36 CFR Part 1192 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles (2016 Non-Rail Vehicle Guidelines) - Preamble

T201 General

Buses, OTRBs, and vans acquired or remanufactured by entities covered by the ADA must comply with the scoping requirements in Chapter 2 to the extent required by DOT’s implementing regulations for ADA-covered transportation vehicles, which, when revised, are required to use the 2016 Non-Rail Vehicle Guidelines as minimum accessibility standards. Two transit agencies and a bus manufacturer expressed concern about, or requested clarification of, the application of the requirements in the final rule to existing or remanufactured non-rail vehicles. Implementation and enforcement of the 2016 Non-Rail Vehicle Guidelines is within the sole authority of DOT, not the Access Board. The Access Board is statutorily tasked under the ADA with establishing minimum guidelines for the accessibility of ADA-covered transportation vehicles. Whether DOT ultimately elects to make its regulations applicable to then-existing ADA-covered vehicles, and, if so, to what extent, remains within the sole province of that agency. Consequently, compliance with the 2016 Non-Rail Vehicle Guidelines is not required until DOT adopts these guidelines as enforceable accessibility standards.