BALLSTON SPA — Village residents are encouraged to submit applications to join a committee that oversees efforts to make communities more accessible to people with disabilities.
The village announced earlier this month that it was awarded an Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan grant from the Metropolitan Area Transportation Commission.
“This plan is a program, activity or services by individuals with disabilities,” village trustee Liz Comos said in a press release. “The purpose of this plan is to identify structural barriers to public facilities and, where structurally feasible, plan and implement improvements to remove or reduce the impact of those barriers.”
CDTC Senior Transportation Planner Carey Ward could not disclose the amount of the grant and said it was not a traditional grant.
“We do contract management on behalf of local governments,” she said.
She said the village is one of three transition plans included in the $107,000 contract, and Troy is one of the other municipalities included in the deal. She said Troy would likely need more resources due to its larger infrastructure and expected the village to be able to provide staff assistance for data collection.
“Sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and bus stops are all areas that we plan to address in this plan,” says Kormos.
Village resident Ray Otten said he asked to be on the committee.
“My opinion is about accessibility for people with mobility problems because I live with it every day and was part of the committee that did the sidewalk analysis for a previous CDTC study.” he said.
He said the village is taking steps to address some accessibility issues, but sidewalks need to be fixed, especially in the village’s business district and at the north end of the village.
He said other issues that need to be addressed include:
- A sidewalk connection is installed in the school zone.
- Ensure a passable sidewalk on Milton Avenue.
- So that people using wheelchairs can come to the store with peace of mind.
- Location of bus stops causing traffic problems and requiring relocation.
Kormos said the project will include public input and the village will reach out to seniors, veterans, school districts and other organizations in the Ballston area.
Kormos said there is no official date for applying to join the committee, but efforts should be made to apply by January 15. https://www.villageofballstonspa.org/home/webforms/committee-interest-form.
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