The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, is approaching its 32nd anniversary. According to ADA.gov, this landmark legislation prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, ushered in a new era of ensuring full integration of people with disabilities and guaranteeing access to essential services and all spaces that are open to the public.

As one of the largest transit systems in the country transporting millions of people a year, Metro is committed to meeting the needs of all customers that ride our trains and buses. We are dedicated to full compliance with the ADA and the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) to prohibit discrimination, provide equal opportunity and incorporate accessibility best practices throughout the system.

Illustrating our commitment to accessibility is the Platform Improvement Project, a four-year project under the capital improvement program dedicated to making station platforms safer and more accessible. As the project nears completion of its final phase, Carol Peredo Lopez, Metro's Director of the Office of ADA Policy and Planning (ADAP), conveys how the project is making 20 Metro stations better for all customers.

A licensed architect employed by Metro for over 10 years, Carol began her Metro career as a design review manager for ADAP before stepping into her current role as Director of ADAP in 2019. The ADAP office supports Metro projects like the Platform Improvement Project by reviewing construction, design, communications and traffic plans to confirm Metro facilities and service are ADA-compliant and accessible to customers. Her team also spearheads Metro's Accessibility Advisory Committee, created to address the needs of senior citizens and people with disabilities.

"ADAP has been involved in hundreds of initiatives at Metro within our 6-year, 12.3-billion, capital improvement program. Our work never ends, and we continuously seek ways to make the Metro system more accessible," Carol stated.

Carol and her team partner with the project team to ensure all improvements are executed as planned. As part of the project, Metro is implementing several new improvements to increase accessibility at impacted stations, including:

• New platforms appropriately aligned to trains that pull into stations, allowing for smooth and accessible boarding and exiting of trains
• Slip-resistant tile throughout station mezzanines and platforms (Carol's favorite improvement because it provides a better floor surface for all our customers in all weather conditions)
• Brighter LED lighting, including platform edge lights alerting customers that a train is approaching
• Improved elevators with intuitive call buttons and panels
• Larger, high-resolution Passenger Information Displays displaying service information to customers on the platforms
• Improved speakers for clearer service announcements and emergency notifications
• New faregates with larger and clearer screens that were reviewed by the Accessibility Advisory Committee
• Improved wayfinding signage

Metro is proud to celebrate the ADA's 32nd anniversary and is committed to providing accessible transit and ensuring equal opportunity and access to transportation for all customers.

Ultimately, Carol says projects like these positively impact customer access and safety. "Initiatives like the Platform Improvement Project enable Metro to provide safe, accessible and reliable rides to all customers that use our system."