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THE CITY OF I - wpm -• ° ° CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT 8 pL EASANTON® March 1, 2011 Operations Services Department TITLE: AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT DETECTABLE WARNING REQUIREMENTS FOR DETECTION BY PEDESTRIANS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS SUMMARY Detectable warnings, specifically truncated domes, installed at curb ramps, are walking surface truncated tiles that are primarily intended to provide a visual, audible and tactile cue (perceptible by touch) to pedestrians who are visually impaired. The current detectable warning surfaces, i.e., truncated domes, currently being installed meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines are time - tested and are a durable polymer composite material. During the past four years, the City has installed these truncated surfaces on City sidewalks and ramps as we resurface or upgrade streets to meet current ADA guidelines and the Department of Justice directives on ADA compliance. To date, 556 ramps have been made ADA compliant using truncated domes, leaving an additional 3,798 ramps that need to be updated in the future. Recently the City Council requested a report regarding color selection options that may meet ADA requirements and be more aesthetically pleasing to the community. RECOMMENDATION City staff recommends that the City continue to utilize the federal yellow polymer detectable warning tiles for all future installations for sidewalk and ramps in order to provide the most luminance contrast and best reflectance throughout the City. However, if directed by the City Council, staff would further explore using other colors, such as brick or colonial red at appropriate locations such as the Main street corridor where there are smaller intersection widths and paver colors at crosswalks that would provide the desired contrast between the detectable warning devices and the surrounding material. FINANCIAL STATEMENT There is no additional financial impact. These materials have already been funded through the Capital Improvement Program in the Annual Sidewalk and Intersection Ramp Installations budget which includes adding the yellow detectable truncated domes at the existing ramps in compliance with ADA requirements. As part of the annual resurfacing program the City of Pleasanton is required to upgrade all of the roadways being resurfaced to current ADA standards and will be part of an ongoing effort over the next pavement life cycle of 20 years.