Regular travelers of the lower end of Wrightsboro Road have a smooth ride since the road was resurfaced between Druid Park and Highland avenues. Some curb changes also were made in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.
![A ramp near Hickman Road leads into a utility pole. It's intended to be a "place of refuge" for wheelchairs to get out of the way of traffic. ZACH BOYDEN-HOLMES/STAFF](http://aug-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/9315826.jpg "A ramp near Hickman Road leads into a utility pole. It's intended to be a "place of refuge" for wheelchairs to get out of the way of traffic. ZACH BOYDEN-HOLMES/STAFF")
Augusta Traffic Engineering Manager Steve Cassell said the curb modifications will accompany every resurfacing project in the city as required by ADA.
Even though there’s an obvious problem with some of the modifications, Cassell said it’s still an improvement. The modifications include a curb ramp at the corner of every side street that converges with that portion of Wrightsboro Road – even where there are no sidewalks.
In a few areas, the landing of the ramp abruptly ends in a freshly-dug hole left by the workers, followed by rough terrain. At Hickman Road and Heard Avenue, the ramps lead into a utility pole. Cassell said the department is aware of the problem but has to follow requirements no matter what. He pointed out there also are utility poles and trees in the line of travel on the sidewalks that have been there for years.
“Basically, the new curb cuts are a place of refuge,” he said. “It’s a place where the wheelchairs can go if they are having to travel on the street because there is no sidewalk. They can move out of the way of traffic if they need to.”
No matter the location, the ramps will also benefit the visually impaired. Each ramp has a large red, rectangular area with protruding bumps, which is a signal that the walkway ends and a road is there.
“I don’t think the people in wheelchairs appreciate the bumps too well, but they help the visually impaired,” Cassell said. “We want to follow all the ADA guidelines. There’s a lot to consider.”
Sandra Ray, a resident of Wrightsboro Suites, travels that portion of Wrightsboro Road numerous times every day in her motorized scooter. She said her husband also travels the road in a wheelchair.
“I think (the ramps) are a great start,” she said. “But they need to fix the sidewalks. … The weeds are taking them over, and I can’t ride over them.”
Cassell said there are no plans in the immediate future for new sidewalks along Wrightsboro Road. The city is evaluating where sidewalks need to be.
“I know people would like to have them everywhere,” he said. “But that’s not financially possible. We are evaluating where they are needed most.”
Curb changes to nowhere. Only in Augusta, my hometown, "Where half-a_ _ is good enough."
Amazingly they are following the law though. Here is the code II-6.6000 Curb ramps. When streets, roads, or highways are newly built or altered, they must have ramps or sloped areas wherever there are curbs or other barriers to entry from a sidewalk or path. Likewise, when new sidewalks or paths are built or are altered, they must contain curb ramps or sloped areas wherever they intersect with streets, roads, or highways. So I guess even of the path is leading into a utility pole it will be ok.
Sidewalks/bikepaths where children can walk and ride, respectively, or a new baseball stadium-on-steroids where Augusta's mayor can cure a chronic case of "hero-"worship and TPTBNA can make some money. The choice is whose?
Am I the only one who thinks this statement from Augusta Traffic Engineering Manager Steve Cassell is absurd?
“Basically, the new curb cuts are a place of refuge,” Cassell said. “It’s a place where the wheelchairs can go if they are having to travel on the street because there is no sidewalk. They can move out of the way of traffic if they need to.”
Here is what he should have said:
I realize it is ridiculous and wasteful to put curb cuts on roads where there is no sidewalk, but it's the law. If that's what the ADA wants, that's what they'll get.
BSNM and LL,
Who do we think we are to question anything done by TPTBNA?
We should sit down and shut up like little children are expected to.
Augusta Traffic Engineering Manager Steve Cassell said:
“[The curb cut is] a place where the wheelchairs can go if they are having to travel on the street because there is no sidewalk. They can move out of the way of traffic if they need to.”
Okay, so we give ramped curb cuts only at intersections, but people in wheelchairs are traveling down the street because there is no sidewalk. It is an insult to people in wheelchairs to tell them they are safe now because of these curb cuts. What are the odds that there will be a curb cut where they need to "move out of the way of traffic?"
And these are the same people who want taxpayers to build a multimillion dollar minor league ballpark downtown. They cannot even build a sidewalk.
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