Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Access aisles for disabled
denoted by white stripesQuestion: I visit a family member every day at Kukui Gardens, a federally subsidized housing development. I am partially disabled and have a handicap parking placard. However, for the past month, as I enter Kukui Gardens from Aala Way, I have noticed a black traffic safety stanchion placed in a way that blocks a parking space that is marked with white diagonal lines.
Recently, with my wife and boss in my car, I pointed this out to my boss, who said the blocked space is designated as "an access parking space for the handicap bus to pick up handicap passengers."
Is Kukui Gardens exempt from complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act by blocking off the van access lane? I have not seen it being done in other public or private parking areas.
Answer: The access aisle is not another parking space for the disabled.
No one is supposed to park in the aisle, which is meant to give enough space for someone to get in and out of a wheelchair from a vehicle parked in a disabled parking stall.
In fact, in some parking lots, a sign denoting the access aisle is posted at the foot of the aisle to prevent parking in that striped space.
Allen Lau, manager of the Kukui Gardens complex, said the stanchion was placed in the access aisle because "some people use that as a parking area."
Kirby Shaw, a program specialist with the state Disability and Communication Access Board, noted that there is still some confusion among both businesses and individuals about the requirements for disabled parking.
He explained that a disabled-parking stall must be 96 inches wide. State law now requires a sign in front of it designating it as a reserved space for the disabled, with the international symbol of accessibility, stating that a special parking permit is required and that the maximum fine for a violation is $500.
If the space is supposed to be large enough to accommodate a van, the sign has to also say "van accessible," Shaw said.
"Van accessible" indicates that the access aisle is 8 feet wide, as compared to a "regular" access aisle width of 5 feet. He said that width allows a side-mounted lift or ramp that's usually 4 feet long to be deployed from a van, and for a wheelchair -- typically also about 4 feet long -- to maneuver within the aisle.
"If a vehicle is parked in that access aisle, it prevents the effective use of the side-mounted lift or ramp from deploying, or for the person from getting in or out of their vehicle," Shaw said.
For access aisles next to van-accessible stalls, the state requires a sign that says, "No parking, access aisle." For the regular 5-foot access aisles, a posted sign is not required.
State rules go hand in hand with the ADA's accessibility guidelines. Under those guidelines, the access aisle is termed an "accessible route," Shaw said. To be an accessible route, there must be at least 36 inches of clearance to allow passage by a wheelchair.
The state doesn't "necessarily recommend" that a stanchion or something like that be placed to block parking in the access aisle, Shaw said, but as long as it doesn't prevent deployment of a lift or ramp or movement by someone in a wheelchair, "then it shouldn't be a problem."
The access board recommends that the "No parking" sign for a van-accessible access aisle be posted 2 feet into the aisle from the street, allowing at least 36 inches of clear space on either side of the sign post. But the sign can be placed at the head of the aisle, or on an overhang or wall, so long as it warns motorists not to park there, Shaw said.
Q: What's the policy regarding hibachis and other grills at state and city parks? Without needing to drive into a park and look for a sign, is there a way to tell which ones you can barbecue at?
A: In general, you can fire up the hibachi at any state or city park.
However, common sense should dictate staying away from certain areas and not interfering with other park-goers, officials said.
At state parks, there is no restriction unless there are signs posted warning of a potential high fire hazard, said state Parks Administrator Daniel Quinn. That's possible for some parks within forest reserves, he said. Also, for example, it wouldn't be respectful to be grilling at a heiau, he said.
At city parks, the only thing you're specifically not allowed to do is make an open fire, said Craig Mayeda, head of park maintenance and recreation services for the Department of Parks and Recreation.
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