36 CFR Part 1191 ABA Accessibility Guidelines, Outdoor Developed Areas - Preamble

1017.4 Passing Spaces

This section requires passing spaces to be provided at intervals of 1000 feet maximum where the clear tread width of trails is less than 60 inches. Entities should consider providing either 60 inches minimum clear tread width on trails or passing spaces at shorter intervals where the trail is heavily used or where the trail is a boardwalk or otherwise not at the same level as the adjoining ground surface. Where the full length of a trail does not fully comply with the technical requirements in 1017, a passing space is required to be located at the end of the trail segment that fully complies with the technical requirements 1017 to enable individuals who use wheeled mobility devices to turn and exit the trail.

Passing spaces are required to be:

• A space 60 inches minimum by 60 inches minimum; or

• The intersection of two trails providing a T-shaped space complying with 304.3.2 of the Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines where the base and the arms of the T-shaped space extend 48 inches minimum beyond the intersection.

Where the intersection of two trails serves as a passing space, the vertical alignment of the trails at the intersection that form the T-shaped space is required to be nominally planar (i.e., as flat as possible) so that all the wheels of a mobility device touch the ground when turning into and out of the passing space.

Passing spaces and resting intervals are permitted to overlap. Where passing spaces and resting intervals overlap, the technical requirements for resting intervals in 1017.8.3 require the slope of the surface to not be steeper than 1:48 in any direction. Where the surface is other than asphalt, concrete, or boards, slopes not steeper than 1:20 are permitted when necessary for drainage. Otherwise, passing space surfaces have the same slopes as the adjoining trail tread.