The State Street Loop electric golf cart, intended to accommodate riders with disabilities, is not fully compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, according to the city of Santa Barbara’s Access Advisory Committee.
The AAC has maintained this stance for the entirety of the program, reiterating concerns at a Nov. 14 meeting that city staff should not call the cart ADA compliant.
“From the beginning of our committee’s involvement in discussions regarding the State Street shuttle program, we were assured that the vendor selected for the shuttle program would provide a compliant, accessible vehicle,” AAC Chair Elizabeth Sorgman wrote to city staff on June 1, three days after the Loop program began. Sorgman worked for the city’s Building Department as a senior plans examiner for 17 years and was the city’s first Certified Access Specialist (CASp) staff member…