Important Legislative Updates from NPA:
- California Parking Operators Should Be Aware of Potential for
'Meal and Break Period' Lawsuits - Update on H.R. 800, "The Employee Free Choice Act" [June 27, 2007]
- H.R. 800, "The Employee Free Choice Act" [June 18, 2007]
- Access Board Releases Draft Revisions to Guidelines for Buses and Vans
[April 28, 2007] - Maryland Legislature Approves Living Wage Mandate for Employees
on State Contracts - H.R. 800, "The Employee Free Choice Act"
- Minimum Wage Update
Access Board Releases Draft Revisions to Guidelines for Buses and Vans [April 28, 2007]
The Board is undertaking a review and update of its ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles. Published in 1991, these guidelines cover a range of vehicles, including buses and vans, rail cars, trams, and other modes of public transportation. As part of this effort, the Board has released for public comment draft revisions to sections of the guidelines covering access to buses and vans.
The released draft updates provisions that apply generally to buses and vans and includes revisions that cover new or variant forms of service, such as bus rapid transit. It includes changes to specifications for wheelchair and other mobility aid space requirements, onboard accessible routes, vehicle lifts, ramps and bridgeplates, signs, stop announcement systems and lighting. A discussion provided with the draft text describes these changes. In addition, the Board has included questions seeking comment on minimum space requirements for mobility aids, widths of onboard accessible routes, lift design loads, and specifications for seat belts and shoulder harnesses. The deadline for comment is June 11, 2007.
The measure, which is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2007, applies to state service contracts valued at $100,000 or more. The law would require state contractors and subcontractors to pay $11.30 an hour if more than half of the value of the contract is performed within the so-called "Tier 1 area," comprised of five urban/suburban counties - Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Ann Arundel and Baltimore - as well as Baltimore City. Contractors and subcontractors performing covered contract work in the remainder of the state would be required to pay most employees $8.50 an hour. The law would not apply to construction contracts subject to prevailing wage requirements, to employees under 17 years of age, or to those working fewer than 13 consecutive weeks.
The revisions are based on the Board's review of the guidelines and input it received at an industry roundtable in January and public meetings held last September and July. These events provided an opportunity for the public, including disability groups, transportation operators, vehicle manufacturers, and other interested stakeholders to identify issues to address and provisions to revisit. Recently, the Board held a forum on the released draft and this update effort at New Jersey's TransAction 2007 Transportation Conference and Expo, in Atlantic City and received input on the draft from attendees.
Instructions for submitting comments are included in a notice published in the Federal Register on April 11. Both the draft and the notice are available on the Board's Website at http://www.access-board.gov/vguidedraft.htm. Drafts covering other sections of the vehicle guidelines will be released as they become available. For further information, contact Dennis Cannon at cannon@access-board.gov, 202.272.l0015 (v), or 202.272.0082 (TTY).
NPA members can direct comments to Mary S. Smith, Senior Vice President, Walker Parking Consultants, Inc., 317.842.6890, or mary.smith@walkerparking.com.
