Parking meters will be easier to use in D.C.

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, July 27, 2006

WASHINGTON – The District of Columbia settled a lawsuit Wednesday brought by people with disabilities, promising to make parking meters more accessible.

The agreement requires the city to install on each metered block at least two parking meters that face the sidewalk and that are low enough for someone in a wheelchair to operate. From now on, all new meters must be within reach to those in wheelchairs.

In addition, each block must have at least one curb ramp for wheelchairs. On city-owned sidewalks, uneven surfaces must be fixed and obstacles such as flower pots removed.

Officials were not able to say Wednesday how much the changes would cost.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in March 2004 by disabled residents and activist groups before the May 2004 dedication of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. Thousands of disabled veterans participated in the ceremony.

The lawsuit argued that the meters were impossible for some veterans to reach, and it demanded that the city recognize out-of-state handicapped parking placards rather than forcing visitors to apply for city permits.

Spurred by the suit, the D.C. Council passed legislation this month recognizing out-of-state permits.

Kathleen Walsh of the Washington-based Equal Rights Center, a plaintiff, said the settlement will have a large effect on the day-to-day lives of people with disabilities who must navigate Washington streets.

Traci Hughes, a spokeswoman for the D.C. attorney general, said the city would present a plan for making the changes within 90 days.