Stair Structure Squeezes Sidewalk

For some inexplicable reason, the designer of these stairs had the decorative side structure stick out two feet into the sidewalk.

This is, of course, a serious tripping hazard that should have been caught by any safety review of the plans and blueprints.

In addition, even if no one ever trips over the obstruction, it still significantly narrows the sidewalk.  To make matters worse, its placement directly across from a tree pit creates a pinch point.  Apologists might say that the space still meets the minimum requirements of the ADA.  People who care about pedestrians say that it is a totally unnecessary degradation of the pedestrian environment.


Spring 2018 Update.  There are five of these structures at this location.  Four of them have been cut back a foot, reducing the hazard a bit, as seen in this photo.  For some unknown reason, the one in the original photo was not cut back, and continues to stick two feet into the sidewalk.