Clackamas County People With Disabilities: County Looking To Improve Roadway Access

Clackamas County not only wants to improve access to its roadways to people with disabilities, they understand that they have to. It's the law. At the same time, they recognize that it's a very expensive process that will take time.

The county has posted its Americans with Disabilities Transition Plan. The plan identifies that barriers that impede access for people with disabilities to county roadways.

Overall, the county found there is a lot of work to be done. It will be expensive. And it will take a very long time.

The county found there are are 4.531 curb ramps that must be installed, improved, or replaced. In 2016 dollars, it will cost $49,84 million to get the work done. And, the county figured out that even if they could get 65 done every year, it will take 70 years to finish the project.

The county also determined there are 44 traffic signals that need improvements to bring make them ADA accessible. That will cost $4.4 million.

"The total cost for those improvements is estimated to be $4.4 million," the county says. "Many of these accessibility improvements to traffic signals will take place during the coming years through projects that are already funded and included in the five year Transportation Capital Improvements Program."

The county says it recognizes the importance of getting the work done for residents with disabilities - just more than 12 percent of the county population - 45,777 people.

A large percentage of those people are veterans.

The county says there are 30,240 veterans in Clackamas County - of whom 8,186 have disabilities; about 27 percent.

The county is looking for people to offer their comments on the transition plan.

They have set up a website to facilitate the process. The comment period is open through March 31.

People can also leave comments in person by going to the second floor of the county’s Development Services Building, 150 Beavercreek Road in Oregon City, during offices hours.

They also mail comments to Steve Williams at the Department of Transportation and Development.