ADA Sidewalk Compliance 2026: Complete Glossary and Guide

ADA sidewalk compliance means meeting federal accessibility standards for all pedestrian walkways on commercial, industrial, and public properties. Key thresholds include a 36-inch minimum width, 2% maximum cross slope (with zero tolerance), a quarter-inch trip hazard limit, and 1:12 maximum curb ramp slope. Violations carry fines up to $150,000 per offense, and over 10,000 ADA lawsuits are filed annually in the U.S. Tax credits and deductions can offset compliance costs by up to $20,000 per year.

Quick Answer: What Makes a Sidewalk ADA Compliant?

A sidewalk is ADA compliant when it provides a safe and accessible route for people with disabilities and meets the requirements of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

The most important ADA sidewalk requirements are:

Failure to meet any of these standards can expose property owners to ADA lawsuits, DOJ enforcement actions, insurance claims, and costly remediation projects.

Bottom line: The most common ADA sidewalk violations are excessive cross slope, trip hazards above ¼ inch, missing curb ramps, inadequate sidewalk width, and damaged detectable warning surfaces.

What ADA Sidewalk Compliance Actually Means

ADA sidewalk compliance refers to meeting the accessibility requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act for all pedestrian walking surfaces on or adjacent to a property. These standards, codified in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, ensure that people who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, or other mobility devices can safely navigate sidewalks, curb ramps, and pathways without encountering barriers.

This applies to virtually every commercial property, multifamily housing complex with four or more units, municipal facility, and educational institution. If the public walks on it, ADA standards govern it.

The stakes are not abstract. More than 10,000 ADA Title III lawsuits are filed each year in the United States. Roughly half originate in California, but the trend is accelerating nationwide, including across the Southeast. Property owners in Tennessee, Alabama, and surrounding states face the same federal standards and the same legal exposure.

This glossary breaks down every term property owners, facility managers, and general contractors need to understand, organized by category with the exact numeric specs that matter during inspections.

If your property needs an ADA assessment or remediation work, reach out to Wright Construction for a compliance evaluation.

ADA Sidewalk Compliance Requirements at a Glance

Many property owners do not need the full legal terminology before understanding whether their sidewalks are compliant. The table below summarizes the measurements inspectors evaluate most often during ADA audits.

These dimensions represent the most frequently cited ADA sidewalk violations during commercial property inspections.

Foundational Terms

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The federal civil rights law, passed in 1990, that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. For property owners, two sections matter most: Title II covers state and local government entities, and Title III covers private businesses open to the public. Both impose specific obligations for sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure.

Title II (Public Entities)

State and local government agencies must provide “program access” for existing facilities. Sidewalks owned by a public entity are considered a program that must meet accessibility requirements. This is why municipal sidewalk lawsuits have become so common. More than 142 local governments have been named in lawsuits for failing to maintain ADA-compliant sidewalks, and most of these cases end in large settlement agreements.

Title III (Public Accommodations)

Private businesses open to the public, including retail stores, restaurants, office buildings, and shopping centers, must remove accessibility barriers when it is “readily achievable” to do so. In many communities, businesses are also held responsible for the public sidewalks directly in front of their buildings, not just their own parking areas and walkways.

Readily Achievable

The legal standard applied to existing facilities under Title III. It means “easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense.” This is a case-by-case determination based on the business’s size, resources, and the nature of the barrier. A Fortune 500 retailer faces a different threshold than a small storefront.

Program Access

The Title II obligation for government entities. It does not require that every single sidewalk panel be perfectly compliant at all times. Instead, the programs, services, and activities, when viewed as a whole, must be accessible. However, courts have interpreted this broadly, and a pattern of noncompliant sidewalks across a city can trigger enforcement.

2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design

The current federal accessibility standards, which took effect on March 15, 2012. These replaced the original 1991 standards and remain the governing document for all new construction and alterations. The U.S. Access Board maintains these standards.

Accessible Route

At least one accessible route must connect site arrival points (accessible parking, passenger loading zones, public sidewalks) to accessible building entrances. Components of an accessible route include walking surfaces, doorways, ramps, curb ramps, and elevators. This is the thread connecting your parking lot construction to your front door. Every element in the chain must comply.

Safe Harbor Provision

An important and frequently overlooked rule: elements in existing facilities that were built to comply with the 1991 Standards or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) before March 15, 2012 are not required to be modified solely because the 2010 Standards contain different specifications. This exemption does not apply if the element is being altered or if it falls along the path of travel to a primary function area that is being renovated.

Sidewalk Geometry Terms

Running Slope

The slope measured in the direction of travel. The maximum allowable running slope for a sidewalk is 5%, expressed as a ratio of 1:20. If a sidewalk’s running slope exceeds 5%, the ADA reclassifies it as a ramp, which triggers additional requirements for handrails, landings, and edge protection. This distinction catches property owners off guard during inspections.

Cross Slope

The slope measured perpendicular to the direction of travel. The maximum cross slope is 2%, or 1:48. This is one of the most unforgiving measurements in ADA sidewalk compliance because there is no plus tolerance. Practitioners report that a measured cross slope of 2.05% typically results in contractors being forced to remove and replace the entire sidewalk section. There is no rounding, no margin of error. A 2% reading passes; 2.1% fails.

This zero-tolerance reality makes precision during construction critical. It also means that settling, frost heave, or root intrusion that shifts a slab even slightly can push a previously compliant sidewalk out of spec.

Minimum Width

The federal minimum clear width for a sidewalk is 36 inches (3 feet). However, most state and local jurisdictions require at least 42 inches, and many specify 48 inches or wider for commercial properties. Always check local codes in addition to federal standards.

The width can narrow to 32 inches for a length of no more than 24 inches, provided the narrow sections are separated by segments at least 48 inches long and 36 inches wide. Think of this as the “pinch point” allowance for utility poles, sign posts, or other fixed obstructions.

Passing Space

If a sidewalk is less than 60 inches (5 feet) wide, passing spaces must be provided at intervals of no more than 200 feet. Two wheelchair users approaching each other need room to pass safely. The passing space must be either a 60-by-60-inch area or a T-shaped intersection where each arm and the base extend at least 48 inches from the intersection point.

Clear Width

The usable width of a sidewalk after accounting for obstructions. Utility boxes, planters, benches, sandwich boards, and overgrown landscaping all reduce effective clear width. A sidewalk that was 48 inches when poured can easily become noncompliant if a 14-inch planter narrows the passage below 36 inches. Regular site walks should check for these encroachments.

For properties where sidewalk compliance ties into broader parking lot striping and ADA requirements, the accessible route must maintain continuous clear width from the parking space to the building entrance.

Surface and Hazard Terms

Trip Hazard (The Quarter-Inch Rule)

The ADA defines a trip hazard as any vertical change of one-quarter inch or more at any joint or crack. This is arguably the most common violation found during ADA sidewalk compliance audits. Raised or sunken concrete panels, tree root uplift, frost heave, and settlement all create vertical displacements that exceed this threshold.

The quarter-inch rule applies everywhere along the accessible route, not just at obvious joints.

Beveled Transition

A change in level between one-quarter inch and one-half inch is allowed if the edge is beveled with a slope no steeper than 1:2. Changes in level greater than one-half inch must be addressed with a ramp, regardless of beveling. This means grinding a half-inch lip to a 1:2 bevel can bring a section into compliance without full panel replacement, but anything above that half-inch mark requires more extensive work.

For more on addressing joints and cracks in commercial concrete, see our guide to concrete joint repair methods.

Surface Requirements

Sidewalk surfaces must be firm, stable, and slip-resistant. Acceptable materials include concrete, asphalt, and wood decking. Loose gravel, decomposed granite, mulch, and other unbound materials are not ADA-compliant because wheelchair casters and walker tips cannot roll or plant reliably on them.

Cracked pavement, heaving slabs, and deteriorating surfaces also fail this standard. A sidewalk might have started compliant but can lose that status through neglect.

Gap and Opening Limit

Expansion joints, cracks, and drainage grates along the accessible route cannot have openings wider than one-half inch. Wheelchair casters and cane tips can catch in anything wider. For grates, the long dimension of any opening must run perpendicular to the dominant direction of travel.

Protruding Objects

Objects mounted on walls or posts cannot project more than 4 inches into the walkway if their leading edge is between 27 and 80 inches above the ground. This protects people who use canes for navigation; a cane detects objects at ground level but cannot detect a wall-mounted sign or fire extinguisher cabinet that protrudes at chest height. Items below 27 inches are detectable by cane and are exempt from this rule.

Curb Ramp and Ramp Terms

Curb Ramp

The transition point where a sidewalk meets the street. Curb ramps are required at all pedestrian street crossings and must be part of the accessible route. Missing or noncompliant curb ramps are among the most frequently cited ADA violations in municipal audits. Baltimore, for example, found that only 1.3% of its curb ramps met ADA standards.

Curb Ramp Slope

The maximum slope for a curb ramp is 1:12 (8.33%). That means one inch of vertical rise for every twelve inches of horizontal run. The ramp width must be at least 36 inches, measured between the flared sides, not including them.

Landing

A level area at the top of a curb ramp that allows wheelchair users to stop, turn, and maneuver safely. Landings must be at least 48 inches deep, with a cross slope no greater than 2% (1:48). Without an adequate landing, a wheelchair user rolling off a ramp enters the sidewalk at an angle with no opportunity to straighten.

Flared Sides

The sloped areas flanking a curb ramp. Where provided, curb ramp flares cannot be steeper than 1:10. If the flared side is adjacent to a walkway, pedestrians may walk across it, so a manageable slope prevents stumbles. If the curb ramp is recessed into the sidewalk (with returned curbs on either side), flares are not required.

Handrails

Required when a ramp’s total rise exceeds 6 inches. Handrails must be provided on both sides of the ramp, must be continuous along the full length, and must extend 12 inches beyond the top and bottom of the ramp run. Many curb ramps do not trigger this requirement because their rise is under 6 inches, but longer ramps on steeply graded sites will.

Diagonal Curb Ramp

A single ramp installed at the apex of a corner, directing users into the center of the intersection rather than toward either crosswalk. These are less desirable from an accessibility standpoint because they put wheelchair users into the intersection at the point of maximum traffic conflict. Paired directional ramps (one per crosswalk) are the preferred configuration.

Detectable Warning Terms

Detectable Warning Surface

A standardized surface of raised truncated domes installed at the transition between a pedestrian route and a vehicular way, most commonly at the bottom of curb ramps. These surfaces serve as a tactile cue for people with vision impairments, warning them that they are about to enter a street.

Truncated Domes

The individual raised bumps that make up a detectable warning surface. Per federal standards, each dome must have a base diameter between 0.9 inches (23 mm) and 1.4 inches (36 mm), a top diameter between 50% and 65% of the base diameter, and a height of 0.2 inches (5.1 mm). Center-to-center spacing ranges from 41 to 61 mm.

Getting these specs wrong is common. Practitioners report frequent installation errors including truncated domes that are too high (creating tripping hazards), domes placed too close together (impeding wheelchair passage), and confusion between truncated domes and directional wayfinding bars, which serve a completely different purpose.

Visual Contrast

Detectable warning surfaces must provide strong visual contrast against the adjacent sidewalk, either light-on-dark or dark-on-light. The recommended standard is a 70% difference in light reflectance value (LRV). A medium-gray dome panel on a medium-gray concrete sidewalk fails this test even if the dome geometry is perfect.

Local jurisdictions sometimes mandate specific colors. One town may require yellow plastic mats while another requires red pavers. Always verify local requirements alongside the federal standard.

Tactile Warning Mat Placement

ADA requirements specify that detectable warning panels must extend a minimum of 24 inches in the direction of travel and cover the full width of the curb ramp, not including flared sides. Panels placed too far from the curb face or panels that do not span the ramp’s full width leave gaps where a visually impaired pedestrian could miss the warning entirely.

For a deeper look at ADA compliance requirements specific to the Memphis area, see our Memphis ADA compliance contractor glossary. Property owners in the Chattanooga market can reference the Chattanooga ADA site compliance glossary.

ADA Sidewalk Inspection Checklist for Property Owners

Property owners can identify many compliance issues without hiring a consultant by conducting a simple site inspection.

Width Inspection

Verify:

• Sidewalk width remains at least 36 inches.

• Landscaping has not reduced clear width.

• Utility boxes and signage do not obstruct access.

Slope Inspection

Measure:

• Cross slope does not exceed 2%.

• Running slope does not exceed 5%.

Digital inclinometers provide more accurate measurements than traditional bubble levels.

Trip Hazard Inspection

Look for:

• Raised concrete panels.

• Settlement cracks.

• Tree root uplift.

• Broken curb ramps.

Any vertical change exceeding ¼ inch should be evaluated.

Detectable Warning Inspection

Verify:

• Domes remain intact.

• Color contrast remains visible.

• Warning surfaces cover the full curb ramp width.

• Panels have not loosened or detached.

Documentation

Maintain:

• Inspection reports.

• Photographs.

• Repair records.

• Contractor invoices.

Documented compliance efforts may help demonstrate good faith during litigation.

Compliance and Enforcement Terms

ADA Compliance Audit (Self-Evaluation)

A systematic assessment of a property’s sidewalks, curb ramps, parking areas, and accessible routes against current ADA standards. Title II entities were required to complete a self-evaluation by January 26, 1993. For private property owners, regular audits are not legally mandated but are the single most effective defense against lawsuits. Documented evidence that you identified and are addressing barriers demonstrates good faith.

Barrier Removal

The ongoing obligation under Title III to eliminate accessibility barriers in existing facilities when it is readily achievable to do so. This is not a one-time event. As a property’s financial condition changes, barriers that were once too expensive to address may become readily achievable. Courts expect continuous, good-faith progress.

Path of Travel

When a primary function area of a facility is altered (renovated or remodeled), the path of travel connecting that area to the building entrance, restrooms, telephones, and drinking fountains must also be brought into compliance. This can significantly expand the scope of a renovation project. A property owner renovating a tenant space might discover that the sidewalk and curb ramp serving that entrance also need upgrades.

Transition Plan

A government entity’s formal plan for achieving program access. Transition plans identify barriers, set priorities, establish timelines, and assign responsibility. Private property owners are not required to produce a transition plan, but creating one voluntarily demonstrates proactive compliance and can be useful evidence in litigation.

DOJ Enforcement Action

The U.S. Department of Justice can investigate ADA complaints, conduct compliance reviews, and file lawsuits on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Penalties for ADA violations can reach $75,000 for a first offense and $150,000 for subsequent violations. Beyond federal fines, DOJ consent decrees often require years of monitored remediation work.

Serial Plaintiff (Drive-By Lawsuits)

A growing enforcement trend where individuals file high volumes of ADA complaints across multiple properties, sometimes without ever intending to use the businesses they sue. The law does not require a serious injury, just a barrier to access. If a sidewalk does not meet code, it can trigger statutory damages even if nobody gets hurt. Property owners often assume only injuries create liability, but access barriers alone are sufficient to sustain a claim.

This trend has made proactive ADA sidewalk compliance far more cost-effective than reactive lawsuit defense.

Insurance Implications

Properties with documented accessibility violations increasingly face higher premiums or coverage limitations. Some insurers now require documented ADA compliance programs as a condition of coverage renewal. Trip-and-fall claims related to sidewalk hazards rank among the most expensive premises liability claims, with average settlements ranging from $50,000 to over $150,000.

ADA Sidewalk Compliance Costs in 2026

One of the most common questions property owners ask is how much ADA sidewalk compliance work costs.

Actual costs vary based on location, material prices, labor availability, and the severity of violations.

Typical ADA Sidewalk Repair Costs

Property owners should obtain site-specific estimates because remediation costs vary significantly depending on existing conditions.

Financial and Tax Terms

Most property owners do not realize that the federal government offers tax incentives specifically designed to offset ADA compliance costs. This is one of the most overlooked opportunities in commercial property management.

Disabled Access Credit (IRS Section 44)

A tax credit available to small businesses (those with total revenue of $1,000,000 or less in the prior year, or 30 or fewer full-time employees). The credit covers 50% of eligible access expenditures between $250 and $10,250 in a given year, for a maximum annual credit of $5,000. Curb ramp construction, sidewalk modifications, and tactile warning installations all qualify.

Barrier Removal Tax Deduction (IRS Section 190)

Available to all businesses regardless of size. Up to $15,000 in costs to remove barriers for people with disabilities can be deducted each year. Eligible expenses explicitly include making curb cuts in sidewalks and entrances. This deduction can be combined with the Section 44 credit (on different portions of the expense) in the same tax year.

Together, these two provisions can offset up to $20,000 per year in ADA compliance spending. When budgeting for sidewalk remediation, factor these incentives into the project cost analysis.

Premises Liability

The legal doctrine that holds property owners responsible for injuries occurring on their property due to unsafe conditions. ADA sidewalk violations, particularly trip hazards and missing curb ramps, are among the most common triggers for premises liability claims. The financial exposure is significant: settlements consistently fall in the $50,000 to $150,000 range, and Portland, Oregon famously settled a class-action ADA sidewalk lawsuit for $113 million.

Construction and Repair Terms

Concrete Removal and Replacement

The most definitive repair method for ADA sidewalk compliance. When a panel’s cross slope exceeds 2%, when vertical displacement is too severe for grinding, or when surface deterioration is widespread, full removal and repour is often the only path to compliance. This approach allows contractors to establish correct slopes and elevations from scratch.

Concrete Grinding

Surface grinding can reduce trip hazards by leveling raised joints. It is effective for vertical displacements under one-half inch but has limitations for correcting slope problems. You cannot grind a sidewalk panel into a compliant cross slope if the underlying slab was poured incorrectly or has shifted due to settlement. Grinding also removes the surface texture, which may need to be restored to maintain slip resistance.

Slab Leveling (Mudjacking or Polyurethane Injection)

A technique for raising sunken concrete panels by injecting material beneath the slab. This can address trip hazards caused by settlement but introduces risks. Over-injection can push the panel above adjacent slabs, creating a new trip hazard. The long-term stability depends on the underlying soil conditions being addressed.

Subgrade Remediation

Addressing the root cause of slab settlement, heave, or shifting. Tree roots, poor drainage, expansive clay soils, and inadequate compaction during original construction all cause sidewalk failures. Without fixing the subgrade, any surface repair is temporary. For properties with widespread settlement issues, see our warehouse floor repair guide for related diagnostic approaches that apply to exterior slabs as well.

Precision Concrete Cutting

An engineered approach where raised concrete sections are cut to lower them to the level of adjacent panels. This method is less disruptive than full removal and replacement and can be effective for specific trip hazard locations, though it does not address underlying slope issues.

Common ADA Sidewalk Violations

Understanding where violations typically occur helps property owners prioritize their inspections:

Tree root uplift is the most common cause of trip hazards on established properties. Roots push slab sections upward, creating vertical displacements well beyond the quarter-inch limit.

Excessive cross slope develops over time as subgrades settle unevenly. A sidewalk that passed inspection at construction can drift past 2% within a few years on expansive clay soils.

Missing or deteriorated detectable warnings at curb ramps. Adhesive-applied truncated dome panels can debond, crack, or wear smooth, losing both their tactile and visual warning function.

Insufficient curb ramp landing area where the ramp meets the sidewalk. Many older ramps were built without the required 48-inch landing, dumping wheelchair users directly onto a sloped sidewalk.

Obstructed clear width from utility poles, sign posts, outdoor merchandise displays, and overgrown vegetation that narrows the effective walkway below 36 inches.

Wrong detectable warning placement including panels installed in medians, panels that don’t span the full ramp width, and tiles installed at incorrect locations relative to the curb face.

Local jurisdictions across the Southeast may layer additional requirements on top of federal standards. A property that complies with federal ADA specs might still fail a local inspection if the municipality has adopted stricter width, color, or material specifications for detectable warnings or curb ramps.

Who Is Responsible?

Responsibility for ADA sidewalk compliance depends on ownership and use:

Government entities (cities, counties, state agencies) are responsible under Title II for sidewalks they own and maintain. The program access standard applies.

Private property owners are responsible under Title III for sidewalks on their property and, in many jurisdictions, for public sidewalks fronting their buildings. The readily achievable standard applies for existing facilities. New construction and alterations must fully comply.

Landlords and tenants share responsibility. Lease language often assigns maintenance duties to tenants, but the ADA holds property owners accountable regardless of lease terms. A landlord cannot avoid liability by pointing to a tenant’s maintenance obligation.

General contractors performing work on commercial properties should flag ADA compliance issues discovered during construction. Alterations to a primary function area can trigger path-of-travel obligations that extend to adjacent sidewalks and curb ramps.

For commercial property owners planning broader concrete or paving projects, incorporating ADA compliance work into the overall scope is almost always more efficient and less expensive than addressing it separately. Our commercial concrete project planning checklist covers how to integrate these requirements into your project timeline.

Next Steps for Property Owners

A proactive compliance audit is always cheaper than a reactive lawsuit defense. The cost of surveying sidewalks, measuring slopes, and cataloging trip hazards is a fraction of a single premises liability settlement, let alone the DOJ fines that follow pattern violations.

Start with documentation. Walk every accessible route on your property with a digital level and a measuring tape. Record cross slopes, running slopes, vertical displacements, and detectable warning conditions. Photograph everything.

Prioritize repairs by severity and traffic volume. Trip hazards at building entrances and curb ramps serving accessible parking spaces are the highest-risk locations. Address those first.

Schedule regular inspections. Concrete moves. Settlement, frost heave, and root intrusion are ongoing processes, not one-time events. An annual or semi-annual walkthrough prevents small problems from becoming lawsuits.

Factor in the tax incentives. Between the Section 44 credit and the Section 190 deduction, the federal government subsidizes up to $20,000 per year in ADA compliance spending. Use it.

Wright Construction provides ADA compliance services across Tennessee, Alabama, and the broader Southeast, including handicap-accessible ramp construction, tactile warning mat installation, sidewalk removal and replacement, and ADA-compliant pavement striping. Contact Wright Construction to schedule a compliance assessment for your property.

Most Common ADA Sidewalk Violations Ranked

Based on accessibility audits and enforcement actions nationwide, the following issues account for the majority of sidewalk compliance failures.

Property owners should prioritize correcting the highest-risk violations first because they generate the greatest legal exposure.

ADA Sidewalk Measurements Cheat Sheet

What are the most important ADA sidewalk measurements?

The most important ADA sidewalk measurements are:

These are the measurements inspectors evaluate most frequently during ADA compliance audits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum cross slope for an ADA-compliant sidewalk?

The maximum cross slope is 2% (1:48), and there is zero tolerance for exceeding this number. A measurement of 2.05% is a violation that typically requires removal and replacement of the sidewalk section. No rounding or margin of error is permitted during inspections.

How wide does a sidewalk need to be for ADA compliance?

The federal minimum is 36 inches of clear width. Most state and local codes require 42 inches or wider for commercial properties. If the sidewalk is less than 60 inches wide, passing spaces of at least 60 by 60 inches must be provided every 200 feet.

What qualifies as a trip hazard under the ADA?

Any vertical change of one-quarter inch or more at a joint, crack, or slab edge is classified as a trip hazard. Vertical changes between one-quarter inch and one-half inch can be addressed with a beveled transition at a slope of 1:2 or less. Anything above one-half inch requires a ramp.

Who is responsible for ADA sidewalk compliance on commercial property?

The property owner bears primary responsibility under Title III of the ADA. In many jurisdictions, this extends to public sidewalks fronting the property. Lease agreements may assign maintenance to tenants, but the ADA holds the property owner legally accountable regardless of lease terms.

Are there tax benefits for making sidewalks ADA compliant?

Yes. Small businesses can claim a tax credit of up to $5,000 per year under IRS Section 44 (covering 50% of eligible expenses between $250 and $10,250). All businesses can deduct up to $15,000 per year under IRS Section 190 for barrier removal costs. Curb cuts in sidewalks are explicitly listed as eligible expenses.

What are the penalties for ADA sidewalk noncompliance?

Federal penalties can reach $75,000 for a first violation and $150,000 for subsequent violations. Beyond fines, premises liability lawsuits from trip-and-fall injuries average $50,000 to $150,000 in settlements. Portland, Oregon settled a class-action ADA sidewalk lawsuit for $113 million.

What are truncated domes and where are they required?

Truncated domes are raised, dome-shaped bumps on detectable warning surfaces installed at the transition between pedestrian walkways and vehicular areas, most commonly at curb ramps. They serve as tactile cues for people with vision impairments. The warning panels must be at least 24 inches deep in the direction of travel and span the full width of the curb ramp.

Does the safe harbor provision protect older sidewalks from ADA compliance?

Sidewalk elements built to the 1991 ADA Standards or Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards before March 15, 2012 are not required to be modified solely because the 2010 Standards contain different specifications. However, this exemption does not apply if the element is being altered or if it is along the path of travel to a primary function area that is being renovated.