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

T602 Wheelchair Spaces

The technical requirements for wheelchair spaces include provisions on surfaces, approach, and size. Under the final rule, as with the existing guidelines, one full unobstructed side of each wheelchair space must adjoin or overlap a passenger access route. See T602.3. Wheelchair spaces must also be 30 inches minimum in width and 48 inches minimum in length. See T602.4. Because mobility devices vary widely in their respective dimensions and maneuverability, we note that it may be beneficial for transit operators to consider providing wheelchair spaces larger than this minimum size to meet the needs of all transit users.

An exception has been added to T602.4 in the final rule that permits the space occupied by wheelchair footrests to be located under an adjacent seat, provided that the space under such seat meets specified size requirements. See T602.4 Exception. This exception is also found in the existing guidelines. See 36 CFR 1192.23(d)(2) (providing that “[n]ot more than 6 inches of the required clear floor space [for wheelchair spaces in buses and vans] may be accommodated for footrests under another seat”), 1192.159(d)(2) (setting forth same exception for wheelchair spaces in OTRBs). Because the 2010 NPRM proposed additional maneuvering clearances for wheelchair spaces, this exception was not germane and, therefore, did not appear in the proposed rule. See 2010 NPRM, Section T402. However, since these proposed maneuvering clearances have not been retained in the final rule, this exception is once again needed to permit an overlap between wheelchair spaces and the space under adjacent seats, provided such overlap satisfies certain conditions.