and turning spaces. (To prevent uneven wheels)
• Cross Slope: 2% maximum
• Counter Slope: 5% maximum
• Side flares are not necessary if next to a non-walkable surface. If pavers or colored stamped concrete are used, a flare will be necessary since people will consider it a walkable surface. The default should be to use a flare if there is any doubt.
• Diagonal curb ramps should only be used in alterations. Perpendicular, parallel and combination ramps are preferred.
• Perpendicular Curb Ramp: Is generally perpendicular to the curb and users will generally be traveling perpendicular to vehicular traffic when they enter the street at the bottom of the ramp.
  • Can be used where the sidewalk is at least 12ft wide (Advisory R304.1)
  • Perpendicular Curb Ramp Flared sides: Sloped 10% maximum
• Parallel Curb Ramp: A parallel curb ramp has two ramps leading down towards a center level landing at the bottom between both ramps with a level landing at the top of each ramp. A parallel curb ramp is one that is oriented so that the path of travel on the ramp is parallel to the vehicular path of travel on the adjacent street and the user’s path of travel on the sidewalk.
  • Can be used where the sidewalk is at least 4ft wide (Advisory R304.1)
• Diagonal Curb Ramp: Is generally placed with only one curb ramp at a corner to cover both crossing directions. It is the least ideal alternative, but space restrictions may dictate its use.
  • Diagonal Curb Ramp Flared sides: Sloped 10% maximum
  • Needs 4’x4’ maneuvering space in the road which has to be sloped 2% in each direction.

Detectable Warning Surfaces

• Where required:
  • Curb ramps and blended transitions at pedestrian street crossings;
  • Pedestrian refuge islands (provided they are a minimum of 6’ wide);
  • Pedestrian at-grade rail crossings not located within a street or highway;
  • Boarding platforms at transit stops for buses and rail vehicles where the edges of the boarding platform are not protected by screens or guards; and
  • Boarding and aligning areas at sidewalk or street level transit stops for rail vehicles where the side of the boarding and alighting areas facing the rail vehicles is not protected by screens or guards.
• Where NOT required:
  • At pedestrian refuge islands that are cut-through at street level and are less than 6ft in length in the direction of pedestrian travel.
• Detectable warning surfaces shall contrast visually with adjacent surfaces.
• Size: Detectable warning surfaces shall extend 2ft minimum in the direction of pedestrian travel.
  • They shall also extend the full width of the ramp run (excluding flared sides), blended transition, or turning space

Mn/DOT Approved Product List (as of 12/3/21)
DURALAST Cast Iron: Coated or Uncoated ej (Formerly East Jordan Iron Works)
800-874-4100
http://www.ejiw.com

Cast Iron: Coated or Uncoated Neenah Foundry Co.
800-252-5801
http://www.nfco.com

IRON PED Cast Iron: Coated or Uncoated Mfg. by Neenah Foundry Co.
763-478-8128
http://www.ironped.com

CAST-DWD or CAST CORP Cast Iron: Coated or Uncoated 
Cast Corporation
218-263-9510
http://www.castcorporation.com

CAST-DWD: Coated or Uncoated 
Pioneer Detectable, LLC
262-370-5355
http://www.metadome.com

Advantage Tactile Systems Cast Iron: Coated or Uncoated Mfg. by Waupaca Foundry
800-679-4022
http://advantagetactile.com

Duratek-CI: Uncoated Detectile Corp
312-213-1507
http://www.detectile.com

TufTile Cast Iron Tiles: Coated or Uncoated 
TufTile ADA Tactile Products
888-960-8897
http://www.tuftile.com

Irondome Cast Iron 
ADA Solutions, Inc. 
800-372-0519
http://www.adatile.com

Note: Federal Aid Projects required US Code of Federal Regulations 23CFR635.410, the “Buy American Steel and Iron Regulation” be followed. The iron detectable warning surfaces on this list may or may not be made in the USA. It is the contractor’s responsibility to ascertain the country of origin before installing or purchasing detectable warning surfaces, if the above regulation applies.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals 

Pedestrian Intervals

• All pedestrian signal phase timing shall comply with section 4E.06 of the MNMUTCD and should be based on a pedestrian clearance time that is calculated using a pedestrian walking speed of 1.1 m/s (3.5 ft/s) or less.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals 

Pedestrian Pushbuttons

Street Furniture

• Maintain a 36" continuous pedestrian access route around street furniture. In areas where the City of Bloomington performs the snow removal this should be increased to 60”.

Dual Height Drinking Fountains

• Spout 1- 36 inch maximum spout height with knee clearance
• Spout 2- 38 inches- 43 inches spout height

Tables

• Minimum 5% (minimum of 1) must be accessible at each location

Benches

• Benches- 50% minimum (minimum of 1) at each location must provide space for a wheelchair positioned at the end providing shoulder to shoulder seating
• Bench design- Seat height 17 inches – 19 inches at front edge