USDOT publishes final rule establishing accessible standards of transit stops in public right-of-way

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) published a final rule that will increase accessibility for transit users by providing local governments and other owner-operators of the public right-of-way clear, uniform and technically defined standards of accessibility to guide their design decisions for new construction and alterations of transit stops in the public right-of-way. 

USDOT notes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) directs the department to adopt standards for accessible public transportation facilities that are consistent with final minimum accessibility guidelines issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (U.S. Access Board). The Final Rule on Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities: Adoption of Accessibility Standards for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way (PROWAG) adopts the U.S. Access Board’s accessibility guidelines for PROWAG as USDOT’s regulatory standards for new construction and alterations of transit stops in the public right-of-way. 

USDOT's adoption of the PROWAG means that there will no longer be a need for each state or local agency to evaluate sources of guidance and make an independent determination on how to design transit stops and other facilities to achieve accessibility for different types of users. USDOT notes users of the transportation system will also benefit from uniformity in accessibility-related design standards. 

The final rule becomes effective Jan. 17, 2025. USDOT notes it has taken steps to improve the safety and accessibility of America’s multi-modal transportation system for people with disabilities and all members of the traveling public, including: 

Multimodal accessibility of public transportation facilities, vehicles and rights-of-way  

• Funded more than $1 billion in projects through the All Stations Accessibility Program at transit and rail stations across the country to ensure all public areas are accessible to people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs.  
• Launched an initiative to help state departments of transportation implement their ADA Transition Plans and to make it easier for the public to access state ADA plans and inventory data.  
• Enforced ADA compliance in existing and new investments in Amtrak stations and rail vehicles. As of October 2024, USDOT says Amtrak met its ADA responsibilities for 127 (33 percent) stations, up from 105 (27 percent) as of the end of February 2023.  

Accessibility of electric vehicles and automated vehicles  

• Supported the U.S. Access Board’s development of its Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and subsequent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The Federal Highway Administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements Final Rule recommended that charging stations be designed and constructed according to the U.S. Access Board’s Design Recommendations to demonstrate ADA compliance and optimize usability for persons with disabilities.  
• Awarded $5 million in prize money to spur the development of accessible automated vehicles through the Inclusive Design Challenge. In July 2022, USDOT awarded $2 million in final prizes to teams led by Purdue University, AbleLink Smart Living Technologies and the University of Maine in recognition of their work to demonstrate through functioning prototypes how automated vehicles can be accessible to people with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities.