ADA Compliant Ramp Done Right at a Gas Station

Accessible Ramp at Gas Station

Recently I was on a road trip and stopped at a gas station that had a pedestrian ramp that was installed so as to exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please see the photo on the right. In this photo you can see the ADA parking spaces on the right, the ramp in the middle, and at the far end of the ramp you can see where the marked access aisle and a route to the gas pumps come together. This route design combined with the wide ramp is a great example of the ADA done right. In fact, this design exceeds the ADA requirements for the width of the ramp.

There are many ADA requirements for the design of an accessible ramp. The graphic below is representative of these ADA requirements.

Note in the graphic above that the clear width minimum requirement is 36 inches. Looking at the photo above you can see that the clear width is approximately 6 feet, or 72 inches. Double the minimum. Which allows clearance for two individuals using wheelchairs to be on the ramp going in opposite directions.

The ADA also requires that the access aisle at ADA parking join an accessible route, which can include a ramp. At the far end of this ramp the access aisle from the ADA parking on the right, and the marked route to/from the gas pumps which are out of the photo to the left, come together at the bottom of this accessible ramp. An accessible route from/to the gas pumps to the ramp is required by the ADA, but the route is not required to be painted (marked) by the ADA. Although it is recommended.

SUMMARY: The requirements of the ADA are minimum standards. Going beyond the ADA, like this installation did, is great! That is why this installation is a great example of doing the ADA right!

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If you observe a facility or entity that is not ADA or FHA compliant please contact ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, 615-752-0060, or inspections4ada@gmail.com.

ADA Inspections Nationwide, LLC, offers ADA/ABA/FHA accessibility compliance inspections for buildings and facilities, as applicable to the different laws, and expert witness services with respect to ADA/ABA/FHA laws for building owners, tenants and managers. Also, ADAIN offers consulting for home modifications as a CAPS consultant for people wishing to age in place in their homes. For a complete list of services please see ADAIN Services.

Thank you.