MOSES LAKE — Locals are invited to attend two upcoming public meetings in Moses Lake to assist the city in pinpointing locations around the city that need to be brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The meetings will be held on at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Feb. 6 at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 S. Balsam St. A short presentation about the project will be featured at the offset of each meeting, followed up by a question and answer period with members of the project team. The team will be around after the meeting as well to answer questions and take input from the public. Maps and comment forms will be provided to help pinpoint locations around that city that are in need of improvement, according to City Engineer Shawn O’Brien.

“Our public sidewalks, curb ramps, pedestrian paths and transit stops need to be accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities,” O’Brien said. “Attending one of these meetings will provide us the opportunity to share information about the project and receive your input about where improvements are most needed.”

City staff has been combing the city as of late identifying, measuring and cataloging different pedestrian facilities to determine if they are in compliance with the requirements set in the ADA. The collected data will in turn be used to help determine which facilities are in need of being replaced and/or rebuilt. O’Brien explained the city’s goal is to use the gathered information for new projects, as allowed by the city budget.

“Data gathered through the inventory will paint half of the picture of where improvements are most needed.” O’Brien said. “It is equally important to learn from the people who use these facilities every day what curbs ramps and sidewalks are particularly difficult or unsafe to navigate. Knowing what routes are most commonly used will also help set priorities to ensure that sidewalks and paths at the top of the list are in areas where improvements will have the most benefit.”

For more information on the meetings contact O’Brien at 509-764-3786.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.