The Municipality of Kincardine is looking to complete a review on its crosswalks to ensure accessibility in the community.
During council’s April 10th meeting, they directed staff for the review to find how to provide accessible crosswalks within the municipality while adhering to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), as well as the Facility Accessibility Design Standards from the city of London.
Councillor Beth Blackwell made an amendment to the initial motion to potentially add audible devices to crosswalks, particularly at crossings that were not connected to traffic lights.
The current AODA standard does not require audible signals for blind and low-vision pedestrians.
Blackwell’s motion is calling for a staff report that would be presented back to council this upcoming Fall.
Director of Infrastructure and Development Adam Weishar informed council, “Generally speaking our comments back are going to be that there are approved types of [pedestrian crossovers], and all comply in terms of providing safe opportunities for passage. It just really depends on how elaborate you want to establish them.”
Councillor Mike Hinchberger said that although he would like to see accessibility achieved in the municipality, he wants to bring everything up to code before making improvements.
“I’m fully behind improving accessibility in the municipality. I have a daughter who’s partially blind, and another who’s got severe to moderate hearing impairment,” he told council. “I would really like to see us focus our attention, through the accessibility advisory committee, on ensuring that we get all of our facilities up to the standards of the AODA and the London FADS, before we embark on coming up with our own new ‘über standard.’”
There was concern from some members of council that waiting on a report would delay existing crossings to be brought up to AODA standard, but Weishar informed them that it wouldn’t. He also said that if they wanted to approve additional upgrades, there would have to be funding given before any additional work would be completed.
