Struggling to get up a short but steep incline on Langley Road, a group of City officials being pushed in wheelchairs recently took a tour around Newton Centre with disability advocates to learn more about the barriers faced by those with mobility challenges.
Led by resident Robert Solomon, a longtime champion of accessibility improvements in the city, Inclusive Design Newton (IDN) arranged the experience to bridge “the gap between understanding and empathy,” according to the new group’s press release.
“The focus is on [City officials] having the experience to see what it’s like for a person with a mobility issue to traverse any area in the city of Newton,” said Solomon. “We’re looking for an overall, objective analysis … to instead of fixing this corner and that corner, to look at the whole picture as one objective, to make the City of Newton equally accessible to all.”
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Commissioner of Public Works James McGonagle, and Deputy Commissioner of Public Works Shawna Sullivan joined members of Newton Safe Routes to School, Bike Newton, and City ADA Coordinator Jini Fairley on a cold weeknight to begin the brief journey. Meeting in front of Sotheby’s Real Estate on Beacon Street, Fuller, McGonagle, and Sullivan sat in wheelchairs and were pushed by volunteers so they could experience what Solomon and others with mobility challenges must endure.
Cautiously crossing streets and navigating sidewalks as dusk fell, Solomon pointed out problem areas at major intersections to the officials.
“The experience of using a wheelchair to maneuver our city sidewalks was truly enlightening,” said Fuller in an email after the event. She added she was grateful to have “the opportunity to experience first-hand the unseen barriers that encumber people with limited mobility so I can better understand barriers to equal access.”
“We know there are issues here in Newton Centre,” concurred McGonagle.
Jenn Martin, chairwoman of Safe Routes to School, pushed McGonagle during the event and said she was glad the officials learned from the experience.
“The event increased the empathy of City staff with those who have mobility disabilities, especially experiencing some of the challenges that were unexpected, like a very slightly heaved curb between the Newton Centre Parking Lot and the sidewalk leading to the Newton Centre Green,” she said. “When hit at speed, the chair tips forward and provides quite a jolt; to go over it you need to lean back to lift the front wheels.”
As part of Safe Routes to School, Martin was particularly concerned about cars, SUVs, trucks, etc., being able to see pedestrians.
She had several suggestions to make improvements, including the following:
- “Daylighting” crosswalks by pushing back parking so that drivers can see people waiting to cross the street before they step into the path of the vehicle.
- Improving street lighting over crosswalks to make pedestrians more visible to drivers.
- Adding more Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) — the flashing yellow pedestrian lights.
- Reducing crossing distances by eliminating extra travel lanes wherever possible.
- Increasing pedestrian signal timing so that those who move slower can make it all the way across the street before the traffic light changes.
As she pushed McGonagle, Martin said she also learned about additional challenges facing those with mobility disabilities, including:
- The need for pedestrian push buttons to be easy to reach from a flat sidewalk surface.
- Bricks and stamped concrete, like the “bricks” on Union Street, make it challenging to navigate the sidewalk.
- Even the smallest of curb lips makes it challenging to exit the street onto a sidewalk. Asphalt may be needed to create a smooth surface.
Martin pointed out that “the street furniture that makes our village centers so welcoming can make those same sidewalks unwelcoming for a person using a wheelchair.”
As an example, she said that in Newton Centre, “tables, benches and chairs are on the flat concrete part of the sidewalk, relegating pedestrians and people using a wheelchair to the sloped, uneven ‘brick’ part of the walkway.”
Improvements cost lots of money, but fortunately, the City has addressed 104 ramps during this construction season, according to Sullivan and the Mayor’s office.
“We are in the design phase of improvements at Newton Highlands Village Center. An important element of these improvements will be addressing accessibility issues,” according to the Mayor’s office.
In addition, Fuller allocated $500,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to address some of the other ramp problems, including $358,000 for the following:
- Newton Centre curb ramps: 12 new accessible curb ramps at the Beacon Street – Sumner Street – Langley Road intersections
- Beacon Street curb ramps in Waban: Construction of accessible curb ramps along Beacon Street from Washington Street to Angier School
- Walnut Street/Dexter Road accessibility in Newtonville: Construction of three new accessible curb ramps and new bump outs on both sides of Dexter Road
Solomon said IDN will be holding additional tours, including some in the spring, for City officials willing to be in wheelchairs.
“It’s an eye-opening experience, and that’s what this is all about,” he said.
In the future, he said the group aims to do further outreach in the city, including with school officials; try to develop a website; and include the visually challenged to find out more about their needs that are not being met.
