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BALLSTON SPA — Village residents are being encouraged to submit an application to sit on a committee to oversee efforts to create a more accessible community for people with disabilities.
The village announced earlier this month it was awarded an Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan grant from the Capital District Transportation Commission.
“The plan will address the village’s public facilities that limit access to programs, activities, or services by individuals with disabilities,” said village Trustee Liz Kormos in a press release. “The purpose of the plan is to identify structural barriers to its public facilities and, where structurally feasible, schedule and implement improvements to remove or mitigate the impact of those barriers.”
CDTC Senior Transportation Planner Carrie Ward said she could not provide a figure amount on the grant and that it’s not a traditional grant.
“We are handling contract management on behalf of the municipalities,” she said.
She said the village is one of three transition plans in a contract totaling $107,000, with Troy being one of the other municipalities in the contract. She said Troy, due to its larger infrastructure will likely take up more of the resources and that she anticipates the village being able to provide staff assistance for data collection.
“Sidewalks, crosswalks, and bus stops are all areas that we plan to address in this plan,” Kormos said.
Village resident Ray Otten said he asked to be part of the committee.
“My input would be on accessibility for those with mobility issues as I live with it daily and was part of the committee that did the sidewalk analysis for the previous CDTC study,” he said.
He said while the village has taken steps to address some accessibility issues there is still more to be done, particularly in the business district of the village and the north end of the village where he said where the sidewalks need to be fixed.
He said other issues that need to be addressed include:
- Putting sidewalk connection in school zones.
- Ensuring passable sidewalks on Milton Avenue.
- Making sure that people who use wheelchairs can access stores.
- Location of bus stops, which create traffic issues and should be relocated.
Kormos said the project will include public input and that the village will reach out to organizations such as the Ballston Area Seniors, veterans and the school district.
Kormos said while there is no official date for people to apply to be on the committee, they should try to do so by Jan. 15. People can apply by visiting https://www.villageofballstonspa.org/home/webforms/committee-interest-form.
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