2023 City of Lake Stevens ADA Transition Plan

The City of Lake Stevens is committed to providing equal access to its public programs, rights-of-way, services, facilities, and activities for all citizens including those with disabilities.

In March 2023, the City published the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan in compliance with federal and state law. To satisfy the requirements set forth by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the City of Lake Stevens ADA Transition Plan:

• self-evaluated public facilities 
• identified obstacles or barriers that limit accessibility
• developed a transition plan and schedule that identifies steps to take to remove the obstacles
• indicated the official responsible for implementation of the plan

The self-evaluation and physical inventory of pedestrian facilities included:

• 2,679 sidewalk segments, totaling approximately 137 miles
• 3,095 curb ramps
• 97 signal pushbuttons

The self-evaluation also included an assessment of practices, policies, and procedures that relate to the planning, design, and construction of these facilities.

Removing all ADA noncompliant features and barriers is an undertaking that will take many years to achieve. This plan identifies priorities and recommendations that the City can implement over time to achieve an ADA-compliant public right-of-way. The removal costs for all non-compliant assets within the public right-of-way is estimated to be $37,628,000 (in 2023 dollars). 

The City is committed to removing these barriers and will implement projects to remove barriers identified in this plan. In addition, the City is continually working towards maintaining ADA compliance for all future capital improvement projects, permitted development, and any other construction project that impacts access to public programs.

2015 Sidewalk ADA Transition Plan

ADA transition planning in accordance with Title II is not a foreign topic for the City of Lake Stevens. In fact, the City completed a Sidewalk ADA Transition Plan in 2015 which included the following:

• An inventory of curb ramps
• Policy statement for ADA compliance
• Established priority route criteria
• Documented project costs
• A process for review of Technically Infeasible Locations 

Technically Infeasible Curb Ramps

In some locations, it may not be possible to design or construct curb ramps that meet all ADA standards. According to Section 106.5 of the 2010 ADA standards, technically infeasible means, with respect to an alteration of a facility, ADA compliance has little likelihood of being accomplished because “existing physical or site constraints prohibit modification or addition of elements, spaces or features, which are in full and strict compliance with the minimum requirements for new construction and which are necessary to provide accessibility”.

In these instances, the designer shall submit to the Public Works department a completed copy of the Maximum Extent Feasible (MEF) documentation. This MEF will be reviewed by Public Works staff and approved or denied by the City Engineer, or designee. Once approved or denied, a copy of the form will be returned to the designer and filed with the City. Acceptance of a non-ADA compliant curb ramp will only be accepted under these conditions.

Completed MEF forms must be submitted to engineering@lakestevenswa.gov.