ADA Accessibility Guidelines for 

Transportation Vehicles

Part 1192
• History 

• Format

• Process

• General Requirements

• Current Guidelines

Agenda
History

• Background on ADAAG for Transportation Vehicles 

• The Board’s ADA Accessibility Guidelines for 

Transportation Vehicles, were first published in 1991 

and address access to buses, vans, rail cars, and other 

modes of transit.

• They serve as the basis for standards maintained by the 

Department of Transportation (DOT) 

• Apply to new or remanufactured vehicles required to be 

accessible under the ADA.

• In 1998, the Board and DOT jointly supplemented 

provisions in the guidelines for over-the-road buses.
Current Activity

• Updates

• 2007 – Board released for public comment draft 

updates to sections of the guidelines covering buses 

and vans

• 2008 – Board released for public comment revised draft 

of updates to provisions in the guidelines for buses and 

vans

• 2010 – Board officially proposed updates to the sections 

of guidelines on buses and vans

• 2012 – Reopened comments to address specific issues

• 2013 – Board established the Rail Vehicles Access 

Advisory Committee to recommend updates to sections 

of the guidelines covering rail cars
Process

• Committee develops and presents 

report to the Access Board

• NPRM proposed by Board

• Includes Guidelines and Cost Analysis

• Public Comment

• Final Rule in Federal Register

• Adoption by US DOT and US DOJ
Current Format

Part 1192

• Subpart A - General

• Subpart B - Buses, vans

• Subpart C - Rapid rail

• Sub-way type, dedicated rail

• Metro, Chicago’s ‘L’, BART

• Subpart D – Light rail

• Street car, fixed rail systems

• Atlanta, Portland, Dallas
• Subpart E – Commuter rail cars

• MARC, VRE, NJ Transit, METRA

• Subpart F – Intercity rail cars

• Amtrak.

• Subpart G – Over-the-road buses

• Subpart H – Other systems

• Automated guideway, trams, high-speed rail
• General Requirements

• Accessible Boarding and Alighting Features

• Doorways

• Circulation Paths

• Seating

• Communication

• Lighting

• Restrooms

• Dining Cars

• Sleeping Rooms

Current Guidelines
General Requirements

• New, used and remanufactured vehicles are 

considered accessible when they comply.

9
Accessible Boarding and Alighting 

Features

• Between-car barriers: devices or systems to be 

provided to prevent or warn people from 

stepping off the platform between cars

– Examples – pantograph gates, chains, motion 

detectors, or similar

– Exception for screens that close off edge or for 

commuter rail, where bellows are provided

• Level change mechanism required unless 

provided at the station

10
Accessible Boarding and Alighting 

Features

• Ramps and bridge plates –

– Design load: 600 lb min

– Surface: 30” wide, slip resistant, 1⁄4”

max surface discontinuity, 1⁄2“ if beveled 

– Ramp barrier: 2”min

– Slope: least slope practicable

• < 3” above platform 1:4 max 

• > 3”, < 6” above platform 1:6 max

• > 6”, < 9” above platform 1:8 max

• > 9” above platform 1:12 max

11
Accessible Boarding and Alighting 

Features

• Ramps and bridge plates –

– Firmly attached to vehicle, but may be deployed 

from the station

– Gap from ramp to vehicle or platform: 5/8” max

– Stowed ramps must be secured

– Handrails, if provided must be usable throughout 

boarding, 30”– 38” in height, 100 lb lateral force, 1 

1/4” to 1 1/2” diameter, eased edges, not 

interfere with boarding or alighting

12
Accessible Boarding and Alighting 

Features

• Level Boarding –

– Horizontal gap 3” max

– Vehicle floor height within 5/8” of platform under 

normal load, alignment by air suspension, automatic 

ramps or lifts or 

combination 

– Exception: new vehicles at key 

stations floor within 1 1⁄2” max

– Exception: retrofit vehicles 

horizontal gap 4” max, vertical

2” max under 50% passenger load

13
Accessible Boarding and Alighting 

Features

• Lifts –

– May be permanent or portable and located on station 

platform

– Design load: 600 lb min

– Controls: interlocked, momentary contact 

– Rotary lift allowed only with physical barriers or safety 

constraints

– Emergency operation required, 12”per sec max drop

– Platform Barrier: 1 1⁄2” min

– Surface: slip resistant, 1⁄4” max surface discontinuity, 

1⁄2“ if beveled, clear width min 28 1⁄2” at surface and 

30” from 2” above platform to 30”

14
Accessible Boarding and Alighting 

Features

• Lift platform –

– Gaps: at barriers 5/8” max, at car floor 1⁄2’’ horizontal 

and 5/8” vertical, handhold 1 1⁄2” by 4 1⁄2”

– Entrance ramp: 1:8 max for 3” max rise, 1⁄4” max 

surface discontinuity, 1⁄2“ if beveled 

– Deflection: 3” max loaded with 600 lbs

– Movement: 6” per sec when loaded, 12” per sec when 

unloaded, 0.3g max acceleration

• Lift: designed to be boarded forward or backward 

• Handrails: two sides, moves with lift, 8” min length, 

30” – 38” in height, 100 lb lateral force, 1 1/4” to 

1 1/2” diameter eased edges, 1 1⁄2” knuckle 

clearance, not interfere with boarding or alighting

15
Rail Car Mounted Lift

16
Doorways

• Clear width: 32” min entry into vehicle

– Commuter and intercity rail – 32” min adjacent 

door into passenger coach

– Intercity rail 32”min width from passenger car to 

single-level dining car

– Rapid, light, commuter rail –

30” min width between cars

if adjacent cars are connected

by 30” aisle 

17
Doorways

.

18
Circulation Paths

• Route or passageway width: 32” min from 

accessible doorway to accessible seating

• Where passage is required through vestibule, 

42”min width

• Floor and step surfaces: slip resistant

• Threshold and step edges: 

contrasting band of color

19
Circulation Paths

• Handrails and stanchions graspable 

from outside vehicle to assist 

boarding and additional to

use for circulation, seating 

and standing and alighting

20
Seating

• Wheelchair, mobility aid positions: Two min

• Size: 30”by 48”

• May be in standee space

• Fold-down seats allowed

• Securement of wheelchairs 

not required

21
Communication

• Signage -

– International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA) 

on exterior accessible doors, unless 

all are accessible

– Signs for accessible restrooms

– Priority Seating: Indicates seats with priority to

persons with disabilities

– Technical: Characters width to height ratio between 

3:5 and 1:1, stroke width to height ratio between 

1:5 and 1:10, min height 5/8”, spacing 1/16 upper 

case letters, light on dark or dark on light

22
Communication

• Signal: auditory and visual warning to alert 

passengers of closing doors 

• Public information system: personnel, 

recorded or digitized human speech to 

announce stations and other information

– Rapid rail: vehicles operating in station with more 

than one line must have external system to 

announce train, routed, or line identification 

information, except where provided by station

23
Lighting

• Light, commuter and intercity rail –

• Stepwell or doorway with accessible boarding:

– Adjacent to driver - 2 foot-candles min illumination on 

step tread or lift platform when door is open

– Not adjacent to driver - shall at all times have 2 footcandles min illumination when deployed at the vehicle 

floor level 

– Not operating at lighted stations – exterior lights 

providing 1 foot-candle min for a distance of 3’ 

perpendicular to all points on the stepwell edge and 

located to protect the eyes of passengers

24
Dining Cars

• At least one door must connect to accessible car

• At least one space to provide table service to person 

who chooses to remain in their wheelchair and space 

to store a wheelchair for a person who transfers

25
Restrooms

• When provided on commuter and intercity rail –

• Clear floor space: 35” by 60“, permanent fixtures 

may overlap by 6” if knee and toe clearance 

provided, but must not interfere with access to 

water closet

• Fold-down seats or shelves allowed

• Water closet height: 17” – 19”

• Seats shall not spring to lifted position

• Grab bar: 24” long behind water closet and 40” 

long on at least one side, no more than 12” from 

back wall and height of 33” - 36”

26
Restrooms

• Faucets and flush controls: not require tight 

grasping, pinching or twisting, 5 lbf max to 

operate, 44” max height

• Doorway width: when on short end – 32” min, 

on long end – 39”min, latches and hardware not 

require tight grasping, pinching or twisting

• Location: close proximity to at least one seating 

location for person with disabilities and on a 

route 32” min

27
Car with Restroom

.

28
Sleeping Compartment

• On intercity rail –

• Designed to allow a person using a mobility aid to 

enter, maneuver within and approach and use 

each element within the compartment

• Each accessible compartment shall contain an 

accessible restroom which can be entered 

directly from compartment

• Controls and mechanisms 15” – 48” above floor 

with clear floor space of 30” by 48” min in front, 

operable without tight grasping, pinching or 

twisting of the wrist

29
Sleeping Compartment

.

30
Building Standard Elements

• Protruding objects

• Accessible routes – running slopes, grade breaks

• Stairways

• Signs – raised characters and Braille

• Assistive listening

• Armrests

• Dining and work surfaces, sales and service 

counters

• Two-way communication systems

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Thank you

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