Accessibility Improvements at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial—National Environmental Policy Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The NPS, as lead responsible federal agency for compliance with the NEPA, is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for universal accessibility improvements at the Memorial, a site administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks. The EA will include an assessment of cultural resources potentially affected by the proposed action consistent with provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (as amended), as applicable.

This project is being undertaken as part of the Targeted Accessibility Improvement Program, which encourages holistic principles of Universal Design (UD) during the visitor experiences and at the memorial facilities.

The purpose of this project is to make the experiences and facilities of the Memorial accessible to visitors with mobility, sensory, and cognitive disabilities through the application of principles of UD. The visitor experience at the memorial includes arrival at and use of the facilities in and around the memorial (parking spaces, sidewalks, restrooms, information desk, food kiosk, wayfinding and orientation) and utilization of accessible routes to the memorial.

The project is needed because the memorial currently has only one accessible route to the chamber level, which requires visitors to use a ramp on the south side of the Memorial to a sidewalk leading to lower level entrances on the northwest or northeast sides. If coming from the Tidal Basin (north side), visitors must travel all the way around the memorial to the south side ramp and then back toward the north along the sidewalk leading to the lower level entrance. Visitors then follow a ramp to the lower level and take the elevator to a non-compliant ramp to reach the chamber level.

The EA will analyze the potential environmental impacts of alternatives (including the no-action alternative) for accessibility improvements at the Memorial. The project will develop alternatives to improve, modify, and/or create new routes to more efficiently get visitors of all abilities to the chamber level. Alternatives will include new exterior routes and/or walks from the tidal basin plaza (north of the memorial) and the former car parking location (south of the memorial). Design of a route from the memorial to the existing concessions kiosk near the bus drop-off is included.

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, 2017, the NPS is soliciting scoping comments from interested agencies, groups, and individuals. During the scoping period, the public and agencies are invited to identify any issues or concerns they might have with the proposed project so the NPS can consider them in preparing the EA. Comments related to historic properties will also be gathered for the purposes of compliance with Sec. 106 of the NHPA.

We encourage interested parties to attend the public meeting:

Date: November 16, 2017

Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

6:30 -7: 00 PM Tactile Model Audio description will be available
7:00 PM Presentation with ASL Interpretation and CART services
7:30 PM- 8:30 PM Open discussion

An RSVP is not required to attend the meeting. However, if you require accommodations other than those mentioned above in order to participate, please contact Giron Bowman at 202-245-4660 or giron_bowman@nps.gov no later than Nov. 9 2017 with your request. Location is wheelchair accessible.

Location:
American Association of People with Disabilities
2013 H Street, NW
1st Floor Conference Room
Washington, D.C. 20006

Please provide your thoughts on accessibility at the Memorial and on the options currently developed. What issues have you encountered that hindered your ability experience the Memorial? How can access to and through the Memorial be improved? What should the NPS consider as they continue to develop options? What are your reactions to the improvement options presented so far?

Document Content:

NAMA_JEFF-TAIP_ProjectArea.pdf   (1.7 MB, PDF file) NAMA_JEFF-TAIP-EA_PublicScoping_Final presentation.pdf   (7.5 MB, PDF file) NAMA_THJE_TAIP Consulting Parties Presentation 11_17_2017 Final.pdf   (9.3 MB, PDF file) NAMA_THJE_TAIP_EA_ScopingBoards.pdf   (12.4 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.