I agree. I don't understand why anyone would remove these ramps. Eberwhite and Slauson students use this pathway to get to school, and some have mobility issues.

I agree as well -- kids on bikes used to utilize the ramps. Furthermore, nobody is going to go 3 yards out of their way to use the new ramps -- human nature is against that happening. Putting the ramp back would be wise.

Are there new ADA compliant in the area or just driveways? If new ramps, a picture would be helpful.

Here's a link to Google maps (I use 2D view) where it looks like the new ramps have just been installed, about 25 feet to the left of the existing sidewalk: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ann+Arbor,+MI/@42.2710057,-83.7632878,33m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x883cb00dd4431f33:0xdb09f94686c8b5e2!8m2!3d42.2808256!4d-83.7430378

It looks like the issue with the existing sidewalk is that it is directly across from one side of the road. The sidewalk across the street would be opposite the telephone pole and sign pole in the photo. Are ADA compliant sidewalks able to cross a street at a small angle? That's what would be required for the sidewalk to be replaced.

There are ADA ramps on the west side of the intersection (photo attached), but ADA requires ramps on all corners of every intersection, so this intersection is not compliant. If the ramp cannot be placed in line with the path it should be offset by as small an amount as possible.

The ramp being moved causes bikes to almost invariably ride over neighborhood lawns. Can't we have BOTH ramps?

This has not been addressed at all. Please respond.

Agreed! As someone who lives next to this path I also think it would be a good idea to restore the ramp. The existing ones are almost never used (as they are out of the way and sometimes blocked by cars as shown in one of the attached pictures). Bikes/strollers use the neighboring driveways instead and pedestrians walk over the old ramp path which is why there is no grass growing there.

Yes, please -- put back the straight-line ramp. It's the only reasonable thing to do.

City staff, it's been a year. You have had adequate time to address this. Please give us an update. Note that removing curb ramps, as you have done here, is a violation of the Final Consent Decree in case 04-73352, Center for Independent Living vs. City of Ann Arbor: "If the City or the DDA believes that a particular corner does not allow construction or alteration in full compliance with the ADA Standards, the City or the DDA, as appropriate, shall submit its proposed design to one of the third party reviewers for review."

This ramp needs to be added back. It makes no sense that you have to go into someone's driveway to access this path.

It is time for action on this. Legal action against the city, if there is no other way.

The alignment of the old crosswalk ran diagonally through the Russell/Redeemer intersection, which created safety issues and inconsistencies with current design standards. Placing the crosswalk perpendicular to Russell Rd east of the intersection in alignment with the sidewalk along the east side of Redeemer Ave was infeasible due to existing grade elevations and significant property impacts. Consequently, a new crosswalk location was selected west of the Russell/Redeemer intersection in order to meet current standards and the criteria of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Your request has been acknowledged and/or addressed to the best of staff's ability. A more detailed description of action taken by staff, if available, is provided in the comments above. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Saying the alignment "ran diagonally" really overstates how much of an angle the cross walk would be at. Looking around the city using Google Maps, I see many examples of cross walks that are not orthogonal to the street they are crossing. See Geddes at Observatory and Geddes at Washtenaw for examples.
Could you please provide a link to the current design standards that prevent the original alignment of the sidewalk? Thanks.

Thank you for your A2 Fix It request, #322888. Your request is important to us and will be prioritized and addressed based on the overall availability of city resources. Please note: If the nature of your request is urgent, such as water emergencies, please check http://www.a2gov.org/a2fixit for phone numbers to contact us. A2 Fix It is for non-urgent, non-emergency issues and is monitored during weekday business hours only. Your patience is appreciated.

The issue was not that the alignment of the old crosswalk ran diagonally, it was that is ran into and through the Russell/Redeemer intersection proper, which created safety issues and inconsistencies with current design standards. Placing the crosswalk perpendicular to Russell Rd east of the intersection in alignment with the sidewalk along the east side of Redeemer Ave was infeasible due to existing grade elevations and significant property impacts. Consequently, City engineers selected a new crosswalk location west of the Russell/Redeemer intersection in order to meet current standards and the criteria of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Public Right-of-Way Access Guidelines (PROWAG). Below is a link to Chapter R3: Technical Requirements of PROWAG:
https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/streets-sidewalks/public-rights-of-way/proposed-rights-of-way-guidelines/chapter-r3-technical-requirements

Your request has been acknowledged and/or addressed to the best of staff's ability. A more detailed description of action taken by staff, if available, is provided in the comments above. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

The changes made based on the ADA and PROWAG standards may be technically in compliance with regulations, but it is clear that the closure of the little ramp that once allowed cyclists and pedestrians pushing strollers to take a direct path to the Eberwhite School sidewalk creates an inconvenience and a hazard for many users of the sidewalk.
Nobody is advocating the removal of the new ramps, just the re-installation of the old one.
The attached photo from Google Earth shows the situation. The old path from corner to sidewalk was 47 ft., while the new path with the same starting and end points is 143 ft. So, clearly, no one is going to use the new path: instead they are using adjacent driveways, or -- as tracks in the mud reveal -- are hopping over the curb on their bikes, risking a crash.
The point here is not that someone in the City administration has to admit to having made a mistake: we who have written on this issue just want the old ramp restored.

Thank you for your A2 Fix It request, #336635. Your request is important to us and will be prioritized and addressed based on the overall availability of city resources. Please note: If the nature of your request is urgent, such as water emergencies, please check http://www.a2gov.org/a2fixit for phone numbers to contact us. A2 Fix It is for non-urgent, non-emergency issues and is monitored during weekday business hours only. Your patience is appreciated.

Anonymous Verified Official: You know perfectly well that the Consent Decree requires you to get an independent engineering review every time you claim infeasibility. You have not done this, which puts you in violation of a court order. I would look forward to your being held in contempt if it weren't for the fact that those of us who pay your salary are going to foot the bill for your intransigence.

Your request has been acknowledged and/or addressed to the best of staff's ability. A more detailed description of action taken by staff, if available, is provided in the comments above. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Why was this closed? The ramps have not been restored as far as I know.

Thank you for your A2 Fix It request, #434789. Your request is important to us and will be prioritized and addressed based on the overall availability of city resources. Please note: If the nature of your request is urgent, such as water emergencies, please check Report a Problem - A2 Fix It for phone numbers to contact us. A2 Fix It is for non-urgent, non-emergency issues and is monitored during weekday business hours only. Your patience is appreciated.

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. I see that this was previously requested under a different ticket, which was closed. I will need to find out internally what the possibilities are for creating a new ramp to replace the one previously removed. I thank you in advance for your patience as I explore these questions.

It has been almost a year since the last response from the City and no action has been taken. This is a primary walking route to Eberwhite elementary and where many students cross daily.