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Recreation Trail Vehicle Barrier Providing Access to Personal Mobility Devices

Award Information
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Branch: N/A
Contract: 2005-33610-15495
Agency Tracking Number: 2005-00325
Amount: $79,912.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
2240 Meridian Blvd., Suite C
Minden, NV 89423
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Peter Axelson
 (775) 783-8822
 peter@beneficialdesigns.com
Business Contact
 Peter Axelson
Phone: (775) 783-8822
Email: peter@beneficialdesigns.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

People with mobility impairments are excluded from trails, shared-use paths, parks and other public areas where barriers are erected to prevent access by motorized trail vehicles (MTVs). To ensure the safety of trail users and the integrity of the natural environment, many recreation and/or transportation trails prohibit the use of motorized vehicles. Gates and other barriers are erected at all trail access points to physically prevent the passage of MTVs, such as all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, off-highway vehicles and snow machines. However, gate and barrier designs currently used either block access only for large off-road vehicles or they block smaller motorized vehicles and also block trail access for individuals who rely on personal mobility devices (PMDs). People who use wheelchairs, hand bikes, scooters, or other PMDs have been forced to crawl on the ground in order to enter. Therefore, vehicle barriers that are currently being used all over the country do not comply with the newest ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines (Access Board, 2004) for gates. The purpose of this project is to develop a trail barrier that will prevent MTVs from using recreation trails while allowing access by people with mobility impairments that use wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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