From Jay Livingstone,
State Representative 

Dear Friend,

The issue of improving Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance of sidewalk ramps on Beacon Hill is one that needs to be resolved. We must improve access to the streets and sidewalks of Beacon Hill for our neighbors, friends, and family members living with disabilities. Moreover, necessary repairs to Beacon Hill streets have been delayed because of the ongoing conflict over this issue.

Tonight, July 17th, at 7pm,  Mayor Walsh will be holding a community meeting located at 41 Temple Street to discuss this issue. I urge you to attend and voice your support for ideas that improve ADA access while preserving the historic nature of the neighborhood. I believe that we can accomplish both of these goals - they are consistent with each other. I look forward to hearing the City's plans.

I have met with Mayor Walsh twice and discussed this issue with him and other officials in his Administration. In light of the public conversation around this topic and the upcoming public meeting, I thought I would share the information I have learned along the way.
 
A. Prior ramp proposals from the City of Boston

Mayor Walsh has not yet announced his plans. The Menino Administration previously designed its ramp proposals to use as much concrete as possible on street corners, such as in the images below.

This first image is for "larger" corners, such as Charles Street and Mount Vernon.

LAST CITY OF BOSTON RAMP PROPOSAL

 

This second image is for smaller corners. This ramp design was previously the model for most street corners on Beacon Hill.

LAST CITY OF BOSTON RAMP PROPOSAL FOR MOST CORNERS


 
B. ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps in other parts of Boston and other cities
 
In front of the Public Garden on Boylston Street


 

 




C. Answers to commonly asked questions:
  1. Does the ADA require concrete surfaces?
No, I've checked with federal & state disability officials, and they say that wire-cut brick, properly laid, is as ADA compliant as concrete for ramps. Nothing under federal law prohibits the use of wire-cut brick instead of concrete, and the Massachusetts State Access Board has approved the use of wire-cut bricks repeatedly. The city of Boston's insistence on concrete stems from executive orders issued by Mayor Menino.
 
  1. Does the ADA mandate the prior City of Boston ramps plan?
No, the City of Boston's prior ramps plan is not mandated by federal or state law - only by the orders issued by Mayor Menino. The ADA does mandate an upgrade to current Beacon Hill sidewalk ramps, which I fully support. The upgrades required, generally, are as follows:
  • Currently, there are few indications of where crossings are, which would be solved by installing raised warning pads on corners (for the visually impaired).
  • The slope of ramps needs to be more gradual on many corners.
  • Sidewalk ramps need to have a flat, smooth surface for wheelchair access.

  1. Are there any other advantages to using wire-cut brick over concrete?
Yes, The instillation of wire-cut brick does not use concrete, and as a result, water can seep between the bricks to provide better watering to trees on Beacon Hill. I understand that the current bricks, which have concrete between them, or any new concrete surface, does not allow penetration with water. This causes tree roots to buckle, making sidewalks even more uneven and unsafe. If you would like to see examples of wire-cut bricks, a good example is the sidewalk on Cambridge Street in front of Massachusetts General Hospital's new building. Also, studies comparing wire-cut brick surfaces to concrete have found that wire-cut brick provide a smoother surface for wheelchair users.
 
  1. Why have some disability advocates insisted on using concrete?
City of Boston officials in the past have agreed with the superiority of wire-cut brick over concrete, but have opposed the use of brick over concrete because of concerns that the city will be unable to maintain the brick surface. While this is a legitimate concern, I have every confidence in the Walsh administration, which has shown vast improvement with DPW responsiveness, to get the job done. Recent examples include improvements in replacing gas lights and being responsive to complaints about changes in trash policy. I recently saw a DPW truck following a City of Boston garbage truck during trash pickup in order to directly observe pickup volume and existing conditions. In short, Mayor Walsh's DPW is one of the most responsive city agencies I have seen in years. I credit Mayor Walsh and Commissioner Dennehy for this change. I have confidence that this concern can be addressed with the better, more responsive DPW we have today.

I have yet to see any data comparing maintenance costs between concrete and wire-cut brick. To date, I have only heard anecdotes from some claiming that brick wears out faster, and others that concrete wears out faster.
 
  1. Why have grey warning pads and white warning pads been previously rejected by the Menino Admin?
I understand that some have raised concerns that the visually impaired may mistake dark grey warning pads for puddles on the street. The City of Boston has said that light grey or white warning pads could be confused with snow. Many corners in Boston already use dark grey warning pads. Examples includes the corner in front of Symphony Hall, corners along Boylston Street at the Public Garden, and corners along Rose Kennedy Greenway. Many other cities have also embraced the use of lighter grey warning pads.
 
  1. Do wire-cut brick ramps cost more to install than concrete ramps?
Yes, but the cost difference is negligible between installing wire-cut bricks and installing concrete. In their plans, the City of Boston estimates that it costs three times as much to install wire-cut brick versus concrete. With the amount of concrete that would required for a project of this size, the overall cost would be $10,000 to $30,000 more for a $900,000 overall project. These figures come from DPW's own project estimates.
 
  1. Do concrete pads, which can resemble granite, cost more to install than plastic pads?
No, concrete pads, which can often look like granite or other natural material, cost a fraction of the cost of plastic pads - roughly 1/3 of the cost. Moreover, the plastic pads the City of Boston installed last year in Back Bay need to be replaced already. MGH installed plastic pads last year and they have all been replaced already.

I hope to see you this evening at 7pm at the community meeting with Mayor Walsh.

Best,

Jay Livingstone
State Representative
8th Suffolk District