Curb Ramps: Expert Introduction to Design & Safety Expert Article

A curb ramp is a short ramp that cuts through or is built up to a curb. This article discusses design standards for curb ramp safety, focusing on elements commonly associated with slip, trip, and fall incidents. 
 

Curb Ramp Design & Safety

A curb ramp provides a sloped pathway from the curb to a roadway or parking lot. It eliminates abrupt elevation changes where a single step could pose as a walking hazard.

When designed and constructed properly, a curb ramp offers an accessible route for people with disabilities to transition safely between roadway or parking lot and a curbed sidewalk. It also benefits pedestrians with strollers, tricycles, hand trucks, and other wheeled users.

Components of a Curb Ramp

A curb ramp typically consists of several key components designed to ensure safety and accessibility. These parts include:

1. Ramp Run: The sloped surface that allows for the transition between the roadway/parking lot and a curbed sidewalk. The ramp’s slope must meet specific standards to ensure it’s not too steep, which can make it difficult or unsafe to use. 
2. Landing: A flat area at the top or bottom of the ramp that provides a safe space for users to pause before transitioning onto or off the ramp. The landing must be clear of obstructions and large enough for wheelchair users to maneuver.
3. Curb Cut: The portion of the curb that is lowered or "cut" to allow access for the ramp. It is where the sidewalk meets the street or parking lot. The location and the length of curb cuts in public areas are regulated by local ordinance.
4. Flared Sides and Curbs: The sloped side edges of the ramp that taper back to the sidewalk level or taper up to the curb (in the case of built-up curb ramp). The flared surface slope must meet specific standards to ensure the pedestrian path across the curb ramp’s sides is not too steep, which can make it difficult or unsafe to use.
5. Detectable Warning Surface: Code compliant textured, tactile surfaces (often with raised bumps) placed at the bottom of the ramp to alert visually impaired pedestrians that they are approaching the roadway/parking lot of vehicular crossings. 
6. Transition Area at the Foot of the Ramp: Accumulation of ice or fluids in this area can be hazardous. The transition area of the roadway/parking lot to the foot of the ramp may have a counter slope. The counter slope ramps must meet specific safety standards for access.

Curb Ramps & Blended Transitions

There are three types of accessible transitions from a roadway/parking lot to a curb: perpendicular curb ramps, parallel curb ramps, and blended transitions. The differences are in their orientations and the characteristics of the sloped surfaces.

• Perpendicular curb ramps: These cut through or built up to the curb at a right angle. Most common type.
• Parallel curb ramps: These have running slope that is in-line with the direction of sidewalk travel, lowering the sidewalk to create a level turning space into the adjacent roadway/parking lot.
• Blended transitions: These do not have a distinct ramp but offer a planar, gradual slope between the sidewalk and street. 

Common Issues in Curb Ramp Incidents

• Trips and falls on curb ramps frequently occur on the flared curb side or the flared surfaces, as many are steeper than the current code allows.
• Difficulty recognizing flared curb sides and the flared surfaces can be hard to recognize depending on the direction of travel, making them unexpected and hazardous to walk on.
• Loose Detectable Warning Mats: trips and falls can occur when detectable warning mats become loose, damaged or are not code compliant.
• Curb ramp slips can occur on wet detectable warning strips, or at the transition surface at the bottom of the ramp where ponding water freezes and creates ice.
• When flared sides are painted with traffic paint and no slip-resistant additive is used, slips are more likely in wet conditions. 
• Flared curbs in busy environments that are not reliably detected can cause trip hazards.

Premises Liability Investigations

Design standards and maintenance regulations vary based on the existing curb ramp’s construction date, installation context, and local ordinances. The Premises Safety experts at Robson Forensic, with experience in investigating similar cases, will research the applicable standards and regulations for the specific curb ramp design at the incident location during our investigation.

For more information, call us at 800.813.6736 or submit an inquiry. 

Featured Expert

Peggy W. Liu, AIA, NCARB, CFM, ASCA-C, CXLT, CPSI

Architecture, Construction & Premises Safety Expert

Peggy Liu is a Registered Architect with two decades of professional experience in architectural design, construction, and project management. Her experience includes a wide range of building and… read more.