January 5, 2014 To: Mayor and City Council From: City Human Rights Commission Re: HRC’s Formal Report on Brick Street Policy Resolution At the December meeting of the Human Rights Commission, the members agreed unanimously that the Commission stands against the proposed Brick Streets Policy Resolution to increase the number of brick streets in the downtown area. The Human Rights Commission believes the best course of action would be to reject the resolution as drafted, to repair existing brick streets and a controlled study be initiated to determine if the new brick street designs can be an accessible and cost-effective surface. This Commission agrees with the Disabilities Commission that brick streets create an accessibility issue, specifically for people with disabilities. To use public funds for the expansion of brick streets with the knowledge that it could lead to the exclusion of a particular category of people seems against the spirit of recent City improvements. For instance, the City highlighted in its 2013 Infrastructure Report that “8,451 feet of new sidewalks and pedways” had been added, as well as the construction of the “Delmar Cobble School sidewalk for ADA access to Parkade Park.” Further, in 2014, the City plans for the “design and construction of 5 sidewalk projects to meet ADA standards.” Though non-brick crosswalks can be created for traversing the downtown area, this does not resolve all accessibility issues with brick streets. If a brick surface is in fact hazardous to people with mobility impairments, then people may be excluded from parking on that street because they, or one of their passengers, would suffer from having to traverse over the brick surface to get to the sidewalk. Lack of accessibility can be detrimental to city events, as well. It is not uncommon for events to be held on closed city blocks. Increasing the number of brick streets downtown could create more opportunities for people in wheelchairs, for instance, to be excluded from those events. Creating a large downtown area with only brick streets could, in essence, create a downtown that is a physical barrier to the inclusion of people with disabilities. This Commission also expressed concerns that the Brick Street Policy Resolution lacked a fiscal impact study. Lacking a fiscal impact study, the Commission felt that they could not serve as good stewards of the City’s money in recommending the City move forward with such a resolution. This is in specific regard to other priorities the City has to consider in budget discussions. The commission would, however, be willing to revisit this matter if a fiscal impact study were made available. Overall, this Commission agrees with the Disabilities Commission that current “brick streets be repaired, and that a controlled study be initiated to determine if the brick streets provide an accessible, cost effective surface.” Further, Short Street’s new brick design could also serve as possible field study in brick street accessibility. Until such a time that the Disabilities Commission is confident that brick streets in Columbia can meet the accessibility needs of the community, the Human Rights Commission cannot provide our support to the Brick Streets Policy Resolution.