Letter asking the city to find funding for ADA accessible ramps in Dunbar, including earthen pathways

Around the city, neighborhoods are getting ADA accessible ramps, prioritized neighborhoods that have sidewalks. They did a few in our neighborhood along bike boulevards, but when they put them in, they were only connecting ramps to existing sidewalks, not earthen paths. This project would use federal monies, which require ADA ramps to connect to “wheelchair accessible pathway,” but importantly, federal guidelines does not mandate that this is concrete, only slip resistant. After reviewing federal ADA guidelines, it’s clear that compacted earthen paths—like those on most streets in Dunbar—would qualify. Due to historical redlining, the city didn’t invest in our neighborhood and we never got sidewalks, do we need to carry on this legacy? Brad drafted a letter that he sent out on our neighborhood listserv this afternoon (draft letter text is included in full at end of meeting notes). The letter is asking that the city find funding and fund ADA accessible ramps in our neighborhood, including earthen pathways. To be clear, we are not requesting sidewalks, only the ramps.