Based on a study released earlier this month, Frederick County anticipates spending $10 million over the next 10 years to bring sidewalks into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  As reported by the Frederick News-Post,

Nearly all of the curb ramps in the county are not up to ADA standards. One key problem is that nearly 2,000 lack the yellow, textured mats designed to alert the visually impaired to the ramp’s location.

The county is currently exploring options to secure funding for the installation of these mats. According to county Public Works Director Charles Nipe,

The county may pay for the sidewalk work out of the department of public work’s pavement management budget.

The expense would be another item for the budget to bear, he said, but it shouldn’t keep the department from other maintenance.

Other options may include,

The State Highway Administration has funding available to local governments through the Transportation Alternatives Program, which may be used for sidewalk work, spokesman David Buck said. However, it does not have a program specifically designed to retrofit them to meet ADA standards.

Partnering with developers could be another way for the county to meet its compliance requirements.