A SYNOPSIS OF ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES OF SKYTRAIN - VANCOUVER'S RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM. 1988 ANNUAL MEETING AWARD

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1989

Subject Area

infrastructure - station, planning - safety/accidents, planning - education, policy - disability, mode - rail

Keywords

Vancouver (Canada), Skytrain, Safety programs, Safety measures, Safety features, Safety equipment, Safety devices, Safety appliances, Safety, Regulatory policy, Rapid transit, Rail transit stations, Public safety, Policy, Policies, Physically handicapped persons, People with disabilities, Heavy rail transit, Handicapped persons, Government policy, Equipment, Education, Disabled persons, Devices, Design, Apparatus, Adaptive equipment (Disabled persons), Accessibility

Abstract

The article describes Vancouver's Skytrain, one of the most accessible of rapid transit systems. This is the result of policy decisions and design features to provide a barrier-free system. The special features for the disabled benefit all travellers. These include consistent design for furniture and station features, integration with the paratransit service, elevators, safe stair geometry and tactile handrails, areas of safe refuge in the underground stations, tactile edge strips, small tolerances on the gap width and height, extensive public and staff education and safety programs, and the attitude held by all that a barrier-free-system was a necessity.

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