Seattle agrees to build 22,500 curb ramps to settle lawsuit

SEATTLE -- The city of Seattle has agreed to install or fix 22,500 curb ramps throughout the next 18 years as part of a preliminary agreement to settle a federal lawsuit filed by three men with disabilities.

Our news partner The Seattle Times reports the city agreed on Monday to build the ramps. The men sued Seattle in 2015, saying it was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act because many sidewalks lack curb ramps.

A city-commissioned study from 2016 estimated the cost of each curb ramp at nearly $13,100, which would put the total estimated cost to the city at more than $294 million. Contractors, however, frequently quote prices far below the city's estimated per-ramp price. Two recent quote prices for ramps in Seattle ranged between $2,100 and $3,250 without sidewalk removal.