City touts progress on ADA compliance

The City of El Paso Tuesday touted great pogress as it seeks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The City is spending approximately $3 million annually on direct ADA improvements that will further mobility, accessibility and safety for the city’s residents, city officials said.

Some of the improvements include:

Brio stations and vehicles Streetcar vehicles and stations Continued installation of audible pedestrian crosswalk signals 8 new ADA accessible Spray Parks 21 playgrounds installed this year, with fully compliant ADA play systems and accessibility

Mayor Dee Margo stated that the developments are vital to the city’s ability to provide for every person in El Paso.

“Accessibility and inclusiveness are essential for any city seeking to provide services that support a high quality of life for all its residents, businesses and visitors,” Mayor Dee Margo said. “It’s important that we continue with our ADA compliance efforts to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy all that El Paso has offer.”

Officials say an additional $750,000 has been allocated since Fiscal Year 2016 to accelerate the city’s ability to respond to requests from the public to fill in sidewalk gaps and install curb ramps. The city’s proposed 2018 budget would increase direct ADA expenditures by more than $2 million.

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said that the city is aware that these improvements are just the beginning.

“We know we have more work to do. We hope to gain new momentum in ADA improvements by creating a taskforce to bring back an even more comprehensive program for ADA improvements,” Gonzalez said.