The Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) has reviewed the proposed Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles and wishes to submit several comments on the proposed rules. The HIRTA is a demand-response rural transit system in central Iowa.
In the mobility aid securement area, the requirement for a clear floor area measured from the floor up to a height of 40-inches will eliminate the installation of “flip” seats along the wall for use by ambulatory passengers when no passengers with mobility aids are aboard. This requirement will diminish the passenger capacity of our cutaway vehicles.
The same requirement, a clear floor area measured from the floor up to a height of 40-inches, also will eliminate the ability to place the feet of passengers with mobility aids under the seat in front of the securement area. This requirement, for a longer dedicated securement area, would either diminish passenger capacity in our current vehicle sizes or cause us to need longer vehicles, which would make vehicle weight an issue.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Kristin L. Nanke, AICP
Executive Director
Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency
5800 Fleur Drive, Suite 215
Des Moines, IA 50321-2800
Phone: (515) 256-5680
Cell: (515) 491-6067
Toll Free: (877) 686-0029
Fax: (515) 256-5681
E-mail: knanke@hirtapublictransit.com
Website: www.hirtapublictransit.com