Board to Hold Information Meeting on Beach Access June 24, 2008

On July 23 the Board will hold a public meeting on beach access to further its work developing new guidelines for outdoor sites. The meeting will focus on design and maintenance considerations for accessible routes at beaches. In particular, the Board seeks input on the location of beach access routes, their distance, width, endpoints, coverage area, and frequency, as well as information on factors or conditions that may impact compliance.

Last June, the Board proposed accessibility guidelines for Federal parks and recreation areas that included specifications for beach access routes, trails, picnic areas, and camp sites. The proposal sought feedback on specific topics through questions posed to the public. During a four-month comment period, the Board held several hearings and received over 120 comments. In May, Board representatives toured several beaches in Florida to examine beach access route solutions, including a variety of mat and surfacing products, and met with beach and community officials and product manufacturers on the provision and maintenance of routes.

The Board will use the upcoming meeting to solicit additional feedback on the provisions for beach access routes for its use in finalizing the guidelines. The meeting will be held from 9:00 - 12:00 at the Westin Arlington Gateway, 801 North Glebe Road, in Arlington, Virginia. For further information, contact Bill Botten at botten@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0014 (v), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY).