Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles

David M. Capozzi
United States Access Board
September 13, 2012

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 178 (Thursday, September 13, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56590-56591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22554]


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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD

36 CFR Part 1192

[Docket No. ATBCB 2010-0004]
RIN 3014-AA38


Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines 
for Transportation Vehicles

AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

ACTION: Notice of information meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 
(Access Board) is holding an information meeting in Seattle, WA on 
October 2, 2012 on pending rulemaking to revise and update 
accessibility guidelines for buses, over-the-road buses, and vans. The 
purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues related to the design and 
slope of bus ramps and the space needed at the top of ramps by 
individuals who use wheeled mobility devices to access the fare 
collection device and to turn into the main aisle.

DATES: The information meeting will be held from 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 
on October 2, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The information meeting location is Washington State 
Convention Center, Rooms 611-612 (6th level), 800 Convention Place, 
Seattle, WA 98101-2350.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Windley, Office of Technical and 
Information Services, Access Board, 1331 F Street NW., Suite 1000, 
Washington, DC 20004-1111. Telephone (202) 272-0025 (voice) or (202) 
272-0028 (TTY). Email address board.gov">windley@access-board.gov. Persons 
planning to attend the meeting should contact Scott Windley. More 
information and any updates to the meeting will be posted on the Access 
Board's Web site at http://www.access-board.gov/transit/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In July 2010, the Architectural and 
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) issued a notice 
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to revise and update its accessibility 
guidelines for buses, over-the-road buses, and vans. See 75 FR 43748, 
July 26, 2010. The NPRM revised both the substance and structure of the 
guidelines. In addition to a new organization and format, the NPRM 
included revisions to technical requirements for ramp slopes, onboard 
circulation routes, wheelchair spaces,

[[Page 56591]]

and securement systems. The NPRM also included a new requirement for 
automated stop and route announcements in systems with 100 or more 
buses and requirements specific to bus rapid transit systems. To 
improve accessibility, the Board proposed reducing the maximum slope of 
vehicle ramps. The NPRM proposed that bus ramps have slopes not steeper 
than 1:6 (17 percent) when deployed to the boarding and alighting areas 
without station platforms and to the roadway. See T303.8.1 in the NPRM. 
Some bus and ramp manufacturers currently provide ramps that meet this 
proposed provision. To minimize the ramp extension beyond the doorway, 
some manufacturers provide a fixed ramp slope inside the bus creating 
the potential for a grade break, or change in ramp slope, within a 
single ramp run. These designs also can reduce the level floor space at 
the top of the ramp.
    The comment period on the NPRM ended on November 23, 2010. After 
the comment period ended, the Access Board received correspondence from 
Lane Transit District, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and 
Douglas Cross Transportation Consulting that raised issues regarding 
the usability of these ramps. The Access Board staff met with 
representatives from Lane Transit District and Douglas Cross 
Transportation Consulting to discuss these issues. The correspondence 
and a report on the meeting have been placed in the docket.
    In August 2012, the Access Board reopened the comment period until 
October 31, 2012 to collect additional information on bus ramps. See 77 
FR 50068, August 20, 2012. As part of this effort, the Board will hold 
two information meetings to discuss the usability and impacts of 
certain bus ramp designs that have recently been implemented.
    The first information meeting will be held in Washington, DC from 
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on September 19, 2012 in the Board's conference 
center at 1331 F Street NW., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20004-1111. 
Notice of the first meeting was provided in the August 20, 2012 Federal 
Register notice.
    The second information meeting will be held in conjunction with the 
American Public Transportation Association (APTA) annual meeting in 
Seattle, WA from 2:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on October 2, 2012 at the 
Washington State Convention Center, Rooms 611-612 (6th level), 800 
Convention Place, Seattle, WA 98101-2350. The information meeting is 
open to all members of the public, including those who are not 
registered to attend the APTA annual meeting.
    The Access Board is interested in receiving information on the 
following questions at the information meetings:
    1. Can a bus ramp with a slope of 1:6 be provided without a grade 
break and without compromising the available level space within the bus 
at the top of the ramp? How might bus kneeling affect these designs?
    2. If the ramp slope were required to be uniform for the length of 
the ramp with no grade breaks, how would such a requirement affect bus 
and ramp designs, manufacturers, transit operators, and transit users, 
including those with disabilities?
    3. How much level space, measured when the bus is sitting on a 
level surface, can be provided beyond the top of the ramp? How can this 
space be configured to permit individuals who use wheeled mobility 
devices to access fare collection devices and to turn into the main 
aisle? How does the slope of the ramp, the location of the fare 
collection device, and the configuration of the handrail affect the 
availability of this space?
    4. If level space were required at the top of the ramp to permit 
access to fare collection devices and to facilitate turning into main 
aisles, how would such a requirement affect bus designs, manufacturers, 
transit operators, and transit users, including those with 
disabilities?
    Bus and ramp manufacturers, transit operators, researchers, 
disability organizations, and interested individuals are invited to 
participate in the public information meetings and to submit comment. 
Transcripts of the meetings will be placed in the docket at http://www.regulations.gov and will be available on the Access Board's Web 
site at http://www.access-board.gov/transit/.
    The information meetings will be accessible to persons with 
disabilities. An assistive listening system, computer assisted real-
time transcription (CART), and sign language interpreters will be 
provided. Persons attending the information meetings are requested to 
refrain from using perfume, cologne, and other fragrances for the 
comfort of other participants (see www.accessboard.gov/about/policies/fragrance.htm for more information).

David M. Capozzi,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-22554 Filed 9-12-12; 8:45 am]
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