On May 27, 2020, the federal court in San Jose preliminarily approved a class action settlement for people with mobility disabilities who live in or visit the City of San Jose. Under the settlement, the City of San Jose will put in or fix about 27,621 curb ramps on City sidewalks and street crossings over the next 18 years. The federal court has set a date of September 2, 2020, at 1:00 for a hearing to finally approve the settlement.
Under the settlement, the City will put in or fix 1,944 curb ramps on City sidewalks and street crossings each year for the next 10 years, from 2020 to 2030. This is one of the highest yearly curb ramp amounts for any city in the United States. For the first 10 years, from 2020 to 2030, ramps will be put in at corners where there are no ramps now, or they will replace curb ramps that are in the worst shape. From 2031 to 2038, the City will put in or fix 807 curb ramps per year. The City will spend at least $13 million each year from 2020 to 2030 doing this curb ramp work.
From 2031 through 2038, the City will spend at least 10% of its pavement budget on curb ramp work. This work will help the City of San Jose make sure that its sidewalk corners and street crossings are accessible to all residents and visitors to San Jose who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, or other devices to aid people with mobility disabilities.
For additional information, click here: Lashbrook v. City of San Jose. You can also contact the attorney, Stuart Kilpatrick, via email or at 510-287-4328.
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