City to address wheelchair accessibility issues on sidewalks

Martin Dean Dupalo spent several years creating a map showing hundreds of alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Las Vegas area, but he had a hard time getting anyone with authority to show interest in it. Four years after he began his quest, the city of Las Vegas announced a plan to correct about two-thirds of the problems he cited.

He seems to be happy about the announcement, or at least, about two-thirds happy.

Dupalo’s interest in sidewalks began when he saw a man rolling in his wheelchair on a busy section of Stewart Avenue.

“I thought, ‘Well, that’s weird, why is that idiot in the street?’ But I didn’t realize why until a few years later, in 2010, after I had surgery and found it painful to step up on a curb for a few months,” Dupalo said. “I was visiting a friend in that same area and saw that there was no way a wheelchair could get on the sidewalk in that area, and even if they could, there wasn’t much sidewalk to go on.”

Dupalo, a former UNLV instructor who advocates community involvement, began a several-year study of the low-income neighborhood on the east side of the city, including creating the map, which highlights sidewalks without wheelchair access, sidewalks that end and resume in mid-block, sidewalks that are too narrow and other issues.

“I attended meetings and tried to contact councilmen and members of the Planning Commission,” he said. “I was told that the area was grandfathered in and didn’t need to meet ADA requirements. I was told there was no money to fix it. This is a neighborhood where a lot of people don’t have cars and where a lot of people use public transportation. This is a place where they need sidewalks, and as far as I can tell, they are federally mandated.”

Flinn Fagg, planning director for the city, agrees that there are issues but contends the city is making progress toward correcting them.

“One of the complaints about the Las Vegas Valley is that it’s completely auto-oriented and it’s unsafe for pedestrians,” Fagg said. “We began our walkability plans in 2011. We’ve been identifying area in the city that could be made more walkable.”

As for requirements for walkability, Fagg cited the proximity of amenities and places such as grocery stores, restaurants, banks, parks, churches and schools.

“The city sets aside funds in its budget every year for capital improvements,” Fagg said. “Part of that fund goes to walkability projects. We also try to partner up with other entities when other improvements are underway, like a sewer line being repaired. If we can put in a sidewalk when we’re putting the street back together, it’s more efficient.”

The city has implemented one or two walkability plans each year. The next one being proposed is the Rafael Rivera Walkable Community Plan in Ward 3, an area centered around Five Points where Charleston Boulevard, Fremont Street and Eastern Avenue meet. A large portion of it overlaps Dupalo’s map.

“A lot of our more mature neighborhoods either have no sidewalks or are missing parts of sidewalks,” Fagg said. “We look at areas where we can connect them.”

The planners also look at unmarked crosswalks and other places where pedestrians don’t feel safe. They look into adding crosswalks, lighting, shade trees and other enhancements.

The walkability plan was approved by the city Planning Commission on July 8. It is set to be addressed by the City Council on Aug. 20.

“It’s great, and I’m glad to see things going forward,” Dupalo said. “It’s still going to make me a little crazy when I drive past one of the other problem areas I pointed out and see someone risking their life, taking their wheelchair on the road to get groceries.”

Contact East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.