REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
Open Comment Period May 11 through May 29, 2009
Proposed Accessibility Improvements at Golden Gate National Recreation Area:
ALCATRAZ ISLAND
Introduction
Alcatraz is one of the most popular destinations in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The only former federal penitentiary open to the public, it attracts more than 1.4 million visitors each year. But the prison era is only part of its long and fascinating history. Alcatraz was a Civil War era military fort, the site of the West Coast’s first lighthouse, and birthplace of the American Indian “Red Power” movement. There is also a natural side to Alcatraz. Gardens, tide pools, and wildlife are among its attractions, and a walk on the island promises panoramic views of the city skyline, ships, bridges, and bay. The island is managed to preserve the historic and natural resources, and provide public access to a variety of settings and experiences where appropriate and safe. The primary visitor experience is the day use experience of history centered on the federal penitentiary; however, other periods of the island history are also interpreted. The harsh island environment, deterioration of buildings and landscapes, and the use of these features as bird habitat, limit visitor access to much of the island. Rehabilitation of key public buildings and landscapes is ongoing, and subject to available funding. The island supports one of the largest concentrations of colonial nesting water birds in San Francisco Bay. Many areas of the island are closed during breeding season, from February through September, to protect the colonies from human disturbance. Western gulls are managed in areas open to the public through the use of bird exclusion measures and other deterrents to protect visitor health and safety. Education and outreach inform visitors about the significance of the island to nesting birds, and what the public can do to help protect the birds.
Key Experience
The Key Park Experience is the sequential immersion in the historic federal prison experience with the central focus being the Cell House tour. The Cell House tour has a wide variety of experiences, exhibits, audio and printed materials. The concession-operated boat ride to the island is part of the primary experience. Secondary to the key experience are the initial ranger-led orientation, orientation and history videos, the journey from the dock at Alcatraz to the Cell House, views from points around the island, walks and tours focused on aspects of Alcatraz in addition to the prison history, and interpretive displays outside the Prison Building. These areas have accessibility deficiencies, some of them critical to the program delivery method.
Proposed Accessibility Improvements & Questions for Public Input
1. Exterior Access Routes & Transportation System: There is an approximate 1600 ft walk/climb from the wharf area to the prison cell house at the upper elevation of the island. The roads that serve as pedestrian walkways are identified as significant to the cultural landscape of Alcatraz Island within the Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report (2005). Unfortunately, the roads that serve as the main pedestrian routes have excessive slopes up to 15% that can make the walk physically challenging for visitors of all abilities. An electric shuttle, the SEAT—Sustainable Easy Access Transport, was instituted in 1998 and runs twice an hour transporting visitors from the dock to the prison building and back. The SEAT has two standard cars and two wheelchair accessible cars. Each accessible car can accommodate six passengers total, two who use wheelchairs. Based on the cultural landscape of the island, NPS policy has restricted use of the SEAT to individuals with mobility impairments or physical needs in order to limit impact on the visitor experience, and physical impacts to the cultural and natural resources. Family members and friends traveling with the individual are not able to be accommodated according to the policy. The current SEAT is coming to the end of its life cycle and is in need of replacement.
Questions: Public input is requested on the preferred type of replacement for the current SEAT. What transportation systems might exist that can maneuver the excessive grade on Alcatraz Island with limited impact on the environment? How frequent should a transportation system be scheduled to accommodate pedestrian traffic on the narrow roadway and lessen the environmental impact? Would onboard announcements of the interpretive wayside information be acceptable for areas where the transportation cannot stop due to the excessive grade or safety concern with pedestrian visitors on the roadway?
Visitor Orientation, Publications and Website: Within six months the park web site will be updated with the most current available information regarding accessible facilities, areas, and programs and will be routinely updated to reflect the latest information as the park Accessibility Action and Transition plans are implemented. The web site will include specific point of contact information for those who may need to request accommodations, such as sign language interpreters, in advance. Within the short term, the park will design the primary park brochure in large print and format the content for Braille, audio formats, and electronic file for posting on the park web sites. Within the short term, the park will develop a thermoplastic, raised-line map as temporary/portable visitor use and orientation. In the midterm, the proposed accessibility improvement includes the design and construction of a 3-dimensional model to provide visitors orientation to the island upon arrival and installation of new wayfinding signage with tactile maps for placement throughout.
Questions: Will the proposed short and midterm solutions provide adequate orientation to the island? Please provide comment on the methods of proposed facilitation (raised line maps, 3-D models, tactile maps).
2. Videos: The two 15-30 minute videos shown daily in the theater will be audio described within the short term. All future videos will include open captions and audio description as part of the pre-production process.
3. Tours and Talks: Within the short term, the park will acquire a portable assistive listening system that can be used by park visitors for tours and talks. In addition staff have identified qualified local service providers for real time captioning, live audio description and sign language interpreters; and will establish a policy where the request for these services is five days in advance and publically post the policy in the program marketing materials including brochures, advertisements, the Alcatraz web sites. A written script of the audio tour for the Cell House will be made available at the Park. In addition, an audio described version of the audio tour will be developed.
Questions: Public comment is requested on the type of assistive listening system and features that should be acquired. Comment is also requested on user experience with various models including performance and any maintenance issues. In addition, the park seeks comment on whether to establish a weekly or monthly schedule to more regularly provide sign language interpreters for day visits to Alcatraz.
4. Outdoor Furnishings: Benches and picnic tables are located around the wharf, entrance to Agave Trail and outside the Book Store and SEAT boarding/Chapel parking area. The proposed short term accessibility improvement includes conducting an inventory of fixed concrete benches with backs at the wharf and replacing 50% with accessible models in groups of two or more where applicable and giving first priority to seating at and near the entry to the gangway and the waiting area at the Tram. The park will dispose of all non-fixed metal benches with backs. As non-accessible benches and picnic tables are replaced, they will be replaced with accessible units.
5. Information Window: The proposed long term solution to improve the accessible route and information counter at the Dock Office is to modify and lower the service counter window and correct the accessible route to it. The proposed short term solution is to provide interpretive staff and docents at the exterior of the building to field questions and provide information to visitors.
6. Assembly Areas: An outdoor assembly area or amphitheater is located at the wharf adjacent to the SEAT boarding area. The proposed short term accessibility improvement is to install three additional benches with integrated spaces for wheelchair seating. Within the Barracks, there is an assembly area/theater used to view the visitor orientation video. The proposed short term accessibility improvement is to design a wheelchair seating plan for the Theater and arrange non-fixed seats with integrated wheelchair seating spaces set according to plan.
7. Pier Restroom Building: Proposed short term accessibility improvements include correcting the centerline of the toilet and the grab bars in the accessible toilet stalls, relocating a toilet paper dispenser, adding lever hardware to the shower control and installing directional signage at the non-accessible single user staff restroom.
8. Upper Roadway Restroom Building: Proposed short term accessibility improvements for the Upper Roadway Restroom Building include insulating the pipes under lavatories, lowering mirrors and the paper towel dispensers. The payphone at this building has been removed at the discretion of AT & T, with no cost to GGNRA.
9. Parade Ground: The concrete surface throughout the Parade Ground has a 3% cross slope and numerous changes in level. Repaving the Parade Ground would have a significant impact on historic preservation. The proposed solution is to use a temporary surface system for access routes during special events.
10. Exercise Yard: The Exercise Yard is not located on an accessible route. There are two sets of stairs with more than 40 steps required to get to the lower level. The proposed long term solution is to investigate options to create an accessible route to the Exercise Yard through the basement of the Prison Building without creating a negative impact on the historic integrity of the site. Presently, the door at the Cell House to the Exercise Yard is opened for day tours and an interpretive panel adjacent to the door communicates information about the Exercise Yard.
Question: Does the public perceive the Exercise Yard as a significant feature when the Alcatraz experience is viewed in its entirety or significant enough to merit reprioritization and dedicated resources to creating vertical access from the Cell House.
11. Electric Shop: The Electric Shop is not on an accessible route. The proposed short term solution is to relocate public programs to accessible locations. The proposed long term solution is to perform a building code and structural analysis for program use of the building. Perform repairs to doors, door jambs, thresholds and interior floors as part of change of occupancy and reuse rehabilitation project.
12. Fortification Tunnel: The Fortification Tunnel leads to the New Industries Building. Its access to the public is limited to special guided tours. The tunnel does not have the required 80" overhead clearance for an accessible route. Guides give safety instructions at the beginning of each tour for visitors to lower their heads as they walk through the tunnel. It is considered technically infeasible to remove the 7—10 inches overhead. The installation of caution signage is proposed as a safety precaution.
13. New Industries Building: The New Industries Building is not on accessible route. Currently, this building is not part of the day-use programming at Alcatraz. The proposed long term solution is to perform a building code and structural analysis for program use of the building. Change of use for programming would result in the need to modify and expand the transportation plan to the New Industries Building and install new entry ramp.
Additional Comments
Please provide comment on other areas of accessibility concerns that may not be presented in this summary document.
Alcatraz Public Comment Sheet
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