Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

In 1990, the Federal Government enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA required all public organizations to adopt a Transition Plan identifying physical obstacles limiting access to programs, services and activities by persons with disabilities.

The information provided below outlines recent efforts undertaken by the City to ensure progress in addressing ADA accessibility issues within the public right-of-way.  Saratoga Springs has made a significant and long-term commitment to improving the accessibility of its public right-of-way. The purpose of the ADA Transition Plan Phase 2 Document, which is currently in draft form, is to ensure that the City of Saratoga Springs identifies prohibited structural barriers to its public right-of-way, and, where structurally feasible, schedules and implements ADA-required improvements in order to remove those barriers.

ABOUT THE PLAN

On December 19, 2017, the City of Saratoga Springs adopted American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan Phase 1 to ensure that the City creates reasonable, accessible paths of travel in the public right-of-way for everyone including people with disabilities. Additionally, the City adopted a formal Resolution for ADA, a Complaint Process, and has also recently integrated ADA into its Complete Streets Plan and Unified Development Ordinance. 

In 2020, the City received a grant from the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) to complete a comprehensive ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan (SETP). City facilities, public right-of-way programs, policies, practices, and procedures were surveyed as part of the SETP. Public sidewalks, curb ramps, and pedestrian features of existing signalized intersections were added to the SETP. 

Since 2020, the City has been working with the Capital District Transportation Committee and their consultants LaBella Associates to complete Phase 2 of the ADA Plan. The City worked closely with the ADA Transition Plan Steering Committee, whose membership included the Saratoga Schools City School District, Saratoga Housing Authority, Saratoga County, Saratoga Springs Public Library, as well as DPW and DPS staff in the formation of the attached plan. The Mayor’s office would like to personally thank Katherine Tiedemann, Engineering Technician, for her work in collecting data necessary to draft this report.   

The City of Saratoga Springs is opened public comment on its draft Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Plan Phase 2 - Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan (SETP) at the September 6th City Council meeting at 6:45 PM. A public comment period was open from September 6, 2022, to November 1, 2022.

Phase 2 of the ADA Transition Plan was adopted at the November 1, 2022 City Council meeting by unanimous vote.

Written comments may be submitted below or mailed to Anthony J. Izzo, City Attorney, 474 Broadway Suite 21, Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866 (ADA Coordinator). A copy of the ADA Transition Plan will be available for inspection at the Planning office located at Suite 32 City Hall Third Floor, on the City’s website, and at the public hearing.