Not just roads, with €12 million invested over five years and €4.5 million in the final phase, but also sidewalks. The Quartu Sant'Elena municipal administration also aims to improve overall accessibility and full usability of pedestrian spaces and urban public services.
The Technical and Economic Feasibility Project for the removal of architectural barriers in the municipal area has been approved. The technical analysis of the existing site has highlighted that significant portions of the urban fabric and public space present critical issues related to obsolete or deteriorated infrastructure. This includes ramps, ramps, sidewalk-to-road connections at pedestrian crossings and changes in direction or gradients, as well as tactile pathways for the visually impaired. These projects are planned by the Department of Public Works as part of the €150,000 funding provided by the Region for the removal of architectural barriers.
The project will primarily focus on strategic pedestrian routes, namely the most frequently used and connected sidewalks within the urban fabric, entry points and external connections to municipal offices, schools of all levels, and public libraries, intermodal and recreational hubs that ensure connections to local public transport, and designated parking areas, such as disabled parking, as well as parks and green spaces.
The installation and/or renovation of LOGES (Guidelines for Orientation and Safety) tactile paths for people with visual impairments or low vision is also planned, as well as the complete removal of existing architectural barriers along the entire travel chain, thus extending the benefits of mobility assistance to those with motor and sensory disabilities, such as the elderly, pregnant women, or parents with strollers.
"With this project, we intend to remove architectural barriers on the busiest pedestrian walkways, which aren't limited to physical impediments for wheelchair users, but are also a source of discomfort for anyone with reduced motor, sensory, or cognitive abilities, whether permanent or temporary," explains Public Works Councilor Antonio Conti. "The fundamental principle of the intervention is to ensure the continuity of the horizontal plane in pedestrian walkways, allowing users to move from one spatial situation to another with complete autonomy, regardless of their physical condition. And to ensure effective and unambiguous information communication, the physical interventions will be complemented with sensory devices."
(Unioneonline)