Within site Accessible Route Required?

[ADAguy]

Exception 2 allows for no route required if a vehicular way (consider drive aisles at gas stations with minimarts) not providing pedestrian access (between site adjacent sidewalks?) is the only means of access.

206 Accessible Routes ( A performance requirement with methods and means of compliance left to the designer and AHJ's determination - see exception?)

206.1 General. Accessible routes shall be provided in accordance with 206 and shall comply with Chapter 4.


206.2 Where Required. Accessible routes shall be provided where required by 206.2.


206.2.1 Site Arrival Points. At least one accessible route shall be provided within the site from accessible parking spaces and accessible passenger loading zones; public streets and sidewalks; and public transportation stops to the accessible building or facility entrance they serve.


EXCEPTIONS:


1. Where exceptions for alterations to qualified historic buildings or facilities are permitted by 202.5, no more than one accessible route from a site arrival point to an accessible entrance shall be required.

2. An accessible route shall not be required between site arrival points and the building or facility entrance if the only means of access between them is a vehicular way not providing pedestrian access.


Who determines this? If a designer begins with a flat site on a corner, to omit an accessible route would seem to be a design error (willful or not), no?

If an alteration is done to a primary use area of an existing site without an Accessible Route an space is available to provide a accessible route clear of hazardous drive aisles, shouldn't they be required to do so?

 

[Paul Sweet]

I can see not having to provide an accessible route from the road to a building set back a couple hundred yards from a busy highway. I don't think this exception is meant to apply in a built-up area with sidewalks or public transportation.

 

[ADAguy]

I agree Paul, the site is a typical corner with sidewalks in a developed area. Failure to provide an accessible route was cited in an access complaint.
Building has been remodeled since 2010 but an accessible route was not provided, lots of room to do so.

 

[Francis Vineyard]

Isn't the cost limited up to 20% of alterations to primary function areas and up to the designer or owner where the improvements are made?

"If it can be reasonably anticipated that the route between the site arrival point and the accessible facilities will be used by pedestrians, regardless of whether a pedestrian route is provided, then this exception will not apply. It will apply only in the relatively rare situations where the route between the site arrival point and the accessible facility dictates vehicular access – for example, an office complex on an isolated site that has a private access road, or a self-service storage facility where all users are expected to drive to their storage units.

2010 Standards provides the flexibility necessary to permit designers and others to determine the most appropriate location of the accessible route to the accessible entrances. If all pedestrians using the parking facility are expected to share the vehicular lanes, then the ADA permits covered entities to use the vehicular lanes as part of the accessible route."

Guidance on the 2010 Standards: Titles II and III

 

[Mr. Inspector]

Accessible route between buildings or from a street (no sidewalks) on the same site always gave me a headache in camps where buildings and recreation areas can be up to miles apart and do have rough and/or hilly walk-able paths between them. Wish there was an exception for camps or a maximum length of the required accessible route in sites.