Manhattan Borough President's Report Finds Problems With Curb Cuts Designed To Help Disabled
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A new report cites serious concerns about the condition of curb cuts designed to help disabled people access Manhattan sidewalks.
The office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer says about 600,000 New Yorkers rely on wheelchairs or walkers or have vision impairments.
The report, issued Tuesday, finds that many curb cuts in Manhattan are crumbling, obstructed or nonexistent.
Manhattan Borough President's Report Finds Problems With Curb Cuts Designed To Help Disabled
Brewer unleashed an army of 40 staffers and interns to inspect every curb cut along Broadway, from the Battery to Inwood, WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported. They found that just 115, or 9.5 percent, were fully compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Brewer said technically the law puts the onus on property owners.
"And I think a lot of building owners know that they have to maintain the sidewalk, but they don't realize they also need to maintain the curb cut," Brewer said.
The report notes that since 2004, the city has installed roughly 97,664 curb cuts.
The mayor's office said the city's streets are safer and more accessible than ever, and it's pressing ahead with "a tremendous amount" of improvements.
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