Learn about the importance of maintaining sidewalks and walking paths.
The walking paths and sidewalks on your commercial property must be maintained for the safety of customers, and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) Continue reading for regulations and rules property owners must follow to ensure their walking paths and sidewalks are safe for customers, and not liable for injuries or lawsuits.
Rules and Regulations
- Width: Sidewalks require a minimum width of 5 feet if set back from the curb, or 6 feet if at the curb face. This regulation is in place for people with disabilities, as your property’s sidewalks should be wide enough for wheelchair access. Any width less than this does not meet the minimum requirements for people with disabilities and is not in compliance with the ADA.
- Pedestrian hazards: Pedestrian hazards include potholes, cracks, or other tripping hazards, as property owners may be liable for trip or fall injuries. The rule is that there should be no unevenness that can be measured more than ¼ inch. If you notice your sidewalk or walking path has unevenness more than that is considered a hazard and needs immediate repair. Other hazards include obstructions, such as fire hydrants or signage, that is in the direct path of pedestrian traffic.
- Slope: A single segment of concrete can only be raised by 30%. In between each segment that rises 30%, there should be 5 inches of space in between of flat surface. Also, the slope needs to be the same as the roadway slope.
Sidewalk Buffers
All sidewalks should have some kind of buffer between the walking path and traffic, whether it is in a parking lot or alongside a busy road. For commercial building parking lots, sidewalk buffers can include landscaping, street furniture, or parked cars.
- Landscaping: Often times, we see a strip of grass, shrubs, or trees as the buffer between a walking path and cars. This is typically the preferred buffer, since it provides a shaded environment to walk, and is visually appealing to pedestrians.
- Parked cars: In parking lots, parked cars can provide a buffer between pedestrians and moving vehicles.
- Street furniture: This sidewalk buffer includes items like benches and street lighting that are placed between the walking path and the road.
Pavement Maintenance You Can Trust from PTG Enterprises
If you want to protect your asphalt and ensure it has a long lifespan, choose PTG Enterprises for your sealcoating and asphalt maintenance needs. We offer commercial concrete, masonry, asphalt installation, repair, and paving throughout Baltimore, Harford, Anne Arundel, Howard, and P.G. Counties. If you are interested in hearing how we can help you, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 636-8777. For more tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Flickr.
Tags: Concrete, My Pavement Guy, PTG Enterprises, sidewalks
