Eight years after the initial consultation, Toronto business operators could be getting the okay to install portable ramps to improve accessibility at storefronts and other public entrances. Proposed new rules would allow the apparatuses provided they comply with guidelines to be set out in the City’s municipal code.
The Ontario building code mandates accessible entrances, incorporating permanent ramps, in new construction and when major renovations occur. Otherwise, upgrades to existing structures are largely left to owners’ discretion. A 2017 study identified thousands of storefronts throughout Toronto where patrons had to navigate steps to gain access, while current rules prohibit structures or protrusions that could potentially obstruct the public right-of-way on sidewalks or streets.
The City’s consultation, also conducted in 2017, found that business operators were generally interested in implementing measures to improve accessibility to their premises, but wary of any associated requirements to obtain permits and pay fees. A new report to Toronto Council’s infrastructure and environment committee instead recommends formal, consistent citywide rules for the design, placement, structural integrity and maintenance of portable ramps so that they can be categorized as a “permitted encroachment” with relatively little extra administrative burden for business owners or City staff. The same approach is already in place to govern small seating areas and marketing displays.
“The proposed amendments aim to balance the need for improved accessibility with the necessity of maintaining clear pedestrian pathways,” the report states. “The approach avoids the introduction of new permitting processes that could impose additional financial and administrative burdens and reduce the appeal of building owners or leaseholders providing this accessibility feature.”
As proposed, a minimum pedestrian clearway of 1.8 to 2.1 metres (6 to 7 feet), depending on characteristics of the street, would have to be maintained adjacent to the ramp. Nor could it intrude into neighbouring properties. It must be slip-resistant; stable; clearly visible in a highly contrasting colour to its surroundings; and moved indoors outside of business hours.
Building owners and/or leaseholders would be responsible for maintenance and ensuring safety. As well, there would be a maximum allowable slope.
“Some entrances may be too elevated to accommodate a temporary ramp, which is intended only for small height differences. This means there will be buildings for which no temporary accessibility ramp is possible,” the report states.
If adopted, City staff recommends that new rules be optional for business owners. Enforcement would be triggered through complaints rather than active inspection. The report also acknowledges that portable ramps could create challenges for visually impaired pedestrians who may follow a consistent edge along the sidewalk or building frontages to navigate.
“While temporary ramps address one accessibility barrier, they may also inadvertently create another. However, given current regulatory gaps that do not require buildings to construct permanent ramps unless undergoing renovations, and the lack of an incentive or grant program to support such upgrades, allowing temporary ramps remains a positive measure at this time,” it maintains.
The infrastructure and planning committee will consider the issue later this week, before the full City Council weighs in at a later meeting.
