The summer has now been in full swing for a while, and is beginning to wind down. However, road construction has been in full swing since the first dry day of the year, and as the summer has gone on, Bellingham has amped up the amount of construction zones that exist across the city. It seems as if more are added before one is complete creating the issue of encountering a construction site every time one ventures out. Downtown, one can even expect to come across three or four construction sites in a single outing.
When a road is upgraded, the sidewalks and curb cutouts have to be brought up to code. This is to ensure that curb cuts are accessible to all pedestrians. The ironic thing that arises during the time of construction is curb cutouts become blocked off or drilled up which makes it impossible for most wheelchair users to exit the sidewalk when needed; missing or blocked off curb cuts could also interfere with a blind person's way of travel.
This inconvenience for most people, can end up putting people with disabilities in danger, or end up forcing them to reroute their path on the spot. I am in no way saying that people with disabilities cannot innovate on their own and overcome the glitch in the sidewalk. However, I am suggesting that others educate themselves and not take away accessibility in the process of trying to improve it.
When road construction occurs in Bellingham, it seems as if a site will be set up, the curb cutouts will be blocked off or drilled up, and then the site will sit there, unoccupied by workers for a week or two. There is also a lack of posting on the sidewalk, so a person may not notice the needed curb cut is unavailable to them until they are approaching it. There is also not an online location to inform what the alternative route to take is before adventuring out; this can lead to a person getting stuck and having to improvise on the spot in order to get to their destination. I know that life is not perfect and I do not mind adventures that require improvising along the way, but time after time, when the only thing that is standing in the way of moving forward is eight inches of concrete can get frustrating.
As a person who does not drive a car, I rely heavily on using my wheelchair to get from place to place; I go on walks throughout Bellingham pretty much everyday. Recently, I have encountered multiple roadblocks in my travels. At the end of W. Holly Street, where it veers into Bay Street, there has been a construction site pretty much all summer. The curb cut out is blocked off with neon orange plastic netting. Never the less, I was impressed to find a makeshift "curb cutout". There is a bright orange board that has been placed up against the curb right before the original curb cutout. I was super excited that someone had the initiative to set up this alternative ramp. This is the first I have in countered and still the only one I have seen. The negative part of the innovation is that the ramp, and therefore where people cross, is not in the typical place which can be shocking to drivers. If a pedestrian pops out into the street where there is not a typical crosswalk, this may cause a driver to panic, which can in turn lead to an accident. Even so, I am grateful for this innovation. I am curious as to why this makeshift ramp is only at one intersection but not every other one. It is possible that it was set up by a private citizen rather than the city, but looks like it's up to code (the gradient and yellow bumps at end). So, thank you to whomever removed one roadblock from my life as well as others.
Blocked off curb cut at the end of W. Holly. There is a curb cut with the yellow rectangle with the grid of bumps. The curb cut is blocked with an orange, plastic netting fence.
The makeshift curb cut. This curb cut has been constructed out of wood, and painted orange. It has the same yellow rectangle grid of bumps as a typical curb cut. This curb cut sticks out and leads right into the street. To the right of this wooden curb cut are two giant, orange cylindrical cones. Across the street, there is another yellow rectangle grid of bumps that leads to a pathway surrounded by an orange, plastic netting fence.
Not too far away from the makeshift curb cut, there are many drilled up curb cuts, therefore making them inaccessible. At the trailhead located at the intersection of Ohio and Ellis Street by Bellingham High School, all four of the curb cutouts have been torn out for over a week. When walking down the sidewalk away from Cornwall Avenue on the left side of the street, there is not a sign indicating that the curb cuts are out of commission. This forced me to backtrack and then exit the sidewalk via a driveway in order to cross the street and continue on my way. There is a sign suggesting that the sidewalk is closed on the right side of Ohio Street when walking away from Cornwall Avenue. Even though there is a sign, it is right where the curb cutout is blocked off rather than warning a pedestrian in advance. The sidewalk is also not closed, but rather just the curb cutouts.
This shows the intersection of Ohio and Ellis. On the right side of the photo sits a white sign that reads, "SIDEWALK CLOSED", in big, black capital letters. On the left side of the photo sits an orange sign that read, "DETOUR", in big, black, capital letters. About the word "DETOUR" is a black symbol of a person. Below the word "Detour" is a big, black arrow that points in the direction people are supposed to go. Right beyond the signs are curb cuts leading to crosswalks. These crosswalks are blocked off with yellow caution tape, and large, orange, cylindrical cones.
In order for curb cutouts to stay up to date, they do have to be out of commission for a small amount of time. However, in order to keep the amount of accessibility that already exists while improving it, there needs to be some innovations. There needs to be a webpage that allows all people to access the updated information about when and where construction will take place and suggest the best alternative accessible route. If possible, there should also be a makeshift ramp in place of the missing curb cutout; one may not be feasible if the entire side walk is chopped up too.
People know the ways they can go, as not every route is accessible; if their accessible path is blocked, then there is a wrench thrown into their travel plans. Communication is the key to solving many problems, including this one. People with disabilities need to report when and where there is a roadblock in their path and the city needs to listen and respond to suggestions in order to better the city for all people. The city also needs to inform the public of their plans in order to equal the ability for all people to travel from place to place. It would be amazing to go on a walk without having the sidewalk end.
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