On September 27, 2018, a federal district court approved a class action settlement secured on behalf of persons with mobility disabilities who live in or visit the City of Portland whereby the City will install and upgrade approximately 18,000 curb ramps over the next twelve years.
This remarkable settlement was achieved collaboratively without a lawsuit after GBDH, along with co-counsel Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center and Portland Civil Rights Law Office, alerted the City to the way in which its inaccessible curb ramps prevent individuals with mobility disabilities from independently and fully participating in City life.
The City of Portland agreed to work together with its residents and visitors with mobility disabilities, with GBDH and co-counsel as their representatives, to address this urgent civil rights and safety issue and to achieve Portland’s goal of embracing the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws. This settlement represents the fruit of that effort.
Under the settlement, the City will install or upgrade an average of 1,500 curb ramps each year for twelve years, including those specifically requested using a form on the City’s website. The City will also survey all corners in the pedestrian right of way to determine where curb ramps are missing or need upgrading, and will then create a Transition Plan to address the survey findings. As a result of the settlement, the City will spend more than $100 million dollars bringing its curb ramps into compliance with disability access laws and ensuring that all residents and visitors to Portland have equal access to the City’s pedestrian rights of way.
The case is Hines, et al. v. City of Portland, Case No. 3:18-cv-00869-HZ before Judge Marco Hernandez in the District of Oregon.