Are there buildings in Mill Valley that aren’t handicapped assessable and you wish they were? Do you know of any parks that could benefit from a ramp, or streets where pedestrian signals would be helpful?
Mill Valley is updating its Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan by asking residents to fill out a survey in order to identify locations that aren’t accessible, and determine what the community considers a priority in updating. The transition plan hasn't been updated since it was implemented in 1993.
“We felt it was time to update it and bring us into the new millennium,” said Mill Valley ADA Coordinator Dan Martin.
Working with the consulting firm Margen & Associates, the city is asking residents to fill out an online survey or pick up a hard copy at a number of locations around town, and will use the input to determine where to focus improvement efforts.
The self-evaluation is required by the ADA, and is “an important step in the ultimate goal of ensuring all of the cities facilities, services, programs and activities are accessible to all individuals, according to a press release from City Hall.
The survey includes questions like ‘Overall, how would you rate the current level of accessibility to city sidewalks?’ provides room to list specific places of concern, and asks residents to rank the importance of commercial areas, city facilities, bus stops, schools and residential areas.
“We’re looking at the whole city,” Martin said. He declined to speculate on any particular areas that might be worth noting, saying that will be determined by the results of the survey. Although Mill Valley hasn’t officially updated the transition plan since 1993, when work is being done, such as a sidewalk repair, the city has taken the opportunity to bring it up to ADA requirements, he said.
“Generally as improvements are made over the years, we try to make it compliant whenever possible,” Martin said.
Once the results of the survey are in — probably sometime in the next six months — the city will access the needs and funding for updates. Martin said he’s not sure how the community will respond, but is sure residents will help identify places that aren’t compliant.
“The topography is a huge issue,” Martin said. “With all the hills in Mill Valley, that’s a challenge.
Th survey is available online, and hard copies are available at the following locations:
City Hall
26 Corte Madera Ave.
MV Community Center
180 Camino Alto Ave
MV Public Library
375 Throckmorton.Ave
Chamber of Commerce
85 Throckmorton Ave.
Once completed, all hard copies should be mailed in or dropped off at:
Mill Valley City Hall
Attn: Dan Martin
26 Corte Madera Ave.
Mill Valley, CA 94941
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