Montana Statewide ADA Inventory and Transition Plan

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) retained DOWL to conduct statewide inventory of its rights-of-way and facilities assets to determine compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). At the project outset, MDT identified approximately 12,379 intersections needing to be inventoried. Under Phase I of the project, DOWL performed pre-screening of rural intersections using aerial photography and street view coverage to determine the need for a site visit. DOWL determined 9,545 intersections did not require a site visit because a pedestrian facility did not exist at the intersection. This saved MDT substantial time and money. Under Phase II of the project, DOWL conducted field inventory and determined ADA compliance for the remaining 2,834 intersections in addition to building facilities throughout the state. DOWL used a geographic information systems-based network analyst vehicle routing tool to determine efficient day trips and overnight trips for field crews assigned throughout the state.

DOWL developed communications, safety, inventory, and quality control/assurance plans and conducted a three-day onsite program to train field staff at the beginning of the project. The quality control/assurance plan outlined office-based reviews of each data point for completeness and reasonableness. Incomplete or unreasonable values were flagged for re-inventory. Quality assurance field verification of a percentage of previously-inventoried locations was conducted by independent field teams to confirm data collection procedures and verify measurement accuracy. DOWL identified methods to provide high-quality data efficiently and cost effectively. Field inventory progressed faster than anticipated, and DOWL completed contracted tasks ahead of schedule and under budget.