Baltimore City to invest $44 million to make sidewalks more accessible, disability friendly

BALTIMORE — Baltimore City will use funds from a settlement agreement to make Baltimore more accessible for those with disabilities and pedestrians, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Thursday. 
The agreement is part of a partial consent decree where the city will invest in sidewalks and curb ramps. 
The city plans to invest $44 million into sidewalks and curb ramps over the next four years under the terms of the agreement. 
$8 million is allocated for FY 25, along with $12 million for each of FY26, 27, and 28. 
Included in the agreement is the creation of a program within the city’s Department of Transportation dedicated to managing the program. 
In 2021,  after the lawsuit was filed, Mayor Brandon Scott assembled a multi-agency task to address Baltimore’s ADA compliance and directed it to use all necessary measures to triage current accessibility complaints.
The IMAGE Center of Maryland, the nonprofit organization that joined three wheelchair users in filing the class action lawsuit against the City of Baltimore in 2021, said they are happy Baltimore is making this commitment to make sidewalks and curb ramps more accessible to people with mobility disabilities. 
“The IMAGE Center of Maryland is happy that the City is making this commitment to finally address the long-standing neglect of the condition of its pedestrian right of way, recognizing that accessible sidewalks and curb ramps are essential for people with mobility disabilities to participate fully in community life,” the IMAGE Center of Maryland wrote. 
“People should not have to risk their lives by traveling in the streets with vehicular traffic.  We look forward to the improvements that will come from this settlement and we will continue to work with the City to make sure that the settlement is fully implemented.”
On Thursday, Mayor Brandon Scott announced that his administration will continue to take action. 
“As is the case in many historic East Coast cities, the challenge posed by our City’s sidewalks and curbs long predates the Americans with Disabilities Act and adequately changing our infrastructure poses a monumental task,” Mayor Scott said. “However, under my administration, we are committed to taking every action necessary to set the City on track to come into compliance with the ADA, and ensure Baltimore is more accessible to our disabled community than ever before.”
An ADA coordinator that will focus on maintaining pedestrian rights of way, monitor accessibility, and institute a maintenance program will also be appointed.