Athens City Council discusses plans to replace non-ADA compliant crosswalk
Photo via: TNP Staff
Members of the Athens City Council voted Monday to postpone the approval of the city’s 2025 budget, turning their attention instead to ongoing discussions of ADA accessibility in uptown Athens.
The city of Athens came under fire earlier this year for its failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which came into effect in 1990 — more than 30 years ago. In October, the city’s Disabilities Commission said they would sue if the city failed to make changes.
Last night, council members reviewed an ordinance, introduced by member Solveig Spjeldnes, that would expedite the replacement of crosswalks and ADA ramps at the intersection of Union and Court Street. If passed, the ordinance would grant the project emergency status, allowing the construction to take place over Ohio University’s upcoming holiday break.
Community member Tim Traxler expressed frustration with the proposal. He submitted a petition containing 85 signatures to the city of Athens last month, and in a letter published in the Athens Independent and several other local papers, Traxler called the city’s red-brick aesthetic a part of the community’s “rich history” and accused the city of ignoring his concerns. “People want to be involved in this,” Traxler said.
Council member Jessica Thomas reminded the audience that the ordinance in question specifically targets one intersection. “We’re not talking about tearing up the streets, changing the aesthetic of the city,” Thomas said. “We’re talking about making the crosswalk accessible.”
Thomas also emphasized the importance of timing, calling Ohio U’s winter break the “least impactful time to do this.”
Spjeldnes raised the question of the ordinance’s effects on uptown business and traffic, and Council Member Alan Swank suggested suspending parking fees uptown while construction is underway, which he called an “olive branch.”
In other news:
The council reviewed an ordinance that will place the issue of a 0.30% income tax increase on the ballot for May 6.
The Athens City Council will meet again on Monday, Dec. 9.