Disability & Parking
The Summit Avenue Rail Trail project eliminates considerable amounts of parking (50%+ or more, in areas). This would affect people with accessibility issues, parents dropping off kids at school, people going to church, people visiting Summit Avenue, and residents on neighboring streets, among other issues.
Accessibility for our most vulnerable populations will be drastically affected if street parking is drastically minimized (at best) or reduced altogether west of Lexington (at worst).
We cannot afford to minimize parking for Grand Avenue shops & restaurants, Summit Avenue churches and schools, Summit’s many apartment residents, and more.
“I am witness to a similar project in Des Moines. Even prior supporters are calling it a colossal mistake. They took away so much parking that anyone who doesn’t live in the area can’t visit because you can’t park. I never see bicyclists using the area, it’s made a mess for traffic, and it’s hard to frequent the shops and restaurants because you can’t park. I would hate to see the beauty of Summit ruined by this proposal.”
– Amanda Duncan
Key Documents
New York Post July 15, 2026
Disabled residents forced to cross fast-moving bike and e-scooter traffic in the bike lane to now reach taxis, Access-A-Ride, buses and emergency vehicles — a situation they won’t want to attempt for fear of their safety, the suit says.
West Side Rag July 14, 2026
The six plaintiffs on the suit, all of whom live along the West 72nd Street corridor, include Pamela Greitzer, a Juilliard-trained cellist who was hit by an electric moped in 2024 while she was leaving Lincoln Center, which left her paralyzed on the right side of her body. Other plaintiffs include a woman who is blind and a man with multiple sclerosis.
My Villager July 7, 2026
Summit Trail overlooked the needs of the disabled. Letter to the editor. Reprint. 1 page. PDF
Impact of Curbside Accessibility
Dec. 14, 2022
Curbside activities will be negatively and severely impacted by all iterations of the 60% Plan from Lexington to the Cathedral. While there is passing acknowledgement of parking removal
on one or both sides of the street, the
plan completely ignores serious impacts this will have on essential curbside activity. 3 pages. PDF
Assessing Accessibility in the 60% Draft Plan Dec. 27, 2022
Need to address handicap accessibility for residents and visitors in areas where parking is proposed to be removed to allow family caretakers and others to support children, adults and elderly with different mobility abilities. 2 pages. PDF
NBC Washington D.C. Nov. 22, 2022
A lawsuit filed by disabled community advocates against the District claiming the way some streets have been redesigned with bike lanes – and the lack of accessible parking – violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Video Evidence
Tags: American Disabilities Act, parking access, residential parking, mobility loss, limb loss
Tags: American Disabilities Act, parking access, residential parking, mobility loss, limb loss
Tags: wheelchair access, mobility access, American Disabilities Act, SAVE ADA ACCESS on Summit
Tags: wheelchair access, mobility access, American Disabilities Act, SAVE ADA ACCESS on Summit
