Recreation trails are a key component of the social, economic and health of rural communities. People with mobility impairments are often excluded from trails, shared-use paths, parks and other public areas where barriers are erected to prevent access by motorized trail vehicles (MTVs), to control livestock or wildlife, as an access point in a fenced area, or for a variety of other reasons. Many people who use wheelchairs, hand bikes or other personal mobility devices (PMDs) have been forced to crawl on the ground in order to enter, or cannot enter at all. As a result, vehicle barriers that are currently being used all over the country do not comply with the newest Architectural Barriers Act/Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility for gates. The research goal is to develop a trail barrier that will prevent MTVs from using recreation trails while allowing access by people who use PMDs. During Phase 1 of this research, the size and performance characteristics that distinguish between MTVs and PMDs were identified and used to develop design concepts for barriers that would be accessible to hikers who use PMDs. Phase 2 of this research will further develop and evaluate these trail vehicle barrier design concepts to verify their effectiveness in allowing access for permitted users and restricting access of prohibited trail users. Phase 2 research will also establish the commercial viability and suitability of these trail vehicle barrier designs for use in a wide variety of trail environments and by diverse land management agencies (e.g., Federal, state, local, volunteer). OBJECTIVES: This project will design a trail gate that: prevents motorized vehicle access, allows non-motorized users and personal mobility devices (PMDs), and is consistent with accessibility legislation. Phase I established the feasibility of the vehicle barrier, identified characteristics that distinguish between motorized trail vehicles (MTVs) and PMDs, developed three initial design concepts and completed a trail manager needs survey. Characteristics that distinguished MTVs and PMDs and input from trail and rehabilitation experts, gathered through focus groups, provided the basis for the gate design concepts. Prototypes will be developed in Phase II and will be evaluated for suitability for various trail environments, accessibility to users with and without disabilities, and effectiveness in preventing MTV access. Focus groups and testing with trail experts will be used to refine the prototype into the most effective trail gate barrier.The specific objectives to be achieved during Phase II of this research include: 1. Construct working prototypes for four trail barrier concepts developed during Phase I: Enforcement Image Capture System (EICS), Maneuvering Profile Barrier (MPB), Depth Profile Barrier (DPB), and Alternative Mobility Device Gate (AMD Gate). 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of each barrier in preventing prohibited trail users, including livestock control and motorized vehicles. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of each barrier in permitting access by permitted trail users, including people who use a variety of personal mobility devices. 4. Evaluate the effectiveness of each barrier in both winter and summer seasons, and in diverse climatic regions. 5. Obtain feedback from Federal, state, local and private land managers to determine the suitability of the designs for a broad spectrum of rural trail environments and the commercial feasibility of the prototype designs.Prepare construction diagrams/specifications, installation and maintenance manuals for the final barrier design(s). APPROACH: Objective 1 tasks include: detailed drawings for each prototype, building models, complete preliminary testing for accessibility to people using a wide range of personal mobility devices (PMDs), compare to Phase I data for motorized trail vehicles (MTVs) to ensure that most MTVs or prohibited livestock will not be able to pass through the gate, modify and construct one working prototype of each design using the actual materials selected for durability and vandal resistance, and evaluate the installation and maintenance requirements in relation to the desired specifications identified through the Phase I land manager survey. Objective 2 tasks include: purchase auto heat detection camera(s) to evaluate the Enforcement Image Capture System (EICS) design concept, identify specific test locations, drive motorized vehicles past the EICS during daylight and repeat during night conditions. A focus group to determine the type of ground surface required to restrict or allow the passage of stock animals will be conducted and livestock owners will attempt to have their livestock negotiate each barrier. Objective 3 tasks include: identify specific test locations for PMD evaluations; install steel prototypes; and have people who have visual impairments, people who use PMDs and a variety of trail users (e.g., hiker, cyclist, skier) who do not use PMDs and have different levels of trail experience (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced) attempt to negotiate each barrier. Objective 4 tasks include: perform applicable evaluations for Objectives 2 and 3 under winter conditions (freezing temperatures, substantial snow load), under high heat conditions (high temperatures, intense sun), and under wet conditions (rain, slippery or muddy surface). Objective 5 tasks include: create a detailed videotape of the performance of each gate design and a document summarizing the commercialization factors (e.g., production cost, retail cost, maintenance needs, lifespan, effectiveness for trail user groups), present to a focus group of land managers and distribute to Phase II project advisory board, ensure a representative sample of at least 100 land managers (25 Federal, 25 state, 25 local, 25 private/volunteer), and obtain feedback on the suitability of the designs and the commercial feasibility of the four prototypes. Objective 6 tasks include: Create construction diagrams and specifications for final barrier design(s), create a step-by-step manual, create a research report to document and summarize the results of the evaluations, publish overall dimensions of PMDs for use by architects and standards setting organizations, and distribute detailed dimensional information on PMDs and MTVs for use by manufacturers and product designers in their work. Results will be analyzed for any access problems or limitations and the barrier(s) re-designed if appropriate. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize numerical (e.g., time to negotiate barrier, number of attempts required) and categorical (e.g., whether of not they were successful) data.
