THE PROBLEM: Steve Hollinger likes to get to the bus stop and shopping mall near his home in Serra Mesa in his wheelchair, but there are so few curb ramps that Hollinger, a quadriplegic, has no choice but to ride in the street.
“I've been in the street going around parked cars,” he said.
Motorists have been respectful of Hollinger. But he would like more curb ramps along the 10-block route he takes on Greyling Drive from his home on Greyling Place to the Rancho Serra Mesa shopping center, at Greyling Drive and Larkdale Avenue.
Along his route, only two intersections have ramps on every corner. Five have none, and the other three have some. Hollinger called the offices of Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilwoman Donna Frye in May to request ramps. An aide to Frye said she would look into it.
Last year, the city of Chula Vista paid $175,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the widow of a disabled man who she says was hit by a car and killed because he couldn't get his wheelchair on a sidewalk.
STATUS: The city already had a request for more curb cuts along Greyling. Patti Boekamp, director of engineering and capital projects, said her office and Frye's recently arranged with the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council to have ramps installed along Greyling. The work is expected to be done this fall or winter.
The labor council uses federal Community Development Block Grant money to have workers in training install ramps, Boekamp said. The city also has an unprecedented $2.5 million in its budget to install ramps during the fiscal year that began yesterday.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Boekamp, who can be reached at (619) 236-6274 or pboekamp@sandiego.gov. Curb-ramp requests can be made by calling the city's Disability Services Program at (619) 236-5979.
NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem government hasn't fixed despite your complaints? Whether it's a missing bus bench or an unkempt park anywhere in San Diego County, Just Fix It might be able to help.
Complaint forms are at justfixit.uniontrib.com, or call (800) 820-8714.
