Curb cut
A curb cut (U.S.), curb ramp, depressed curb, dropped kerb (UK), pram ramp, or kerb ramp (Australia) is a solid (usually concrete) ramp graded down from the top surface of a sidewalk to the surface of an adjoining street. It is designed primarily for pedestrian usage and commonly found in urban areas where pedestrian activity is expected. In comparison with a conventional curb (finished at a right angle Template:Convert above the street surface) a curb cut is finished at an intermediate gradient that connects both surfaces, sometimes with tactile paving.
History
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Historically speaking, footpaths were finished at right angles to the street surface with conventional stepped curb treatments. Their introduction to help people pushing prams dates back at least as far as the 1930s in the UK.[1]
Kalamazoo, Michigan installed curb cuts in the 1940s as a pilot project introduced by veteran and lawyer Jack H. Fischer to aid employment of veterans with disabilities.[2][3] A major project in Berkeley, California led by the grassroots Center for Independent Living led to curb cuts up and down Telegraph and Shattuck Avenues creating an extensive path of travel.[4] Following this, the value of curb cuts was promoted more strongly and their installation was often made on a voluntary basis by municipal authorities and developers.
Curb cuts in Western countries have been mandated by legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) in the United States (which requires that curb cuts be present on all sidewalks) or the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 in Australia. The legislative requirements in some jurisdictions have been increased from the original requirements in recent times, to the point where existing treatments can now fail to meet the most recent design requirements.[5]
When the ramps are used by a broader population than just the disabled (for whom the curb cut requirement was legislated), this new convenience can be seen as a positive externality, and has become known as the curb cut effect.[6]
Users and uses
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Curb cuts at intersections allow for people with disabilities such as wheelchair users to move around safely, independently, and with less difficulty. Curb cuts typically feature tactile paving, a pattern of circular bumps that indicate to visually impaired pedestrians they are about to enter a roadway.[7] Curb cuts also benefit other pedestrians and wheeled forms of transport, such as people with carts or cyclists.
Other applications
A wider curb cut is also useful for motor vehicles to enter a driveway or parking lot on the other side of a sidewalk. In the UK this is commonly referred to as a 'crossover'.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Smaller curb cuts may be used along streets, parking areas or sidewalks in the manner of a water bar, redirecting water from the pavement to stormwater infiltration infrastructure, such as a grassed area or rain garden.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Design
Accessible curb cuts transition from the low side of a curb to the high side (usually Template:Convert change in level). Accessible curb ramps are a minimum of Template:Convert wide. They are sloped no greater than 1:12 (8.33%), which means that for every Template:Cvt of horizontal distance, they rise no more than Template:Convert. The concrete curb ramp is sometimes scored with grooves, the texture of which may serve as a warning to vision-impaired persons of the transition to the street. Such grooves also allow for traction and water runoff, and may be stained a color that significantly contrasts with the adjacent concrete. If a curb ramp contains flared sides, they are usually no greater than 1:10 (10%) slope.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Pram ramps in Australia are designed according to Australian Standard "AS 1428.1:2021", "Design for access and mobility, Part 1: General requirements for access - New building work".[8]
Universal design
Proponents of universal design often point to the curb cut effect as an example when raising awareness of the benefits of this design philosophy.[9]
See also
Further reading
References
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