San Juan establishes advisory council to improve mobility, accessibility
The San Juan Municipal Government has issued an executive order establishing the Advisory Council on Mobility and Accessibility Issues of the Capital City. The council seeks to improve sidewalks, ramps, infrastructure and access points for people with limited mobility, develop initiatives, prepare work plans, and address the welfare of the population’s rights.
This action comes about three weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a proposed order that required the municipal government to take necessary steps to make its public sidewalk system accessible to individuals with disabilities, as News is my Business reported.
“We’re committed to guaranteeing the access of all citizens to the services and programs available, in a simple, agile, economical and fast way,” San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero said. “That’s why, with this executive order, this group is established to find solutions so that each citizen can get to where they need to go safely.”
News is my Business reported last September that the Justice Department intervened in a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by individuals with mobility disabilities against the municipality of San Juan under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Among the tasks entrusted to the Advisory Council is evaluating the municipal services offered to people with limited mobility and offering recommendations on them; preparing proposals for the revision of municipal legislation that requires changes to guarantee the protection of the rights of people with limited mobility; and developing legislation or administrative measures to improve the quality of life of people with limited mobility.
The group will also oversee developing proposals related to people with limited mobility that involve the collaboration of the municipality, private entities and related organizations through collaborative agreements, activities or educational events or training, among others; making recommendations in favor of people with limited mobility; and any other task related to matters of the population with limited mobility in San Juan that the mayor delegates.
The 14-member body includes the directors of several capital city departments, including the Permits Office; the Department of Operations and Maintenance; the Department of Urban Design and Project Development; the Office of Territorial Planning and Management; the Office of Legal Affairs; and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
The council also comprises the coordinator of the Autonomous Municipality of San Juan for matters related to Public Act 101-336; two members representing the population with mobility limitations, appointed by the mayor; three members representing nongovernmental organizations that work with people with limited mobility, appointed by the mayor; a representative of the business community, appointed by the mayor; a member of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly belonging to the legislative delegation that represents the citizens of San Juan in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives or the Senate, appointed by the mayor, and any other person whom the mayor appoints for these purposes.
“We have been addressing vehicular traffic with ‘Tus Calles al Día’ [program], and keeping in mind the need to address pedestrian mobility, we have established this committee that will contribute to other projects that we are directing,” Romero said.
