Trinidad Invites Residents to Review Draft ADA Accessibility Improvement Plan

Bob Just, Trinidad's ADA coordinator, is accepting public comments through April 25 on a draft accessibility plan that will set the repair order for sidewalks, curb ramps, and trails across the city. The sequencing will determine whether residents in wheelchairs, on walkers, or pushing strollers face another budget cycle of unaddressed barriers.

The city held an open house March 26 at Space to Create, 218 W. Main St., where staff walked attendees through the Draft ADA Transition Plan and solicited feedback from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The draft maps proposed improvements to public infrastructure across Trinidad, including the stretch of N. Animas St. connecting City Hall at 135 N. Animas to the Carnegie Public Library at 202 N. Animas, a corridor that wheelchair users and seniors navigate daily and that the plan's priority ranking will directly affect.

The document functions as Trinidad's formal inventory of physical barriers blocking access to public facilities and services. Once finalized, it also strengthens grant applications to state and federal funders by showing a systematic, community-driven process. What residents flag now could unlock outside dollars, not just local budget line items.

The draft is available for review at City Hall and the Carnegie Public Library. Comments go to Bob Just by email, with the deadline set for April 25.

Before submitting, residents should consider five questions worth raising: Which specific downtown intersections are flagged as highest priority for curb ramp work? Does the plan address sidewalk gaps near schools and medical facilities? What is the projected timeline and estimated cost for the top-ranked projects? Are bus stop landings and accessible parking approaches included in the inventory? And what funding sources is the city targeting once the plan is finalized?