Breaking Barriers: How New DOT Guidelines are Paving the Way for Accessible Public Transportation

On December 18th 2024, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final rule adopting the Access Board’s Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) as part of its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for new construction and alterations of transit stops in the public right-of-way.

Starting January 17, 2025, all new construction and alterations of transit stops will need to comply with these technical accessibility specifications. This includes requirements for:

• Boarding and alighting areas
• Boarding platforms
• Transit shelters
• Accessible connections to existing pedestrian paths

These changes are a significant step forward in ensuring that our public transit systems are accessible to everyone. Transit stops, defined as areas designated for passengers to board or alight from buses, rail cars, and other fixed or scheduled route vehicles, will now be more inclusive and user-friendly.

The news of this significant improvement to the public transport sector, which will better the transit experience of disabled travelers across the United States, arrives as Direct Access works with transportation providers in multiple States to meet DOT requirements for transit areas. After a much needed break over the Christmas period, we are currently delivering ADA accessibility contracts with scopes spanning entire cities, assisting clients to implement facilities which meet the particulars of these PROWAG guidelines.

But which public transit facilities fall under these new requirements, you might be asking? Let’s go over some of the earlier examples in finer detail and dive-in to what the DOT is expecting transit stops to look like going forward. 

Firstly, it is crucial to understand what exactly constitutes a “transit stop”, as the definition includes much more than Bus Stops and Railway stations and more broadly refers to rendezvous points where people await specific transport services. This is reflected in the new rule’s definition, which was decided upon after receiving feedback from various experts and disability advocacy groups. 

As a result of the consultations, the DOT very closely specified accessibility requirements for transit stops in the public right-of-way under PROWAG R309. These include the boarding and alighting areas at sidewalk or street-level stops, as well as the boarding platform. It also covers pedestrian access routes (PARs) that link altered boarding areas or platforms with existing pedestrian pathways. Furthermore, if transit shelters are provided, the PARs must connect the shelters to the boarding and alighting areas or platforms, including on sidewalks at street-level.

Other PROWAG requirements for transit stops in the public right-of-way cover a range of features, including fare vending machines, operable parts of fixed elements, detectable warnings at boarding platforms and rail areas, pedestrian signage, accessible routes to newly constructed transit stops, alternative transit stops, and benches.

You might be asking yourself, how can public transport providers be expected to remain confident and effective when navigating the minefield accessibility can be, particularly with new guidelines such as this one becoming the new standard? How, too, can site mangers ensure that each of the aforementioned elements on their site are truly accessible to all? 

Well, by bringing in an ADA accessibility consultancy to review existing on-site facilities via an audit, or enlisting consultants to review plans for any new build projects, providers will be able to guarantee compliance with PROWAG rules and become acutely aware of what is needed to be inclusive. Direct Access is  currently delivering such guidance for Kitsap Transit in Bremerton and Seattle, Washington – where we are assisting the agency in the implementation of a disability ADA Transition Plan that will serve a wide array of travelers with all kinds of disabilities.

Of course, the introduction of these guidelines will not be a fix-all immediately, as creating truly accessible public transport is not going to be an overnight task. Nevertheless, the DOT’s new guidelines are, however, an important stepping stone in the groundwork of accessible transport in the United States. Implementing accessible transit stops will require not only changes to the infrastructure, but will also demand increased engagement from staff within Public Transport organisations on all levels, whether that’s management, passenger assistance, or drivers. Therefore, Accessibility awareness training, paired with mass audits of transit stops, will maximise the likelihood that the goals set out in the new guidance are achieved for the benefit of the American public.