Name: Bonton Associates
Price range: $

Existing “pedestrian facilities” in the public right-of-way don’t always accommodate the needs of users with disabilities. In Baton Rouge, however, the MOVEBR transportation and infrastructure improvements program has prioritized compliance with the Americans with Disabilities (ADA)-regulations for projects implemented within the Program as a priority. In this effort, Bonton Associates partnered with the City-Parish and MOVEBR to complete the Fuqua St./Gracie St. Area ADA Transitions project which aimed to improve safety, connectivity and accessibility on existing facilities for pedestrians and users with disabilities. which helps all pedestrians reach their destination and enjoy the benefits of public infrastructure.

Project Client/Owners: City of Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish

Project Partners: City of Baton Rouge, MOVEBR Program Management Team

Completion Date: November 2021

Opportunity
Bonton Associates is an enthusiastic advocate of complete streets — streets thoughtfully designed to be safe, efficient and accessible for all users,. While accommodating non-motorists such as pedestrians and cyclists is critical to realizing the complete streets ideal, the Fuqua-Gracie ADA project focuses on meeting the underserved needs of pedestrians with disabilities. We believe that ADA-focused projects like this one help raise the quality of life and health for entire communities.

Barriers and Challenges
As part of the existing facilities assessment (evaluation completed prior to construction), numerous physical obstacles were identified to addressed. The Bonton Team with the MOVEBR vision for ADA transition projects and collaborated with City-Parish to evaluate and identify ADA deficiencies, and implement the best design solutions to provide ADA compliance throughout the project area.. And we understood the importance of working efficiently and meeting defined budget constraints.

Our Difference
Why Bonton? In a word, experience. As of December 2022, Bonton Associates has delivered 14 sidewalk improvement, multi-use path and ADA compliance projects within the Greater Baton Rouge area. For this project, we leveraged design experience and local-market knowledge to prioritize improvements that were both economical and accommodating to all users.

The Solution
We worked efficiently to deliver final construction plans and a final cost estimate that detailed and quantified the work, positioning the project to be among the first MOVEBR ADA transitions projects to be constructed. Now, pedestrian sidewalks and other features that once limited access to certain user groups in this residential area are accessible to all — because infrastructure is for everyone.